Let’s take a ride down memory lane, three months ago you jumped on that weighing scale. When you are unable to get into your favorite pair of jeans only to find out that you have gained weight. Jun 4, 2020 ⋅ It’s not you who finds it difficult to lose weight. Many are out there; dieting but not losing weight. It hits you and you start planning your diet and workout routine. Many days of starvation and missing out on your favorite meals while working out regularly. Fast forwarded to a month later, excited to find out how much you shed and your weight is still the same. WHAT?
All these times with the food journaling, the everyday step’s calculator, the workout routine that left you breathless along with the high protein diet, and still the extra fat is clinging to you like that annoying cousin who just won’t stop texting us (We all have one, I KNOW!)
It’s frustrating and quite frankly very demotivating. When you are dieting but not losing weight and can make you anxious resulting in binge eating. Many health experts say that men and women all around the globe experience this problem. When their weight doesn’t change after reaching a specific scale, and they start giving up altogether because the results are so demotivating. (However, some experts say that WEIGHT IS JUST A NUMBER)
When you are desperate to lose weight, doing inappropriate diets and exercise routines can not only prevent weight loss but in some cases make you gain weight and you think to yourself why is this happening? Why am I dieting and not losing weight?
I am sharing a few reasons why you are dieting but not losing weight.
Not getting enough sleep
You are dieting and cutting down on junk foods while exercising but you are forgetting the most basic element of all – Adequate sleep. Researchers suggest that sleeping less than 7 hours a day makes you anxious and results in weight loss. Women who slept more than 7 hours a day didn’t experience this weight gain. One of the reasons for this happening is
- Lack of sleep makes you hungry and you binge eat inappropriate food at random hours of the day
- Lack of sleep affects the secretion of cortisol – the hormone that regulates appetite in human beings
- The lack of sleep makes you cranky and thus your workout routine is affected as you are unable to reach your daily workout goal due to laziness and being tired
Getting enough sleep plays an important role in weight loss. It not only affects your physical health but more importantly your mental health too. Having 8-9 hours of sleep every day helps you in unwinding and relaxing that is important for carrying out daily functions.
Best sleep tracking apps for 2020: Read here
Not being in a calorie deficit
We think just because we cut down junk food and extra cheese topping on that pizza (GUILTY). We will lose weight magically but that’s not how it happens. Being in a calorie deficit is one of the most important steps in losing weight. You have to calculate your macros and be in a calorie deficit (eat less than your maintenance calories) to lose weight. Dieting is not the problem here but the quality of food. What you are eating in a controlled manner is the factor that helps in losing weight. Some natural foods even fruits can contribute to weight gain if consumed at odd hours and in large quantities. Then one will say, I was dieting but not losing weight even with just fruits in my diet, that’s because of the quality of foods and how much you eat matters.
Read: https://blurbgeek.com/reasons-why-are-you-gaining-weight/
Having a sedentary lifestyle
Maybe you are an accountant or working an office job where you sit 9-5 and do not have an active lifestyle at work. This can contribute hugely to the fact that you are dieting but not losing weight. Even if you work out regularly, the one or maximum two-hour workout cannot compensate for the fact that you sit at a chair for the majority of your day and don’t walk or simply be active at the workplace. Having a sedentary lifestyle makes it difficult for a person to workout as well as be consistent in the workout routines.
Fitness experts advise keeping a pedometer app on your phone with a reminder to keep moving every hour. Set a record for you to complete maybe 10,000 steps a day and move between your work to achieve the goal.
Not cutting sugary drinks
Sugars are not only present in fizzy drinks but also in some fruits and fruit juices as well. When you are on a diet. You might think that drinking fruit juices won’t do you any harm because well, they are natural sugar but that’s not the case. Some fruits have more sugar than other fruits. They can contribute largely to the weight gain even when you are on a strict diet. For example, mangoes have the highest amount of sugar – 45 grams of sugar to be precise. If you are on a die, it is best to stay away from mangoes because they can actually make you gain weight.
Which Fruits Have the Most Sugar? Read here
Not cutting carbs
When you cut carbs from your diet there is no way that you don’t lose weight. Because a low-carb diet can make you lose 3kgs per week and that is scientifically proven. Researches prove that cutting carbs from your diet makes you lose your appetite and you automatically lose weight. A low-carb and high protein diet is the best combination for you want to lose weight fast and do it in a healthy way.
How many carbs should I eat in a day? Read here
What should you do?
It’s simple, you are too focused on the diet and workout and not focusing more on a healthy lifestyle that is why you are dieting but not losing weight. Dieting and workouts often becoming a burden when you are constantly being deprived of your favorite food and you have to measure everything. Rather than focusing on a diet, follow a healthy lifestyle.
Here are some tips,
- Do portion control – eat everything but in a lesser quantity so that your macros and carbs ratio isn’t affected
- Cut sugary drinks and replace with juices – You can always drink less sugary drinks
- LOTS OF WATER – cannot stress this enough because it changes everything
- 10k steps – Move around the house or simply in your room to achieve the goal
Make your health a priority and the weight loss will naturally follow.
