Why you’re not losing weight…

You’re wanting to drop a dress size or two, you’re hitting the gym, counting calories and trying you’re best to eat healthy, but you’re not losing the pounds. It can be really frustrating. There’s so much misinformation out there that it’s difficult to know what’s right and wrong. Here are a few reasons as to why you may not be losing weight:

Our lives are sedentary

Stuck behind your desk all day, driving to and from work and spending the evenings sat in front of the telly watching your favourite soap whilst treating yourself to a takeaway means it’s much easier to eat more than you burn off. Plus, sitting down hour upon hour reduces the body’s ability to make the fat-inhibiting enzyme called lipase.
Getting off the bus two stops earlier, having walking meetings and sneaking steps into your lunch hour are simple to add some movement into your life.

Portion sizes are a big problem

What an average person views as an average portion size has quadrupled out of proportion. Eating the right amount and learning what a portion size actually is key to losing weight.
Use a smaller side plate tricking your brain into eating more than you actually are and always measure and weight your food.
Skipping meals often leads to oversized portions because by the time you finally get round to eating you’re starving. Stick to three main meals with three snacks a day to fend off overeating.

Not getting enough sleep

Weight loss and an early bedtime go hand in hand. Studies show that those who get 7-8 hours sleep a night and are well-rested lose more fat than those who are sleep deprived.
Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same part of the brain meaning sleep deprivation can lead to feeling more hungry as when you’re tired, certain hormones increase boosting your appetite. Meaning you’re much more likely to grab for a chocolate bar with your 8am coffee.
Try going to sleep eight hours before you need to get up, helping to wake up refreshed and recharged.

Forgetting what you’ve actually eaten

It’s easy to get to the end of the day thinking you’ve had a good healthy day and you’re way on your way to losing weight. We all know how easy it is to believe that you have eaten far less then you actually have, even if secretly you know it might be a tad more than you would want to believe.
Conquer this by filling out a food diary confronting exactly what you ate that day, helping you to stay focused on losing weight. Keeping a food diary will really help to identify your weight loss patterns, meaning you can educate yourself on what foods are best for your body.

Not eating the right foods

You might think you’re eating well, but not all calories are created equally. You can eat 100 calories in half a chocolate bar, and the very same in kale, but the way they affect your weight loss and appetite is very different. Healthy foods tend to be much more filling and help to regulate your appetite
Beware for marketing labels, it’s easy to be tricked into thinking a food product is much more healthier then it actually is. Make sure to always check food labels and check for hidden salts and sugars.

Getting enough exercise

Not doing enough exercise means you’re probably lacking in muscle. When you cut calories and increase your cardio regime it’s possible to lose muscle and not fat, which is not what you want.
Add resistance to your workout to increase muscle mass and decrease your body fat percentage, adding strength, shape and definition to your body. Muscle also gives your metabolism a boost, since each pound of muscle can burn up to 50 calories per day.