05 Oct WHY YOU ARE NOT LOSING WEIGHT
You may be familiar with the love-hate relationship with your bathroom scale. And when you are not losing weight, you probably aren’t feeling the love, even though deep down, you know the scale isn’t really to blame. When the scale won’t budge, it’s time to take a closer look at your habits. You may be making one of the following common mistakes that is keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals.
You’re eating too much after exercising. One exercise session doesn’t warrant a feast with a “calories don’t count” mentality. Unless you’re exercising for more than 90 minutes, you probably don’t need to replace burned calories after your workout. In order to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, meaning you are consuming fewer calories than you burn. Eating too much after exercise just negates the hard work you just put in. Make your sweat session count by keeping your post-workout nutrition low-calorie. A banana should do the trick!
You’re cutting nutrition. Some dieters make the mistake of cutting nutrition when they’re trying to cut calories. For example, a bag of baked potato chips clocks in at about 100 calories, and one large egg clocks in at around 80. An egg provides you a laundry list of health benefits including protein, vitamins, and minerals. However, if you decide to skip eating an egg for breakfast so you can have a bag of baked potato chips with your lunch, you won’t get those nutrients. Although the potato chips are low in calories, they’re also low in nutrition, which won’t keep you full. Ultimately, you’ll end up eating more throughout the day. Always read your nutrition labels!
You’re skimping on sleep. Bad sleep could be sabotaging your diet. Studies show people who get more sleep lose more body fat than those who eat the same amount of calories but get less sleep. And that’s not all. Skimping on quality zzzs can increase your cravings for junk food, causing you to pack on the pounds. Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep each night to set yourself up for weight loss success!
You’re stressed. Life isn’t always smooth sailing, and food is a common way to cope when times are tough. Unfortunately, the calories you consume when you’re stressed count too. Everyone feels stressed at times, so it’s important to have a healthy coping strategy. Exercising, catching up with a friend, scheduling a massage, or taking a vacation are healthy ways to squash stress and stay on weight-loss track.
You aren’t eating as healthy as you think. Oftentimes, we underestimate how much we actually eat. Those free samples at the grocery store add up! The easiest way to know how much you’re really eating is to keep a food journal. However, if your journal indicates you’re following a healthy diet but the scale won’t budge or you’re gaining weight, there may be an underlying health problem. At this point, you should seek medical attention. A Center for Medical Weight Loss physician can help you get to the root of your weight problem, and help you reach your weight loss goals today!