8 Reasons you're not losing fat!
Over eating on the weekends
According to research most people maintain healthy eating habits on weekdays and completely overeat on the weekends. Our whole routine tends to go out the window at the weekends, which is fine, however you need to balance. If you want to have those higher calorie weekends you need to restrict more during the week (cut out the packets of biscuits with the tea etc). We can’t have both and expect to reach our goals. Pardon the pun but we can’t have our cake and eat it too. Finally, be more aware on the weekends and realize what makes you overeat. If it’s being sedentary or boredom for example – keep yourself busy. If it’s eating out, aim to cook more at home. Maybe just have either lunch or dinner out, but not both. You catch my drift?
Underestimating calories consumed
Various Studies show that the majority of people underestimate the amount of calories they consume, and overestimate the amount of calories they burn via exercise. Inaccurate fitness trackers don’t always help with this. If you’re not losing any fat over a period of time dieting, then quite simply you’re not in a calorie deficit. Basically you’re still consuming too many calories in comparison to the amount of calories you burn day to day.
Rewarding yourself
Just like ‘‘cheat days’’, rewarding yourself for completing workouts etc can lead to a bad relationship with food. I’m not saying you shouldn’t celebrate and be proud of all achievements, far from it. But at the end of the day you’re not a dog and so shouldn’t feel the need to treat yourself with snacks. I’m all for living in balance, however putting some foods on a pedestal and putting them off limits altogether can be detrimental in the long run. Try tracking or logging your foods for a few weeks. It’s a massive eye opener. When you learn your diet and the calories contained in each of the foods you habitually eat, you can start to eat a lot more intuitively. Instead of telling yourself you can’t have chocolate for 12 weeks (which almost always leads to a binge-we’ve all been there), allow yourself some frequently but in moderation and within you’re overall calorie goals. That way it takes the WANT WANT WANT out of it and puts you in more control. At the end of the day. Calories are king when it comes to fat loss.
Relying on ‘‘healthy drinks’’ or supplements for fat loss.
This is a big one. If losing weight was as easy as drinking green tea, apple cider vinegar and the latest bullshit celebrity endorsed weight loss shake everyday, then we would all be in incredibly lean shape. Don’t waste your money on needless supplements. If you’re going to invest money in yourself - get yourself a good, reputable coach. Be a sponge and learn everything you need to know to change your body and better your physical and mental health.
SWITCHING DIETS
Most people are impatient and always move on to the next thing when they don’t see fast results. The problem is not necessarily the diets. As bullshit as some of them are and however much they all claim to be the ‘‘answer to fat loss’’, they’re entire aim is to create a caloric deficit, mainly through eliminating whole food groups (think low carb, low fat, ketogenic etc). They all have the ability to work, but the main problem is your eating habits. You might be on the best diet in the world, but if you lack discipline you won’t lose weight. Switching diets too often leads to yo-yo dieting which studies show can have a negative effect on your metabolism and make it harder to burn energy/fat in the future.
Lack of sleep / Bad sleeping habits
Studies show us that a lack of sleep can inhibit fat loss. It also raises cortisol levels which in turn can cause inflammation. On top of all of that a lack of sleep can cause fatigue, headaches etc which will affect your workout performance. Aim for 8 quality hours of sleep every night. Some tips to help with this - Keep the room dark, put all blue light (phones, tablets etc) away at least 1-2 hours before you go to sleep, try reading before you go to sleep etc.
You’re focusing too much on the scales
Focusing all your attention on the scales is just not a good idea. You’re bodyweight WILL fluctuate daily for a huge variety of different reasons - glycogen, sleep, hormones, menstrual cycle, food choices (to name a few) all affect how much water your body holds day to day and this fluctuates massively , sometimes up to 4-5 lbs daily. It’s important to remember that this isn’t fat. Stepping on the scales and seeing that you’ve gone up a pound or 2 can be demotivating and detrimental if you’re not clued in with these potential fluctuations. They can then lead to emotional eating and the attitude of ‘‘f*** it, dieting doesn’t work for me’’. Stick to your plan, calorie goals or whatever you’ve set out and above all - TRUST THE PROCESS.
Too much alcohol
This one is pretty obvious but needs to be said. Trust me i’m ALL for the few drinks or the odd sesh, but regular drinking will make it extremely hard for you to reach your goals. Most drinks containing alcohol are high in calories. A gram of alcohol has 7 calories to be exact. To put that into context a gram of both protein and carbs contain just 4 calories. When I work with my clients I encourage a glass or 2 of wine or a few pints with overall sustainability being the goal, but we make room for this in our overall calorie allowance. We all need to relax and kick back enjoying drinks with friends, but regular mindless drinking will lead to a massive over-consumption of calories, not to mention other negative health effects. Also lets not forget that getting drunk leads to bad food choices (mine is a kebab tray)