There are so many factors involved in weight loss. Trying to lose weight can become overwhelming in the sense that we live in such a visual age – perfection, idealism and unhealthy goals can be daunting. Here are a few reasons your weight loss may be stalled. These tweaks to your daily life could be just the thing you need to find the success you are looking for.
8 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight
1. You over indulge in “healthy” foods.
Yes, dark chocolate, nuts, olive oil and avocados are all healthy and natural foods, however you must be mindful of the high calories each of these items contain per serving. Be sure to measure out 1 serving and stop there. It’s really easy to eat more than a serving of almonds for example – 24 nuts – by having an open bowl full on the counter.
2. You aren’t getting enough sleep.
If you aren’t sleeping enough or are having trouble sleeping – sometimes your body can become confused and think you want to be awake – and in so doing – triggers the – “feed me” – part of your brain. I know it’s crazy – it’s nature and how things work. You feel you need to eat – which you really don’t – and the weight loss is hindered.
3. You’re a cardio junkie
You only do indoor cycling or you are an avid runner. That’s great, you must have great heart health. Truth be told, you are missing a key component to fitness. Lifting weights / strength training is incredibly important. First, as you age, the need to strength training increases to help strengthen joints. Second, building muscle, increases your metabolic rate = more calories being burned. So, add some strength training to your workouts and see the difference in your bod!
4. You eat while standing up.
Pretty sure you’re Mom told you to sit down and eat your meals. Chalk this one up to Mom being right! (Go Mom!) When you sit down, you take the time to be mindful of what you are consuming versus standing in front of the fridge and taking bites of this or that or this and that. These “fridge bites” as we like to call them, rarely end up in your food tracking for the day. So sit down, and enjoy your meal, you and the scale will be happy come weigh in day.
5. You “treat” yourself with food after workouts.
You are killing it in your workouts – and you’re hitting the gym 4x a week, good on you. Now, why are you going grab a mocha and blueberry muffin after all this hard work? You are burning the calories, then filling them up again, and most likely you are consuming more than you burned. Post workout have a banana, peanut butter with an apple, or a handful of trail mix. Try and keep this post workout food between 150-175 calories.
6. You don’t eat enough.
Eating portions that are too small and skipping meals, may seem like a good plan for weight loss, they are not. By not eating the proper amounts or anything at all, your metabolism won’t know what to do, and by the end of the day you will be ravenous, and more likely to over indulge or make poor choices. Just eat. The proper portions, with a good balance of protein, carbs and fat – you will see the results and feel better overall – mind and body!
7. You overestimate how many calories you burn in your workout.
Please don’t trust what any cardio machine says you are burning. Even if you do put in your height, weight and age, more often that not the machine will overestimate your calories burned. The machine cannot take into account your gender, fitness level, body fat – you get the idea. The calculation the machine will give you can be between 18-42% higher than what you have actually burned. Yikes! We recommend investing in a heart rate monitor so you can have a more accurate caloric expenditure. Wahoo brand is great and they have an app that you can use while working out to see all your stats!
8. You don’t eat breakfast.
Here’s another one Mom told us, and here is another time Mom wins! You may think that skipping breakfast (or lunch for that matter), helps in cutting calories, truth be told, your body doesn’t see it as that. As far as your bod is concerned, you don’t have access to food, and that means hold on to all extra fat. Not your end goal. So, eat your breakfast. Greek yogurt with fruit and a tablespoon of almonds will fill you up and get your engine burning!
Susy Sedano is a Content Producer at Digital Wellness, a fitness enthusiast and an avid cook of healthy meals. She prides herself on creating healthy dishes for family and friends, and is always on the hunt for new workouts and recipes! Despite her hectic non-stop work and fitness schedules, she is a “girl’s girl” and a student of life!
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