Fit Factor: Get rid of those last few pounds

You're eating healthy, you're getting enough sleep, and you're going to the damn gym ALL. THE. TIME. Why, then, is the weight still not coming off? Good question. Hopefully I can help you figure out the answer.

Based on all your healthy behaviors, my guess is that you're either not eating as well as you think you are, or you're not getting the most of your workouts. More likely than not, it's the latter, so that's what will be addressed. Don't get me wrong, exercise of any kind is a very good thing. Just because you're not stripping away the fat doesn't mean that you're not obtaining any health benefits from your workout. But you want more, don't you? You want the health benefits AND the defined midsection, right? It's perfectly OK if you do. You can have both, so long as you are willing to do -- and not do -- what it takes. That means maximizing your time spent in the gym.

It also means avoiding these five gym blunders, which may be holding you back from your reaching your fitness goals.

1. You're Too Distracted. There's something called the mind-muscle connection, and as new age as it may sound, it's a very real (and researched) construct. By focusing on your body as you work it, visualizing each muscle as they're used, you will always maintain proper form and will find results come quicker. Try making this connection while you're talking on your cell phone and perusing through a trashy celebrity gossip magazine as you do halfhearted sets of leg extensions. Not going to happen.

2. You're Too Flat. No, this is not a middle-school crack on smaller chested women; rather, you're too flat because you never, ever put the treadmill on any kind of incline. To mimic the resistance of solid ground, you should at least set the incline on the treadmill to level 2. Remember, unlike the treadmill, the earth doesn't move under your feet (despite what Carole King might have claimed). So, it's important to place the machine at an incline to compensate for the luxury of having it move your feet for you. Again, 2 should be the very minimum setting. For even greater results, set the incline even higher.


3. You Never Change Your Workout. Generally speaking, our bodies become accustomed to our workout programs after around four to six weeks. What happens if you don't change it after this amount of time? Nothing ... and when it comes to fitness, nothing is seldom a good thing. The body will no longer produce results, keeping you looking, at best, the way you look now and, at worst, less toned and fit over time.

4. You're Holding On. To the past? Maybe, but that's something you should probably work out with a therapist. I'm referring to the handles found on most machines. Research shows that by leaning on an exercise machine's handles you reduce the amount of calories you expend by as much as 20 percent. If you are able to perform the exercise without holding on, do it. Not only will you burn more calories, but you'll also work your core muscles as they endeavor to keep you balanced.

5. You're Overpowered. Wait ... what? Overpowered? Yes, overpowered. You eat a Power Bar before you go to the gym and wash it down with a Gatorade. Then you go the gym and drink another bottle of Gatorade, only to leave afterward and drink a protein shake, eat a meal replacement bar, and take a bevy of other supplements. While it is important to replenish your fluids and carb/protein levels after a workout, just as it's important to get enough fuel to help you through a workout, don't go overboard by eating far more calories than you burn. That 30-minute session on the treadmill? Most likely it burned around 300 calories. It stands to reason that you don't want to consume double that amount in "power" foods before, during, and after that workout.