Are you frustrated with your goal of losing weight? Do you feel like you are doing everything right: reducing your calories, exercising more, getting plenty of sleep, yet you just can’t seem to get those pounds to melt off like you had hoped? If you are frustrated then consider these 10 reasons why other people are not losing weight.
1. You are jumping from fad diet to fad diet. This approach to dieting is the equivalent of a “get rich quick” scheme. When creating lasting wealth, you need a good foundation. When creating a lifelong, healthy body, you also need to work from a good, strong foundation. This is typically not achieved by grasping at fad diets.
2. Your body is working against you. Yep, this is especially true in women as we discover more and more about our hormones. A simple hormonal imbalance can be frustrating your efforts for losing weight.
3. You are experiencing symptoms from food allergies or food intolerance that you’re not aware of. Many people who have a negative response to what’s in their food, such as gluten, may be packing on unwanted bulk around their middles. Many of our processed food choices are filled with gluten or chemicals. It’s easy to consume stuff your body doesn’t like without realizing its effects. Not everyone has this problem; however, some have experienced improvements to their body’s composition after removing gluten and chemicals from their diets.
4. Relying too heavily on pre-packaged food plans. Many of these types of food plans give the right amount and balance of calories. They can be a good tool to jump start any weight loss program. However, if you are not learning how to eat in a manner that compliments your existing lifestyle then you may stop losing weight when certain foods are introduced into your day. For example, some people get high marks from breakfast through lunch by eating these meals. The problem comes up around dinner time when they “splurge” every single night with a family or group meal and dessert that work against their earlier efforts.
5. You try losing weight too fast. One thing to remember is that the extra pounds you are carrying around did not appear overnight. Therefore, removing those pounds in a healthy manner will take some time. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Don’t give yourself impossible goals and set yourself up for disappointment or an eating binge setback. It may be helpful to think of it this way. Each pound is equivalent to 3500 calories. If you wanted to lose 10 pounds, healthily, over the next year then you only need to reduce about 95 calories each day. Can you do that? Take it step by step.
6. You focus on counting calories. Losing weight and gaining health is a combined effort. You must use your mind, your body, and your food in a positive manner to reach that goal. If you are only focusing on what you eat, you only have 33% of the equation. Be sure to exercise. Many people start by walking. And be kind to yourself. You can defeat yourself mentally with negative talk…but you can also achieve great success with the aid of your mind.
7. The quality of your day is determined by the number on a scale. Even when your goal is losing weight, if you are approaching it as a lifelong, sustainable system, then you are building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat yet takes up less space. Your pants may fit a little more comfortably even when the numbers on the scale stay still or move up.
8. You don’t build your muscles for fear of looking too bulked. Even women need muscles. And, you don’t need to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger to achieve balance and healthy muscles. Even when you are at rest, muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells – so you need them when you are losing weight. Muscles also provide a nice foundation for your skin, resulting in more visible tone. Plus, muscles on women are sexy and powerful…go for it!
9. You don’t embrace the idea of Mindful Eating. Everything you put into your body has a purpose. Before you take a bite of your food ask yourself, “Is this good for my body?” Even though it may sound good because you are stress eating, or you “deserve” it, stop to ask yourself if your body deserves it. It goes beyond that saying “a moment on the lips, forever on your hips.” Today, we understand a little bit more about how foods like sugar can affect our hormonal balance. When our hormones are out of whack, it’s harder to maintain a healthy figure.
10. You get so caught up in learning about diets that you never start. Losing weight is something many people want to do and there are many sources available to help you find a way to do that. You can get stuck with analysis paralysis and never begin your healthy living process because you don’t know where to start. Just start with one thing and build upon that success. Start walking for 30 minutes a day; start eliminating that midnight snack 3 times a week; start drinking more water each day, start adding a vegetable with every meal. The rest will fall into place.
