Could be just one reason or could be multiple reasons. If you ever have any questions about weight loss or dieting, contact me anytime.
10 REASONS YOU’RE NOT LOSING WEIGHT:
1. Do you always eat healthy/clean? Eating healthy foods and avoiding junk food, processed food or excess sugar is so important. Many people don’t realize that diet is actually more important than exercise when trying to lose weight. I know it takes more work and effort to cook/prepare from fresh foods rather than from a box, can or drive-thru. But it could be the difference between staying the same weight and losing weight. Eat clean. Live lean. Check out our Clean Eating Grocery List to help guide you when shopping.
2. Are you eating enough? Most people know that if you eat too much you will most likely gain weight or have trouble losing weight. Well did you know that if you don’t eat enough, it might result in not losing weight either? It’s true. Restricting your calories too much can cause your metabolism to slow down. This is because your body feels deprived and is possibly going into starvation mode. It starts to store fats as reserve. So your weight loss progress might halt. Make sure you’re eating enough (based on your height, weight, activity level, etc) with this calorie calculator.
3. Do you skip meals? Skipping meals isn’t a good idea either. This goes along with eating too little. However, what usually happens is you’ll find yourself overeating when you do choose to eat a meal. This can also lead to making poor food choices. Instead spread your food out throughout the day eating at least 3 meals.
4. Are your meal portions too large? When we have too large of portions we eat too many calories. This can lead to weight gain. It’s easy to be confused about how much to eat, especially when we go out to eat at restaurants they serve us huge servings or going to all-you-can-eat buffets can be especially bad! What I can suggest is rating your “fullness”. As you’re eating if you ever feel even slightly full, just stop right there and save the rest for later. If you’re body is telling you you’re full, listen to it! Also, make sure to fill your plate with 25% protein, 25% whole grains/legumes/beans and 50% veggies like this.
5. Are you making good snack choices? When choosing a snack, keep it simple. You don’t have to buy processed junk food bars filled with added sugar. You can just take simple fresh foods like raw veggies and hummus, raw veggies and salsa, fruit and nut butter, nuts/seeds and dark chocolate (I personally love sunflower seeds and dark chocolate), almond stuffed dates, fruit and plain yogurt, cucumber tomato bites with mashed avocado, guacamole and veggie chips, or smoothies (my favorite snack) and have a delicious snack.
6. Do you choose unhealthy add-ons to put on your salads? Croutons, crispy fried wontons, glazed nuts smothered in sugar, crunchy/salty tortilla strips or shells (taco salad), fried/breaded chicken or fried shrimp to name a few of these unhealthy culprits. Also avoid piling on tons of cheese and lots of creamy dressings. Keep your salads simple – TONS of fresh greens and chopped veggies. Add a bit of sliced fruit if you want and some lean protein (chicken breast, tofu, beans). For dressing use some red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, a few squeezes of lemon juice or fresh salsa. No need to buy oily/creamy dressings. Simple works! Then sprinkle on some ground black pepper, garlic powder (NOT garlic salt!), and some dried herbs. Simple and delicious!
7. Are you working out a lot? Exercise can build muscle and burn fat at the same time. 5 lbs of muscle takes up less space on our bodies in comparison to 5 lbs of fat. Plus it makes your body leaner and smoother. However, when weighing yourself you might get frustrated because the scale might stay the same or even go up a bit at times and make you think you’re not losing weight. This is why you probably shouldn’t focus so much on the scale when building muscle with exercise. You can instead focus on other forms of measuring success like how you look in the mirror, how your clothes are fitting, before/after pics, and taking a measuring tape to measure around your waist, belly, hips, thighs, etc. and remeasuring later to compare inches lost.
8. Are you stressed? Stress can cause levels of your stress hormone (cortisol) to rise because you might be constantly in a state of “fight or flight”. This can lead to weight gain by slowing your metabolism and causing you to crave foods you shouldn’t be eating. To lower stress levels you can exercise, do yoga, meditate, and just learn to give yourself love and “me” time. Most people don’t realize stress can cause you to gain weight and make you feel like you’re not losing weight. Work on your mental health too and you will benefit!
9. Are you getting enough sleep? A lack of sleep can cause hunger which can lead to cravings. It can also cause us to be less motivated to eat healthy foods and exercise which can definitely cause weight gain and obesity. Make sure you’re sleeping between 7-9 hours a night.
10. Do you have unrealistic expectations? Many people go into weight loss expecting to follow a fad diet and “lose 10 lbs in 1 week!”. This just isn’t realistic. Sure youmight lose weight if you try one of these diets, but it most likely was water weight you lost and will most likely pile right back on. Not only that but you didn’t learn any healthy eating habits to keep the weight off for life. It’s so important to find a diet that you know you can live with forever. Because a “diet” isn’t just something you do for a couple months to get where you want to be then you can go back to your old eating habits and stay the same weight.. no. This will not happen. You have to make it your new lifestyle (new way of eating and new activity level). This will change your life for the better. You will keep the weight off and feel healthier than ever before. Understand that 1-2 lbs loss a week is realistic. Also, remind yourself that everyone is different and never ever compare yourself to others.
Hope these 10 tips were helpful to understanding why you’re not losing weight. Weight loss is a fickle thing, just keep working at it. Take baby steps. And remind yourself daily how proud you are of yourself for taking the first step and keep going!!!