When it comes to working out and eating right, not seeing the results you want can be extremely frustrating. We can admit that one of the hardest parts of the weight loss battle is not seeing the weight go anywhere. You can be going hard in the gym and changing your eating habits, with no success. There could be reasons why you aren’t losing weight.
The scale can eventually become your worst nightmare! The CGS Team is sharing a few reasons why you aren’t losing weight like you want. If any of these reasons apply to you, make some changes before giving up!
Reasons why you aren’t losing weight
You are Skipping Meals
If you think skipping meals will jump start your weight loss journey, you better think twice. The number one misconception about losing weight is thinking that not eating will help. WRONG! Your body needs energy from food to help assist in the weight loss process.
When you miss a meal, it slows your metabolism down which can make it harder for you to lose weight. It’s important to eat at least 4-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism going at full capacity.
Your Drinks Could Be Adding Calories
It’s better to consume your calories through eating, as opposed to drinking. Many of your favorite beverages come with more calories than you think. This can be a recipe for disaster when you’re trying to lose weight.
Don’t believe us? Check out the article 6 Drinks That Will Ruin Your Figure. If you’re drinking anything on that list, that may be the issue. It’s important to stick to water or naturally sweetened drinks when looking to quench your thirst.
Be mindful and read nutrition labels to keep track of how much sugar your body is consuming from beverages.
You are Gaining Muscle
Many times we can easily look at the scale and notice our weight has increased or simply hasn’t moved. If you’ve been active and hitting the weights at the gym, then your body may be replacing fat with lean muscle. It’s important to keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat.
You shouldn’t put more emphasis on the number appearing on the scale because that could easily discourage you from the goal. Instead, use measuring tape to measure your waist.
If your waist is getting smaller but the scale is staying the same, you’re building muscle. In fact, the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn in rest mode.
You are Sitting All Day
For those of us who sit behind a desk or at school most of the day, it can cause our body to go into lazy mode. When you spend most of your day sitting, your muscle don’t have the chance to get engaged.
Getting up every 30 minutes to take a bathroom break, grab a coffee, or do a lap outside is extremely important for your muscles and your metabolism. If you want to lose weight, t’s vital to make time to regularly get up and move.
You Have No Portion Control
Have you been eating healthier but with the same portions as before? It’s great that your diet has changed, but it’s also good to keep in mind how much food your body is consuming.
The key to success is portion control. If your body burns more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Although you are eating healthy foods, everything has calories. Controlling your portions with an app like My Fitness Pal, can help you make sure you are burning more calories than you consume.
Can’t control your hunger? Try using a small plate when eating. This will force you to dish out smaller portions, and may trick your brain into thinking you’re eating as much as you normally do (because your plate is full). Read 4 Ways to Learn Portion Control for more tips on controlling your portions.
Related: 6 Ways to Make Working Out Consistent
If the scale isn’t showing you the number you want to see, keep the 5 items above in mind. Every body type is different; some may lose weight quicker than others, while some may gain muscle faster. Drink plenty of water, get as much sleep as you can, and try to stay active!
Are there any tips that you would suggest to someone who’s trying to lose weight? Have you experienced any obstacles in trying to lose weight? If so what were they? We want to hear what you have to say, so leave a comment below to share!
9 thoughts on “5 Reasons Why You Aren’t Losing Weight”
1 thing that keeps me motivated is constantly changing my workout routines. It keeps it interesting and doesn’t allow your muscles time to get use to the workouts, affecting change quicker. Stay motivated, stay active, eat clean, and train dirty!
One more thing to add, when trying to lose weight I find it more effective to eat things in moderation vs completely cutting things out. Instead of cutting out chocolate I minimize the amount that I eat, instead of cutting out bread completely I take it down to a few times a week for breakfast or lunch. I find that when I cut things out completely I end up binge eating them later. Not good
I’m right there with you Jerelyn! I definitely can’t deprive myself, or I get into the “I don’t care” mode. Moderation and portion control are huge factors, at least for me!
If I cut something out completely, I binge eat it the next week.. it is so bad!
Some tips that have helped me:
1. Drink water when you “think” you may be hungry. In most cases your body is telling you that you are dehydrated!
2. I never weigh myself. I either become obsessed with a number, and will do anything to get to that number OR I see I gained a pound or two and freak out and sometimes give up all together
3. I try and not eat past 7pm and only drink tea/water
4. Be active!
Great tips @Katie-Gessell Thanks for sharing! We are also posting these in the Healthy & Happy group! 🙂
I’ve found drinking a glass of water before meals is an effective way to keep from overeating.
Also, breaking up your excercise routine by taking a class or adding weights can be a fun way to get out of a workout slump.
Eating 3 eggs (30g of protein) within 30 minutes of waking up will boost your metabolism like crazy and all of the fat (the good fat inside of eggs) is absolutely fantastic for you that will further contribute to your weight loss and overall health. Best to eat the organic eggs because you can absorb more more of its amazing content.
Good Tips – especially the one about the sugary drinks.
Note – muscle does not weigh more than fat – Muscle is more dense, so a smaller amount of muscle can weigh the same as a larger amount of fat. This means that you can actually go down in size but weigh the same.
That’s such a great point Joanna – If you are building muscle, the scale may not reflect it. I read that measuring your waist, arms, thighs, etc. is an effective way to see if you are going down in size (for women at least).