The Top 5 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight

We often have people ask us for advice and resources on how to get to their goals in health and wellness. A big piece of this is often surrounding weight loss. I think it is really important to stress that first and foremost, if you goal is centred around a number on a scale, you might always lose the battle. That number that you see staring back at you can shift so much from day to day. Water retention, hormones and even the weather all play a part, and can have you up and down day to day in a 10-pound cycle. Not only that, but sometimes we are gaining muscle and losing fat, and in turn, the number stays the same or even goes up. Rather, it is better to focus on goals like how your clothes fit, how you feel when you look in the mirror, or health numbers such as blood pressure, resting heart rate or blood sugar levels.

All that said, we know that sometimes you just want to shed some pounds. You feel like you’re eating well, working out lots but you are still in the same boat as you were three months ago. This week’s blog we’re going to shift your mind on five of the biggest mistakes we hear people doing and how to get them back on track.

1. You’re drinking your calories. PLEASE stop telling me that you ‘only drink diet pop’ or the drink you drink ‘only has 100 calories’. First, to the diet cola debate. “The epidemiological studies looking at the association between people who consume diet soda and weight and those who don’t consume it typically show that consuming is associated with higher rates of obesity and higher rates of other metabolic complications,” Allison Sylvetsky Meni, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University. Here’s why:

• It raises your cravings for sugar
• Your brain registers it as real sugar, confuses the brain and in turn has you craving more calories
• It may promote insulin response, meaning your body treats it like sugar
• You use diet drinks ‘zero calorie’ ideology to eat more because that was zero calories

And don’t even get me started on why these artificial sweeteners are bad for you in a million other ways.

As for the ‘my drink only has 100 calories’ – check the sugar level. I recently looked at a ‘green tea’ beverage that boasted it only contained 100 calories. The problem? There were 25 grams of sugar in it!! Let’s do the math. 4.2 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of sugar. That means SIX TEASPOONS of sugar are in this drink! Let THAT sink in.

2. You’re not working out properly. Now this could be a book in and of itself. But if you are not getting your heart rate up, you aren’t giving your body the cardio-vascular workout it needs to be healthy and in turn shed a few pounds. I love yoga and weight lifting, but if I am looking to lose weight, a sweaty cardio session needs to happen 2 – 3 times per week at least. And please don’t think that hot yoga is you sweating that much. I mean a 45 – 60-minute session of bootcamp, running, kickboxing. Get your body really moving hard.
3. You’re not getting enough sleep. Research shows that too little sleepmesses with your metabolism and contributes to weight gain. I know this is easier said than done. I am a really good sleeper and have no troubles falling asleep nor staying asleep. But it really is imperative for so many health reasons including weight loss. There are lots of great natural aids to help you including Melatonin and CBD Oil.
4. You’re way too stressed out. When we’re stressed out, our levels of cortisol in our bodies increase. In turn, overeating turns into a habit. Not only that, but because your increased levels of the hormone increase your insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods. Pretty much the worst combination for weight loss. Taking a walk, doing a yoga class, mindful breathing and meditation are all simple ways to keep your stress levels in check.
5. You think you’re eating clean and you’re totally not. This one can be a bigger battle. There are so many factors involved here, but here are a few of the top things we hear people THINK are okay and really aren’t:
   • No consideration for what their food is cooked IN. Stick to raw organic coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil or hemp oil
   • Ease up on your intake of big carbs. By this I mean bread, rice, pasta, flour. It really doesn’t matter if they are ‘whole grain’ or not if you’re eating three cars a day. Stick to one. If you have toast in the morning, no more for the day. Especially at dinner if you plan to not do much activity in your evening. It will be stored as fat in your body if you aren’t burning them up…and you’re not!
   • You’re not eating enough good protein. You need to eat it at every meal. Wonder why you feel hungry by 10am when you JUST had breakfast at 8? It’s because you’re eating things like bread and muffins instead of things that will sustain you for longer like eggs, vegetables, lean meats and fruit.
   • You’re scared of fats because of the word. That needs to stop. GOOD fats like avocados and nuts are your friend. Don’t go bonkers on them but eat them daily.
   • You’re eating at the wrong time of day. “I go all day without eating and have a clean dinner and a late-night snack and I can’t figure out why I can’t lose weight!”. Ummmm…this is the opposite of what you need to do. Eat. 3 times per day. Largest meal in the morning, smallest at night. Or try intermittent fasting to really get things rolling
   • You’re not supplementing. There is no way you’re getting it all in, especially 8 serving of veggies a day. You need to supplement with vitamins, minerals and a greens replacement.

Some food for thought (pardon the pun) for you to think about what you’re doing or maybe not doing to help you reach your goals. If you enjoyed reading this blog, let us know what you want to hear more about in the comments section below!