"Why Am I Not losing weight?" By Caprice O'Bryant
Lots of times I come across this problem it is because you are not eating healthy. You are eating healthier! Huge difference. I am going to break down 5 different reasons that could be causing your weight loss plateau!
1. Are you really eating healthy?
There are so many products that have low fat, low sugar and low calories on the label but they are still packaging it with plenty of preservatives and ingredients that are actually harmful to our bodies. When an item has super low calories or super low fat it is because they are increasing the amount of sodium or sugar or msg it has in it to make up for the taste! Furthermore, there is nothing lean about "lean cuisine." These meals are full of sodium and have very little nutritional value. Are you still eating the maple & brown sugar oats? Oats are an excellent source of carbohydrates and is a great breakfast to get you going and energized. But if you are loading your oatmeal with spoonfuls of sugar and honey you are just defeating the purpose! When grocery shopping try staying away from the center isles as much you can. The outer part of the store if what you need to fuel your body and shed some pounds: fresh veggies, fruit, meats, nuts and seeds! Re-think your nutrition!
2. Are you getting enough sleep?
Alright you've been working out for 3 weeks and haven't lost a pound. So how many hours of rest do you get? Sleep or the lack thereof can really affect your weight. There are micro tears in your muscles when you workout, so if you don't get enough rest you aren't allowing your body the chance for your muscles to grow. The more muscle we have the more fat we are able to burn! We also tend make poor decisions when we are sleep deprived. Get 7-8 hours every night.
3. You are too stressed out!
Exercise is a stressor on body already. So you need a healthy balance of exercise related stress on your body and recovery time so your body can lose the excess fat. When your personal or professional life is causing you too much stress your body may produce excess cortisol: stress hormone.This worsens the insulin response and promotes fat storage. Stress can also cause over-eating, low energy, and poor performance.
4. You're doing too much cardio!
90 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical everyday is not the answer to your weight problem!
Too much steady cardio will actually cause weight gain because you are burning through muscle not fat. It suppresses the hormones needed to burn fat and increases cortisol which like mentioned before promotes fat storage! When you stay above 75% of your maximum heart rate for long periods of time, you’re burning glycogen. Your body will crave sugar even more to replenish the lost stores, so you are really just burning the carbs you ate not fat.
5. You aren't working hard enough!
First of all, you have 80lbs to lose and you've only been consistently exercising for a month. Calm down! You did not gain 80lbs in a month. How many days a week are you actually working out? Why does your cheat meal on Friday turn into a cheat weekend? Binge eating sets you back. Be honest with yourself. Are you really putting in the work? Who is keeping you accountable? You have to want it for yourself and it will only get done by yourself. But also, be proud of yourself along the way! We are human, we will slip up. Just refocus! You need to love your body every step of the way on your fitness journey but keep striving to reach your goal and be the HEALTHIEST version of you!
Follow Caprice O'Bryant: Twitter at @bodiesbycaprice Instagram: @excusefreefitness_ and visit her website at www.excusefreefitness.com
Great info. Appreciate the knowledge. Have work to do.
ReplyDelete