5 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight
When it comes to losing weight, you often see results pretty quickly to start with. You're motivated and focussed on the task at hand.
But what happens when things start to plateau? Why aren't you losing weight like you were before?
Here's five common reasons why the scales might be refusing to budge.
1. You're not in a calorie deficit
Whether you like it or not, if your weight has stabilised (or even increased) chances are that you're consuming more calories than you're burning. It's been shown time after time that the ONLY way that weight loss can occur is if you're in a calorie deficit, which means that if you're not losing weight you're either in an energy balance, or energy surplus.
2. You're Not Tracking
You know you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, but guessing and hoping are both pretty inaccurate ways to ensure that this happens. Tracking your calorie intake might not be something you can or even want to do all of the time, but when you've hit a weight loss plateau I'd strongly recommend that you spend at least a few days tracking what you're consuming so that you can truly see where the extra calories are coming from.
Tracking via something like MyFitnessPal will either shine a light on the excess calories, or will make you more mindful of what you're eating and give you a visual, live reminder to sustain the calorie deficit that you're working towards.
3. You're Eating Back Calories That You Burned!
You know that being physically active is a key contributor to increasing calorie expenditure and helping you to achieve the essential calorie deficit that you're after. But, people regularly “treat” themselves after a workout as they feel like they've earnt it.
The issue here tends to be that the calories expended during a workout are often a lot lower than you might think, and any calorie “burn” can be very easily eradicated with a little treat here and there. Try to look at exercise in other ways; in particular the health benefits that it will bring now and long into the future.
4. You're Stressed
Stress affects a lot of people. Many people turn to food or drink as a way to “manage” their stress. Before they know it, one biscuit has turned into the whole pack, a few crisps has turned into the whole bag, a glass of wine has turned into the whole bottle.
Consider replacing stress-induced eating with a glass of sugar-free squash, a short walk, or simply not buying the energy-dense foods that you tend to grab when stress becomes a problem. Other stress management techniques like yoga or meditation can also help reduce your reliance on calorie-laden foods.
5. You Have a Medical Condition
For most people their weight loss struggles are not due to any underlying medical conditions. However, if you can be certain that you've been operating in a personalised calorie deficit and still aren't seeing results, it might be worth a conversation with your doctor. Examples of medical conditions that can affect weight loss include hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and sleep apnoea.
If you are diagnosed with such a condition, don't think this means that weight loss won't be possible — it simply means it may take more careful planning to achieve.
Need More Support with Your Nutrition?
If you're ready to take control of your nutrition, health, fitness and lifestyle and would like personalised support, find Chris at @chris_the_nutritionist on Instagram. He offers personalised monthly online coaching.