Why Am I Not Losing Weight?

Why am I not losing weight?

This is a SUPER common question.

If you’re trying to lose weight, and…

• nothing seems to be working 

Or

• it's not going down as fast as you’d like it to

This article is for you.

Because I’m going to dive into every possible reason your weight loss isn’t going the way you’d like it to. 

And not only that, I’m also going to break down the HOW of how to get your weight going in the right direction again. 

So let’s get into it…

Your overall body weight comes down to energy balance.

And by energy balance, I mean energy in vs energy out.

Energy in represents the food/drink we consume and put into our bodies…

And energy out represents the energy we burn through physical activity, as well as the energy required to just keep ourselves alive (breathing, heart beating, blood circulation, etc.) 

That energy, in both cases, is represented in calories.

So, the key takeaway here is, your body weight is a direct result of your energy balance (calories in vs calories out).

Here’s a breakdown of the 3 basic “states” that your energy balance can be in, as well as the result of that balance…

Calories In > Calories Out = Weight GAIN

Calories In = Calories Out = Weight MAINTENANCE 

Calories In < Calories Out = Weight LOSS

So, regardless of other factors, the overarching principle behind weight management is energy balance.

The reason I explain all of this is because it will make my next point MUCH easier to understand.

If you are not losing weight - the ONLY reason is that you are currently consuming more calories than you burn.

I know there are probably other trainers or “influencers” that may have tried to tell you it's because you’re eating too many carbs, or too much sugar, or too much fruit (yes I really have heard that one recently).

Any of those could be a contributing factor, but the overall reason is that you are consuming more calories than you are burning. 

Energy in is currently greater than energy out.

And that is an easy fix!

But it’s important to recognize the reason before we can explore solutions.

Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s get into a few potential reasons or causes for this…

As well as potential solutions for each.

I’ve worked with multiple clients in my online coaching program (link) whose main goal was to lose weight, so I’m going to start with the most common reasons/causes.

Number One - Consuming Too Many “Low Quality” Calories 

Now, I know you’re probably thinking “the fuck does low quality mean?”

Low quality doesn’t mean anything besides chicken breast and broccoli.

Low quality means foods that are high in calories, but not very high in nutritive value OR in satiety. 

When you’re trying to lose weight, you want your diet to consist of as much high quality, satiating calories as possible. 

For example, a milkshake isn’t just a poor choice because it’s high in calories.

I mean, it is high in calories, don't get me wrong.

But, it's a poor choice (most of the time, we all like to live a little on occasion) because you’re probably going to be hungry like an hour later.

That’s where the “satiety” of a food, also known as how full it makes you feel, becomes super important.

Most of your highly processed, less nutritious foods are VERY low in satiety. 

So while I’m not a huge believer in “good” or “bad” foods, there are DEFINITELY foods that are higher or lower “quality” due to their satiety and overall nutritive value.

As another example, a salad isn’t the most filling option ever, but it's also very low in calories and high in nutrients.

So, if you’re not losing weight, taking a deep look at your overall quality of food can be super helpful.

In general, your most satiating macronutrient is protein, protein is always going to keep you fuller for longer…

And your highest quality/lowest calorie food is going to be most (but not all) of your veggies.

You want the majority of your plate to consist of these two food groups.

Number Two - Consuming Too Many Liquid Calories 

This is a very common issue that I see causing people to consume too many calories on a consistent basis.

While the general majority of your calories is probably coming from solid food sources, it's easy to forget that the liquids we consume have calories as well.

At least most of them do.

But, I’ve seen it multiple times - someone keeps track of all of their food calories and thinks they hit their calories perfectly for the day…

Completely forgetting about the Frappuccino they had on the way to work, the sweet tea they had at lunch, or the glass of wine they had with dinner. 

I realize it might not SEEM like much, but drinks can add up to 1000 plus calories by the end of the day if you’re not careful.

The more low-calorie or zero-calorie drinks that you consume throughout the day, the easier it will be to keep your calories in check, and the easier it will be to lose weight. 

Number Three - Confusion On What “One Serving” REALLY Looks Like 

This is a very common point of confusion. 

Especially if you’re someone who eats out a lot, but even if you mainly cook for yourself. 

Our perception of what a serving is, in many cases, is MUCH larger (and in many cases even double) than an actual serving is.

This is where spending some time measuring, weighing, and tracking your food becomes very beneficial.

I’ve seen people whose diets consist of primarily high quality foods, still struggle to lose weight because at the end of the day they’re just consuming too much of those foods.

So if you’re struggling to lose weight, spend a few weeks measuring out your foods and looking at what one serving actually is.

The answer will probably surprise you. 

Number Four - Not Moving Enough

So I already discussed the most common reasons or causes that are related to nutrition…

Here is the reason related to exercise.

Many of the people who I’ve seen and trained who struggle to lose weight, just simply aren’t moving enough throughout the day.

There could be numerous causes of this, maybe they work a desk job where they’re seated all day, or maybe they drive for a living and spend most of the day in car.

Regardless of the reason, if you aren’t getting enough movement throughout the day, losing weight is going to be much more difficult.

The ideal scenario would be a combination of resistance or strength training as well as cardiovascular training.

But, if you only have time for one thing in your day, just add a 30 minute walk every day.

Take a 5 minute break every hour to stand up from your desk and walk to the water fountain and back.

Park further away in the parking lot at the grocery store.

Take the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator.

Simple daily changes like these can make all the difference when it comes to increasing your daily activity.

So - those are 4 of the most common reasons that I see keep people from losing weight…

As well as how to get past them, and make GREAT weight loss progress.

So put some of these solutions into action, and get to work!

If you have any questions, or are struggling and need some words of encouragement, please feel free to reach out!

Thanks so much for reading!

I hope this article helps you and if you have any follow up questions (or any other questions) please don’t hesitate to reach out! 

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