If you’ve been struggling with weight loss, there may be a good reason as to why. In my bootcamps I see all types of clients. Some want to lose baby weight while others just want to tone up and get firmer. Whatever your fitness goal, consider these 10 reasons you may not be seeing the results you seek:
1. Too Many Calories
As with most weight loss eating programs, you’re probably trying to reduce your caloric intake. Even if you’re carefully measuring and planning your main meals, extra calories can sneak in with snacks. It’s all too common to under-estimate the number of calories consumed on a daily basis. Research shows we underestimate our food intake by about 30% on average. I suggest that you journal what you eat every day whether in a notebook or via an electronic tool like MyFitnessPal. Portions count, so make sure you REALLY know how much you’re eating.
2. Too Few Calories
What!!?? I know this may sound contradictory to #1, but not eating enough can be another reason why you’re experiencing weight loss. You need to create a caloric deficit by reducing your intake slightly. If you go too far below your maintenance calories and your body goes into starvation mode. It’ll do the opposite of what you want… shedding muscle and storing calories as fat. Why? Because it wants to protect you, saving energy for future use. So, by not eating enough supportive foods on a daily basis, it lowers the amount of calories your body burns.
3. Not Lifting Weights
Cardiovascular exercise burns calories, but it doesn’t boost your metabolism quite the way strength training does. Doing some kind of resistance training like lifting weights is critical to building and maintaining muscle and tone. If you’re not lifting weights while trying to lose body fat, you may actually lose muscle over time. Plus, your metabolic rate will decrease, causing you to burn fewer calories.
4. Too Little Exercise
If you’ve cut the calories to a healthy deficit and you’re doing resistance training, then the last alternative is to increase the amount of calories you burn. If you’re still not losing weight with 20 minutes of exercise three times a week, then you need to ramp it up. Very few people are successful at losing weight and keeping it off without exercising almost everyday. Make it a rule to be active at least 30 minutes a day.
5. Unrealistic Expectations
Slow and steady wins the race in weight loss. Often I see that my clients have unrealistic expectations, wanting to see instant results. Focus on progress, not perfection. If your workout motivation is waning, think back to why you started this journey. Revisit your goals and get back in touch with your “why.”
I’ll be back next week with 5 more reasons your weight loss efforts may be stalling.
Committed to your success,
Becky
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