Losing weight can be one of the hardest things to do. Many who begin this journey do not know where to start, and give up when they do not see results quickly.
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Today I want to share with you five factors that could prevent you from seeing a drop on the scale. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does include some general things that I have seen in many people’s lives. So without further ado here they are!
1. You aren’t moving enough
If you want to live longer, feel better, and lose weight moving more is key. Now, I don’t mean you have to be doing something 24/7, but going to the gym 1-2 times per week for 20-30 minutes then sitting on your rear end for the other 167 hours of the week isn’t gonna cut it. Moving more will help stimulate your muscles, which can help increase your metabolism. The more calories you burn the better your chances are at losing weight. And do you know what burns calories? That’s right! Movement. If you have trouble finding the time start with something easy like walking 10-15 minutes per day, playing with your kids more, or walking your dog. Find a movement you like and do it often.
2. Your are eating low fat instead of low carb
This is a myth I believe our society will never let go of. Most people eat a lot of processed foods, and these are loaded with sugar and carbohydrates. When ingested, this causes a rapid rise in insulin. Insulin is responsible for taking these carbohydrates into the muscle to create energy. If you are constantly eating carbs throughout the day, you will secrete a lot of insulin. Once this happens, your cells start to become resistant to it. Once cells become resistant, those carbs are stored as body fat. Not good. Eating good fats (fish, avocado, coconut oil, nuts) can actually improve body composition. There are 9 calories in 1 gram of fat compared to 4 in 1 gram of carbohydrate so fat is more filling. It also takes more time and calories to digest fat, which will help you decrease the calories you consume and increase the calories you expend.
3. You are not eating enough food
This is one that most people do not think about. The common thought process is “if I eat fewer calories it will help me lose weight.” This is correct. However, the problem is that most people go overboard. They eat too few calories such as 600-800 calories per day. When you do this, your brain tells your body that food is scarce. Once this happens, the body begins to hold on to everything in order to survive. Muscle is often broken down to help create the energy you should be getting from food. The less muscle mass you have the fewer calories you will burn. This leads to fat gain.
4. You aren’t sleeping well
Sleep is a big one. About 65% of Americans report they receive barely over 6 hours on average 1. Research shows that lack of sleep can lead to increased food consumption, decreased metabolism, and increased body fat 2,3. Our body needs to recover on a daily basis, especially if you are expending a lot of energy. A good thing to do is create a sleep journal. For 1 week, write down how much sleep you got the night before and how you feel during the day. Find the right number for you. If you feel lazy and unmotivated with 7 hours of sleep, but feel great with 8 ½ hours of sleep, shoot for 8 ½ hours per night.
5. You are doing cardio instead of lifting weights
Long duration cardio training does nothing for muscle mass. Lifting weights on the other hand help you build muscle. The more muscle mass you have, the more energy you will expend. The more calories you can expend the more weight you will lose. Try to pick exercise that use multiple muscle groups including: deadlifts, lunges, squats, pull-ups, and push-ups. These types of exercise will give you the biggest bang for your buck. You want to create a large caloric deficit and these types of exercises will allow you to do so.
So there you have it, five big factors that could hinder your weight loss. If struggle with multiple things on this list, try focusing on one of them to start with. It could be as simple as changing one small thing. Once you have begun to implement these tips, you should start to notice clothes fitting a little bit differently and smaller numbers on the scale. 🙂
If you are looking for a personal trainer in Savannah, contact me to set up a consultation.
And if you found any of this information helpful, or know of someone it could help please share with others!
References:
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/24/average-daily-nightly-sleep-country-world_n_3805886.html
- Bosy-Westphal A, et al. Influence of partial sleep deprivation on energy balance and insulin sensitivity in healthy women. Obes Facts. 2008;1(5):266-73.
- Nedeltcheva AV, et al. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Oct 5;153(7):435-41.
