Not Losing Weight? Find out why (cont.)

Last week we talked about people who start off on a diet, lose weight and then seem to stop losing.  Why?  I noted that SparkPeople had an interesting article on “8 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight” written by a personal trainer.  We covered 4 of these reasons last week and this week we cover the personal trainer’s other 4 reasons.   

Reasons for Not Losing Weight –  based on SparkPeople and good nutrition advice from a registered dietitian.

5.       You are not being consistent –you need consistency to establish good habits.

You start out strong, sticking to your diet and exercise routine.  Then you step on the scale and haven’t lost the weight you wanted and you fall into the trap of going off the diet and skipping the gym.  You say, “What’s the point?”  to justify going off the diet and exercise regimen.  Or you have that one dessert and then say you’ve ruined your diet and stop all the good habits you worked so hard for.  One dessert doesn’t “ruin your diet.”   Missing the gym one day doesn’t “ruin everything”.   Have the occasional dessert, enjoy every bite and then go back to your diet and exercise routine. 

Recommendation:  “Eat right and exercise as consistently as possible and apply both moderation and portion control when it comes to indulging.” 

6.       You are not measuring the right things.  - It isn’t just the scale.

Some people only measure their “success” by the scale.  If you are eating healthier, that is a good for your overall health.  If you are adding exercise into your day, that is also good for your overall health.  I know many people who are fit and eat healthy but haven’t lost the weight they wanted yet.  You also may be losing body fat and gaining muscle tone.  Thus, you can be losing inches, your clothes fit better, you are more toned.  Your body is leaner but the scale may not yet reflect this “healthier you”.  If you are getting toned, losing inches, you are losing body fat and that is the goal.  You want more lean muscle and less body fat.    

Recommendation:  “Don’t rely on (just) the scale to measure your weight loss.”  Are you more toned?  Do your clothes fit better?  Eating healthy and exercising will lead to a healthier you.

7.       You may not need to lose weight but only to get more toned and eat healthier.

Check out your Body Mass Index (BMI) using an online calculator such as the one at CDC - Body Mass Index.  CDC has BMI calculators for Adults and Children and Teens.  If you are a healthy weight then weight loss may not be your goal but getting healthier by exercising and eating healthier should be your focus.  You may want to be more fit to improve your athletic performance or to look more toned and have your clothes fit better.  You may not need to change the weight on the scale but by exercising and eating better, you can change your body composition to less body fat and more lean muscle.  This also can take time and won’t happen overnight or in a week. 

Recommendation – Consistency is the key to a leaner, more trim, healthier you. 

8.        Excuses – underlying issues.

Some people come up with all kinds of reasons why they can’t lose weight, why they can’t exercise, why they can’t eat healthier.  It must be their thyroid even though they have never had their thyroid checked.  Overweight runs in their family so they can’t lose weigh.  Or they look for the easy way out.   Or they want the quick fix by trying the latest diet fad, the latest weight loss pill.  Anything to magically melt the fat away with little effort and no exercise.  Some people do have medical conditions that can make it harder to lose weight.  Others are eating more calories than they burn and don’t’ want to make the changes needed to lose the weight and get healthier.  The way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat healthier, track your calories and add some exercise to your routine.

Recommendation – check with your medical provider for medical issues that could be hindering your weight loss goals.  If there are none, then focus on healthier eating and exercise. 

The bottom line, to lose weight you need to exercise and reduce your calorie intake.  Establishing healthier habits can lead to a healthier you.   

  

Sources:  8 Reasons Why You're Not Losing Weight, Body Mass Index,  Image Source:  Healthy