Why you are not losing weight. We’ve all been there, you decide that you want to lose a few pounds, so you start eating better, maybe kick up the workouts a bit, but the numbers on the scale don’t move. In fact, sometimes they even (gulp!) go up. Your enthusiasm comes to a grinding halt and pretty quickly, you find yourself giving up and going back to your old ways. Well, I’m here to give you a little bit of a reality check, along with a checklist of things you can do to give yourself the best chance of reaching your goals.

WHY YOU ARE NOT LOSING WEIGHT

You don’t eat enough. This is a dangerous one and I’m going to say that many of us know more about calorie restriction than we are willing to admit. It can be tough to accept, but when you go below what you need, it actually starts messing around with your metabolism. Not only are you most likely not getting enough nutrients, but you are slowly starving yourself. Worse yet, there will be a time when you find yourself standing in front of your fridge, inhaling everything in sight. This also extends to not eliminating food groups. Unless you have allergies or actual food sensitivities, for long term weight loss it’s vital that you eat well balanced meals.

You don’t drink enough water. Not only is drinking water a must for beautiful skin, but it also aids in digestion and helps with portion control. Have a large glass of water before you eat and you’ll find that it helps to fill you up and as a bonus, also keeps you from reaching for those sugary drinks.

You skip meals. Skipping meals is just as bad as not eating enough. Think of your metabolism as a finely tuned machine. If you don’t give it enough fuel, it won’t work properly. If you skip breakfast, you won’t have enough fuel in your body for a work out.

You eat too much. I know, I know first we say that you aren’t eating enough then we say that you are eating too much. The truth is that it’s all about the balance. You know that saying, “too much of a good thing”. Well, that applies to food as well. You might be eating the healthiest meals, but if you have too many or the portions are too large, you will gain weight. It’s really not very complicated. I like to approach my meals in a somewhat scientific way by planning out what and how much I will eat. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy my meals and of course, I sometimes let go and indulge a little, but when I have a plan I tend to stick with it.

You keep doing the same workout. Your body gets used to doing the same movements over and over again and it’s important to challenge it. Not only is this important for injury prevention, but trying different types of exercises will keep you motivated and moving.

You aren’t being honest about your efforts. This is one of my favourites and applies to what you are eating and how much you are exercising. I can’t tell you how many times I hear someone say that they are very active, but what it amounts to is a casual Saturday stroll. Or that they eat healthy, but conveniently forget all the extra snacking that goes on.  The best thing to do when you are embarking on a new diet/fitness regime, is to write down what you are doing. Sometimes the reality can be shocking but it’s well worth it.

You don’t sleep enough. I think we are all guilty of this, but getting enough sleep is crucial to success. Did you know that when you are tired, you tend to eat more? While getting a good night’s sleep may not eliminate stress, it will go a long way to helping you cope.

You wear the wrong clothes. I’m one of those people who changes into their comfy sweats when they get home after a long day. If you find yourself spending too much time in sweats, however, give yourself a reality check and put on those fitted jeans or your favourite skirt. Comfy sweats are great but a stretchy waist band is not.

Let’s face facts, when you set huge goals it can be tough to stay motivated, especially when it seems like it’s taking forever to reach them. The key is to set small goals and celebrate every time you reach one. Adding a few minutes of exercise to your day and tweaking your food intake just a little bit at each meal is very doable, just don’t make it an all or nothing thing. Most of all, don’t let something like a diet consume your life. Give yourself permission to go out and have fun!

Do you have any tips to add?

*For more don’t forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST

*images, except photo collage, courtesy of Dollar Photo Club