5 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight

Trying to lose weight and not seeing the best results? Frustrated by a constant battle that never goes your way? Here are 5 reasons you’re not losing weight, with easy solutions to turn that around now.

You aren’t counting calories

There isn’t too much behind it - calories in, calories out. You need to know two numbers - how many calories do you need per day, and how many are you consuming. 

First, find out how many calories you need per day to maintain your current weight. Search for any online calculator that gives you your ‘calories per day’. Enter your height and weight, along with your gender and activity level, and click calculate. This will give you the number of calories that you need to consume daily to maintain your current weight. 

Now, you need to eat less than that. 

There are 3500 calories in a pound. That means that if you eat 500 calories less than your number, you lose one pound per week. If you eat 250 calories less, then you lose half a pound per week.

You aren’t writing it down

Ok, so you know how many calories you need to maintain your weight. You’ve subtracted a few hundred from that number, and you have your new daily calorie target for weight loss. 

Write down everything you eat, including the calorie count. In a country with strong food labeling requirements it will be easy to figure out how many calories you’re consuming. Otherwise, you might need to check google. Consider buying a small food scale for accuracy. 

Either way, if you’re not writing it down then you really don’t know where you stand. Some people use a notebook and a pen, others might use a spreadsheet or an app. Whatever works for you. The point is that you need to start recording your calories.

You’re too reliant on exercise

Wait, doesn’t exercise make you lose weight? Well, yes, but it also increases your appetite. Don’t get me wrong - exercise is a wonderful thing. It burns calories, builds muscle, and it makes you feel great! 

But you’ve heard that old saying - “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet”. Exercise can be a helpful enhancement to a proper meal plan, but it’s hard to burn many calories this way. For example, an average sized woman might only burn 200 calories or so for each hour of walking. If you want to burn off a 600 calorie piece of chocolate cake, that’s three hours of walking! 

It’s just too much by itself. 

This battle is won in the kitchen. 

You’re not getting enough fiber

Ok, so you know how many calories you need each day, and you’ve picked a number lower than that as your goal. You’re writing it down to keep track, and you’re exercising to feel great. What else could be missing? 

Fiber. The bones of plants that help you stay regular. Fiber fills you up and cleans you out. The more of it you have in your food, the fuller you will feel. 

It's found in plant foods. Whole grains have lots, ‘white’ grains have little or none. Fruits and vegetables are also abundant sources, as are beans. Read the labels on your food and try to find out what the fiber levels are. You want to eat lots of this stuff.

You aren’t planning ahead  

We’ve all been there. You’re hungry NOW! You want to eat what’s easy and appealing at the moment, but often this isn’t the best option for calorie control. 

The secret is to prepare a meal plan ahead of time. Think your meals through before you get hungry. Plan meals that are designed to meet your calories goals, and make sure they’re full of fiber and easy to make. 

Gain control over your weight once and for all

The winning strategy is simple. Write down your calories, think meals through ahead of time, and eat lots of fiber. Exercise, but don’t rely on it too much for weight loss. 

Pick the weight you’d like to be. Start practicing these concepts to the best of your ability. Easily and permanently, you will be able to achieve and maintain your desired weight.