Do you think you're doing everything you possibly can to lose weight, but nothing's happening?
Maybe you're exercising like mad and believing you're eating as clean as you can, but your weight just doesn't seem to shift. If this sounds like you, you're not alone! Many of my clients and people I talk to on a daily basis seem to have the same theme of struggles. People everywhere are struggling to lose weight and struggling to keep weight off that they may have lost from being on previous diets or meal plans.
If you have been dieting and exercising as hard as you can, eating as clean as you think you can and still not seeing the body changes you desire, you just might be falling into the trap of practicing bad habits that you are completely unaware of.
I have compiled a short list of some of the main reasons people put weight on and/or struggle to keep lost weight off. Read through these 5 reasons you're not losing weight and see if any of them ring true for you.
Here are 5 reasons you may not be losing weight:
1. You're always on a diet and you eat "diet foods".
- Dieting puts stress on the body when we place unrealistic demands on it. Dieting usually follows caloric restriction and limits both the variety and pleasure our body needs from food to feel satiated. The more we diet, the hungrier we become and more likely we are to overeat when we can't adhere to whatever diet we're following.
- If you are consuming a diet that is low in calories for too long, the body will start to think it's in a famine. Majority of the nutrients you do consume will then be saved for a later time, when the body isn't in a "famine" and store it in your fat reserve. This happens over a longer period of time. Bouts of fasting will not do this and can actually be a healthy practice when done properly and for the right reasons.
- Low fat, low calorie and sugar free foods are often pumped full of chemicals, sugar, artificial sweeteners and excess sodium. These low nutrient foods will may seem good for you but will leave the body undernourished on every level.
2. You consume too much sugar, alcohol and/or caffeine
- Sugar, alcohol and caffeine are not inherently "bad" themselves, but are powerful in their nature. When we consume these three products in excess they can wreak havoc on the nervous system and the rest of the body. You don't need to avoid them all together but you do need to treat them with respect by limiting consumption and choosing the best quality you can.
- Not only does alcohol have negative effects on the liver but it also causes inhibition with food choices. If you're out drinking for the evening, not only are you consuming excess calories and sugar in the alcohol itself, but you are most likely going to pair it with food that's fatty, sugary or full of refined carbs.
- Sugar, in particular fructose, is one of the main causes of weight gain. Fructose cannot be processed by liver and goes straight into your fat stores upon consumption. Fructose is in hundreds of packaged products, drinks, sauces, soups, candy, bread...Read your labels to make sure you are not consuming high fructose corn syrup.
3. You're afraid of fat in your diet
- Fats are absolutely crucial to maintain weight and even promote weight loss. Fats have gotten a bad reputation in the past but are quickly gaining back their popularity as people are realizing that they were never the cause for our nations weight gain. Trans fats are not optimal, but fats like olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, butter, cream...These fats actually help us maintain our weight because they maintain hormonal health.
- When we extract fat out of foods (good fats), not only is there the tendency to inject the food with other low nutrient products, but the lack of fat in your diet will leave you hungry. Healthy fats satiates us and is not the cause for weight gain.
- Don't be afraid to add more fats into your diet and remember to eat less sugary and carbohydrate rich foods. Keep a balance between all three macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbs), and see your body start to shift.
4. You focus on your weight, weigh yourself or think about weight loss all the time
- By focusing and obsessing over our weight, we create perpetual internal stress. When we are in a stress state, our digestion and nutrient assimilation decreases, we have a rise in stress hormone production signalling the body to store fat and inhibit lean muscle growth and we actually excrete nutrients from our cells when we should be absorbing them. Our immunity weakens, sex production decreases and a host of other unwanted issues show up when we are in a stress response.
- Excessively weighing yourself and judging your self worth by a number on a scale will always keep you in a state of stress to some degree. Not only do you live in the stress of self criticism which perpetuates physical stress, but you miss out on life and what's happening around you because your mind is consumed by your weight and what your body looks like. You drain your Life's energy by focusing on your weight instead of sharing your gifts with those around you.
- Let go of the scale and let go of your weight loss and watch the body let go of the weight for you. Weight loss will happen naturally when we let go and start to focus our energy on our passion, purpose and what we can do for others instead of just ourselves.
5. You don't believe you can lose weight
- If you don't actually believe you'll be able to lose weight, keep it off or have a healthy relationship with food, you're never going to. Belief is our strongest force to achieving the goals we set for ourselves. Belief and faith in something will make it come to pass and will get you what you desire.
- When you talk negatively or think negatively about your body, you are technically under self attack. When the body is under attack, it switches into fight or flight (aka the stress response). If you are in a constant state of stress from negative self talk, your body will not let go of any excess weight.
- Fear is the opposite of faith. When we are fearful of something like weight gain, we are stressed, and stress causes an inability to lose weight or keep weight off. Have faith in your journey and where your body is at right now while taking the necessary steps on a physical, mental and spiritual level that are needed for successful weight loss.
As always, let me know your feedback and any questions you may have. You can subscribe to my blog by filling out the information below. Thanks for reading!