You must have been through thousands of Instagram videos and hundreds of blogs on the internet if you are reading this. You might even have tried FAD diets like keto or starved yourself for most of the day. So, what is the best thing you need to do?
Do you ignore what your body says and follow any trend that comes up, or do you try to understand what is the best way to achieve weight loss? This article will tell you the possible reasons you are not losing weight so you can do something about it in the best way possible.
Why Am I Not Losing Weight?
Many people struggle with a static weight – it is because your body gets used to a certain composition. You need to make some extra effort if you want to break that ceiling and get the best weight loss you can. This journey starts with getting to know your habits and behaviors towards your health and fitness journey.
Once you notice the problem points in your routine, you need to fully acknowledge them and build a plan around not repeating those mistakes. That way, you will be able to achieve weight loss in a better way. Here are some core causes that might be at the root of your failure to lose weight:
1. Not Implementing Strength Training (Personal Training or Group Classes)
One of the primary causes of you not losing that excess fat is you are not making any room for your muscles to develop. It is a rule of thumb that excessive fat will be burned if you work on improving your muscle growth. The new muscles that build up in the body require energy and help you melt that excess fat away.
For that to occur, you need to take your body to the state where it is conditioned to wear and tear. Strength training is the kind of training you need to consider. It will help your muscles get strengthened by wear and tear, and your body composition will naturally improve. As a result, you will experience not only a more toned body but also a stronger, healthier body.
You will need to work with some resistance that allows the muscles of your body to work against it, therefore improving overall strength and endurance. However, it is quite a regulated exercise, and you may require supervision to make sure you are doing it right and that every muscle group is getting the right resistance it needs to get.
Also, with time you will need to increase the resistance to see real-time improvement. Progressive overload is a scientifically proven technique for successful weight training. For that, personal training is a wise choice where you can get one-on-one supervision, which is especially great for beginners. Group classes are convenient for people who are looking for motivation and a friendly environment to lose weight.
Both work fine as long as they fit your personal needs.
If you are looking for a place to obtain personal training or join group classes, check out Fitnello Fitness. This is a safe, convenient, and accessible platform for women to help achieve their fitness goals. Personal training and body transformation services are offered virtually online, or in person at their Rocklin, California flagship location. It truly is a supplement, nutrition, and fitness galore!
2. Not Enough Sleep
It is likely you are not getting your weight loss dreams turned into reality because you don't allow yourself to "dream." It turns out that sleep has an association with obesity. That means your quality of sleep affects how much you weigh and how you look. It might be possible that you are not getting any quality Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep regardless of all kinds of exercises and diets you are following.
So, it is important to look into your sleeping habits, especially if you are already obese.
REM sleep is important because it enables the brain and the body to recover from damage, and it gives them a chance to heal and rejuvenate.
The same goes for obesity, as whenever there is excess fat, inflammation, and other unhealthy signals are going in the body, which you need to address. For the best sleep, don't use electronic devices at least two hours before sleeping, as the blue light interferes with your melatonin levels.
Also, your circadian rhythm gets disturbed if you consume caffeinated, sugary, and processed foods and beverages.
Allow your body to relax, and make sure the temperature of your room is just right. For example, set the temperature a few degrees colder than usual or open a window. This will enable you to have a more comfortable sleep. Additionally, individuals may purchase supplements to help with their sleep. Supplements exist for adrenal and cortisol support.
3. Not Eating Macros (proteins, carbs, fats)
This is a bitter truth for all keto and other FAD diet followers. Dietitians usually only approve calorie-deficit diets for weight loss because of one big reason: They have all macronutrients in them. The reason is pretty simple; your body requires all of them to function in the best way. If you mess up with this rule, you will not be nourished enough to get your metabolism kicking to lose weight.
One problem people feel with following these flashy, trendy diets with imbalanced macronutrient intake is they keep getting cravings.
Also, we cannot ignore the micronutrient deficiencies that come with following these diets. As a result, the body fails to function at its finest, and no matter how much you try to pull those deadlifts, your muscles wouldn't grow, which will leave you out of shape.
The simplest thing to make sure you are getting enough macros is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Make sure the lunch, dinners, and breakfasts you are having contain sufficient healthy fats, unrefined carbs, and multi-sourced proteins in them.
You are going to get the best results if you include healthy options such as olive oil instead of margarine, raw vegetables instead of canned ones, and grass-fed poultry instead of processed and packaged pepperoni.
Consider hiring a body transformation coach to help assist you with healthy meal plans.
4. You Aren’t Being Mindful About What You Eat
Mindful eating has come up as a topic nowadays, but its roots go back thousands of years ago. Sadly, our tech-savvy and rather consumerist life has cut off the connection between food and mindfulness. Now, you might be eating something sitting on your couch watching TV, or you will be so indulgent in your thoughts about your schedule that you ignore how much food you are consuming. What happens is that you may end up overeating something.
The reverse can happen when you eat a whole plate of rice, for example, in a few minutes, and you end up craving more food in less than an hour!
That is why mindful eating is especially important for people who are trying to lose weight. You need to make sure your senses are truly indulged in the food you eat. Look how colorful your dish is, feel the textures and flavors of the different ingredients on your tongue, hear the crunch of your chewing to know if you are chewing it enough, and smell the aroma of the food.
All of these senses will help you stay present about the calories you are eating and will help you stay satiated for longer. If you truly want to get rid of your cravings, try this mindfulness technique and see the difference yourself.
5. Unrealistic Expectations (Extreme dieting, giving up too soon)
If you are someone who does extreme-level dieting, such as starving yourself in intermittent fasting or completely skipping a food you like, then there are high chances you will give up pretty soon. The art behind sustained weight loss is a sustainable plan. Understand what you need to do, but also don't overlook the different limitations you may have when it comes to weight loss.
For example, you need to see your schedule for your gym time. If you are expecting yourself to wake up at 4 a.m. each day and work out as pro trainers do, there are chances you will give it up within a few days.
So, the biggest key to setting a sustainable weight loss plan is to create an enabling environment instead. If you find it hard to have the discipline to join a gym, then try going for a group class with your friends who have similar health and fitness goals. Ask your social circle to keep motivating you. Follow accounts that help you get healthy weight loss, such as @fitnello.fitness and @fitnello.nutrition on Instagram.
The more doable and sustainable your action plan is, the likelier it is for you to see fast and effective results.
Conclusion
These are some points you need to understand if you are trying to know the root cause of your stagnant weight, regardless of your effort. The key is to truly understand what is it that is hindering your progress, note it down, and see what is it that you can do to rectify it. As a plus, get a personal trainer for your fitness regime and get help from a registered dietitian specializing in weight loss. This way, you will be able to follow fool-proof and healthy tips and tricks to lose weight. Plus, you will counter any mindset-related issues that come in the way of your weight loss with their expertise.