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You have lost count of how many times you have started a diet (supposedly infallible), and after many days of self-control and suffering, you get on the scale, look at your weight and scream at the sky, “Why can’t I lose weight?” 😭
It’s normal for you to feel this way. 90% of people who want to lose weight feel this way.
Yes, you read it right. In fact, 90% of people who try to lose weight fail.
The reason is very simple: the problem is not in you. It is in the way with which you have tried to lose weight (without success) until now.
Why you can’t lose weight?
Every time you have likely tried to eliminate fat from your body, you have made some fundamental mistakes that have boycotted your effort.
The good news for you is that if you learn these 10 basic mistakes, your body will regain the ability to regulate its weight, and you will achieve your ideal body without having to continue suffering.
1. You assume you eat healthily, but you really don’t
The first problem occurs when you follow the typical 5 meals a day weight loss diet based on turkey breast and low-fat queso fresco.
Calories are indeed necessary, but that does not mean that they are your priority. You do not have to spend the day counting the kcal of everything you are going to eat.
👉 How your body reacts to those calories, maybe even more important than them.
If you eat every 3 hours and eat foods that disrupt your metabolism (sweeteners, anti-nutrients. processed food in general), this is the reason you cannot lose weight.
Your hunger-satiety regulation is out of balance. You eat few calories, so your body decides that it is time to store fat, not burn it.
2. You have stress problems
Stress is your body’s selected response to survive the dangers it faces.
One of the greatest dangers that humans have suffered throughout our history is the lack of food. Therefore, a stress response is always accompanied by energy savings, as this study by Nature reviews of endocrinology explains very well. George P. Chrousos.
If your pace of life or another external factor causes you a lot of stress, try to solve it. You can use various techniques, such as relaxation or meditation.
If the reason for your stress is the diet itself, here is an article on how to diet without anxiety.
3. You are gaining muscle
If you do a lot of strength training or are starting to exercise, you will probably lose fat and gain muscle.
Muscle occupies less volume than fat but weighs more, so your body volume may decrease, but it does not happen with your weight.
For this reason, we always recommend that the scale is not your only parameter to see if you are losing weight or not.
Many times, looking in the mirror or taking photos of your progress is much more useful to see the changes and motivate you to continue.
fat weighs less than muscle
4. You don’t exercise
As we have already commented countless times, the healthy sedentary subject does not exist.
Moving in coherence with your physiology will provide you with health and well-being and prepare your body to obtain your ideal weight and figure.
👉 By exercising, you will not only burn calories, but you will also increase your happiness levels, you will release stress, you will feel stronger, and you will increase your daily energy.
It is not about exercising to lose weight. It is about moving consistently and your body regaining health and its natural silhouette.
If you want to exercise with workouts and sessions already created based on your goals and your level, start training to lose weight at lightning speed.
5. You don’t practice intermittent fasting
If you consume food all day, even in small amounts, your metabolism is always in a state of assimilation, forgetting how to use the reserves for energy.
With intermittent fasting, you train your body to take advantage of its reserves and not depend on what you eat.
It not only helps you lose weight, but it helps control hunger so that you don’t spend the day thinking about eating.
If you are new to this topic, you can read our article on intermittent fasting to learn more.
6. You overeat / you lie to yourself
While the # 1 reason you can’t lose weight, we recommend eating nutrient-dense and filling foods. It’s not about bloating either.
With the excuse that they are eating healthy, some people go overboard with nuts, meat, eggs, or avocado. And this will not help you lose weight.
Making meals balanced in macronutrients and satiating is unnecessary to eat a lot since with a regular portion. You should eliminate hunger for several hours.
On the other hand, it is also necessary to highlight those people who say that they eat well, but in reality, they do not.
According to nutritionists and therapists’ experience, many patients do not lose weight basically because they are not honest with their intake.
7. You have reached a homeostatic threshold
The homeostatic threshold is a certain weight that your body is comfortable with. It allows you to perform all vital functions successfully and is usually genetically determined.
The problem is that this threshold may not correspond to the weight you want.
The solution here is not to dwell on what hasn’t worked for you so far. Vary your exercise routine and do some nutritional intervention that takes the body out of its comfort zone.
Momentarily reducing carbohydrates can be a good start. For this, you can follow the ketogenic diet, a great fat burning strategy.
8. You are not getting enough sleep
Little sleep raises cortisol levels, a stress hormone, increases hunger. Besides, it prevents you from producing regenerative hormones that will translate your sports effort into muscle. Here is a study about it.
Therefore, you must get enough sleep so that your body acts correctly and you lose weight.
9. Your happiness depends on your weight
Many people live much of their lives controlling their weight, to the point of becoming real experts in diet, nutrition, and fat-burning foods. And even so, they cannot lose weight.
If you are one of those, who suffer excessively every time you gain a few kilos and live with excessive control of what you eat and weigh. This is completely counterproductive.
You must understand that you are much more than what the scale indicates and that your happiness does not depend on your weight.
Until this is completely internalized, the anguish itself (stress) will generate a type of organism that tends to save. This will prevent you from losing weight.
10. You are already at your weight
You want to look like a Photoshop model without going through Photoshop. Better yet, you want to have the muscles of Arnold Schwarzenegger without consuming testosterone, or you dream of a fine figure when all your family members are of robust complexion.
Disengage yourself: you may be doing everything right, except valuing yourself.
Sometimes you don’t need to lose weight, adapt to good lifestyles, habits that help improve your health, and above all, stay active and be happy.
Alex is a fitness aficionado, empowers others towards healthier, active lives through small, sustainable changes for lasting results. Visit Gearuptofit.com for insightful tips and resources to enrich a balanced lifestyle.