WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT??
WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT??
· Four mistakes you might be making on your weight loss journey. ·
MARIAH ELIZABETH, Fresh Water Peaches
Hi Peaches!!
A popular question: Why am I not losing weight? You may think you’re doing everything right, but are you? Keep reading to make sure you’re not making any of these mistakes!
Overeating “HEALTHY” food
Yes there are a lot of great health products out there, but you must be mindful of how much you’re consuming. Regardless of how healthy a food item may be, if you are OVEREATING your favorite healthy foods, you’re not going to lose weight. For example, just because avocados are considered a source of “good fat” that doesn’t mean you have one with every meal. You still need to be cautious of your calorie intake. (They are high in calories.) Remember that in order to lose weight you need to be in a small calorie deficit. That means taking in FEWER calories then our bodies BURN each day.
Tip: make sure your “healthy” protein bar isn’t loaded with processed sugars and chemicals.
ALWAYS CHECK THE INGREDIENTS.
Overtraining
Exercise is great, but just like overeating there is a serious matter referred to as overtraining. If you feel fatigued during workouts and feel like you’re storing fat or not losing weight you could be overtraining. It’s not uncommon to get carried away especially if initially you see results and want to continue doing more and more. You may actually be working against your body! Working out for long periods of time can spike your cortisol levels (stress hormone). Let me break it down – so we all know a lot of stress is not good for our bodies, right? Exercise is good, but it is also a stressor on the body. Too much exercise = stress = high cortisol levels = fat storage. Make sense? Our bodies read stress as stress, it doesn’t matter where the stress is coming from. So your body actually thinks it’s doing you a favor by holding onto that unwanted fat because it’s stressed and thinks you could possibly need it for the future. Your body will release the fat when it feels that you are less stressed- so give yourself ample time to rest and recover. Most importantly, don’t forget to supplement your rest periods by refueling with nutritious, whole food!!
Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities are a lot more common then you think. There’s a reason why you’re bloated after eating that pizza! Food intolerances can cause inflammation, and put stress on your body. (And we all know what stress causes.) Start by cutting out gluten, dairy, corn, soy and sugar. Those are some of the most common food sensitivities. You may not have an immediate reaction after the food or sometimes you may not notice anything at all – which is why I suggest getting tested for food intolerances!
P.S. – Doctors and researchers are discovering that inflammation over time is the root of many health problems, so it is important to keep inflammation at a minimum!!
Eating unhealthy food
I hear this ALL the time with my clients. They workout hard 5-6 days a week, but just can’t get rid of the extra weight. Why? They are still drinking alcohol 2-3 days a week, eating processed foods, high sugar diets, soda and even fast food. Those are some of the worst things for you, and they expect that they can “out-train” a bad diet. That my friends, is impossible. Nutrition is a huge part of losing weight, and getting healthy. A bad diet is most commonly the root of weight gain, not a lack of exercise . (Although exercise and being active is VERY important part of living a healthy lifestyle.)