There can be various reasons why you might not be losing weight, despite your efforts. But to better understand that, it helps to understand a little about how weight loss occurs in the first place.
THE BIGGEST FACTOR
Undoubtedly, the biggest and most important factor when it comes to weight loss is being in an energy deficit (or caloric deficit) overtime. Which, of course, means burning more energy than you’re taking in.
Regardless of what workout routine you’re killing every day, or whether or not you eat carbs, or junk food, if someone is not in an energy deficit, weight loss will not occur. No. matter. What.
And as long as someone is in an energy deficit overtime, weight loss will occur. No. matter. What.
So essentially, the only reason why you’re not losing weight is because you’re not in an energy deficit. It’s not because you eat carbs, or aren’t working out hard enough, it’s all about overall energy balance.
That being said, there are some common reasons why a person might not be in an energy deficit. Let’s discuss why you’re not losing weight..
FOCUSING ON A ‘DIET’ RATHER THAN AN ‘EATING PATTERN’
When people want to lose weight, one of the first things they do is jump to some fad diet like keto, or carnivore. Big mistake. Huge.
Why is this a mistake? Well besides the fact that these diets in particular are atrocious on the environment, the cardiovascular system, and perpetuate mass exploitation, torture, and genocide to helpless animals, following a particular ‘diet’ doesn’t inherently mean an energy deficit will be achieved.
This is usually born out of popular myths such as the famous one about carbs ‘making us fat’ (which is about as true as 4+4=6), which then leads people to think that following a diet that avoids carbs will be the key to successful weight loss.. Enter keto, carnivore, or paleo. This is total bullshit.
If you want successful weight loss (that will actually stick) the best bet is to focus on following an eating pattern rather than some mainstream weight loss diet.
What kind of eating pattern? Well it’s actually been shown in a lot of research recently that an eating pattern consisting of whole plant foods & fiber is one of the most successful in not only achieving weight loss, but also sustaining weight loss. This is mainly because whole plant foods tend to be more nutrient dense rather than calorically dense. This means we can eat more food for less calories.
The idea would be to create an eating pattern that includes all sorts of nutrient dense foods like fruits, veggies, leafy greens, potatoes, whole grains, & legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils). Stuff like that.
So, the main point here is to start including more whole plant foods into your dietary pattern, to increase your fiber intake, help with satiety, and to help avoid overeating calories, all helping to promote weight loss.
And ditch the mainstream ‘diets’ like keto, carnivore, or paleo. Chances are they won’t do much in terms of fat loss. But they will make you feel sluggish, crave carbs, and greatly increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, various cancers, and Alzheimer’s/dementia.
CONSUMING TOO MANY SNEAKY CALORIES
Sneaky calories just means calories you weren’t aware you took in, typically because whatever you consumed had more calories than you expected
Some foods/drinks that are higher in calories than you might think:
- Oils (olive, canola, vegetable) – 120 cals per tbsp
- Drinks with added sugars – 50-100+ cals per beverage
- Nuts & nut butters – around 100-200 cals per serving
- Avocados – 80 cals per 50g / around 240 cals per medium avocado
- Dips & dressings – 50 – 100+ cals per serving
- Junk food/chips – 100 cals per serving
Dairy products such as cheese, and also red meat, are higher in calories as well, coming primarily from saturated fat.
Limiting, or at least tracking intake of higher calorie foods can help prevent taking in too many “sneaky calories”.
TOO MUCH FOCUS ON EXERCISE
I don’t even need to get into the importance of exercise. Our bodies were designed to move and adapt to physical stress. Important for heart health, bone health, brain health, gut health, the list goes on. However..
A lot of people view exercise as ‘the key’ to losing weight. Once they decide they want to lose weight, the first thought is that they must have to start running, or join a gym, or begin some crazy P90X routine.
The truth is.. Exercise can assist with weight loss, but it does not guarantee or determine weight loss. Think of the classic phrase, “You can’t outrun a bad diet!”.
Because again, the only cause of weight loss is being in a calorie deficit. And unfortunately, exercise alone doesn’t cause us to burn a whole ton of calories. It is, however, extremely easy for us to consume a whole ton of calories. Easily offsetting the calorie burn from a good workout regimen.
Because of this, people can be pushing hard in their workouts, getting a burn, and sweating pools, yet still be taking in too many calories overall and therefore, not losing weight. And what happens then? People usually give up..
So instead of jumping all-in on exercise, focus more on getting the nutrition side of things in check. Then find some type of activity you enjoy that can be incorporated into your routine to better help get you on the weight loss track. This could be going for a run, or hitting the gym. It could also be playing a sport with friends, or going for a daily walk. Whatever the hell can get you moving your body on a consistent basis!
WEEKEND “BLOWOUTS”
This refers to the classic routine that I found myself in for years trying to get in shape. You go hard during the week, staying dialed and on track with your plan, then the weekend hits and suddenly, all discipline and mindfulness goes out the window. Booze, pizza, greasy food, you know the drill
This can be an issue because, for example, let’s say each weekday you typically eat in a 300 calorie deficit. That would be a deficit of 1500 calories for the week. But on the weekend, you could easily consume over 3 to 4 thousand or more calories just from Friday night to Sunday. Essentially wiping out the prior week’s deficit, and putting you back at square one. This repeated behavior will have you tirelessly spinning your wheels with no real progress.
Look, it’s fine to enjoy the weekends, but just know that there will always be another one, and another one, and another one. So each one doesn’t have to be treated like it’s the last. Stay mindful of healthy habits and incorporate them on the weekends, as well!
WANTING THE QUICK FIX
This is common in society today. With sources of instant gratification all around us, it makes it more difficult to go for things that involve time or delayed gratification. And since losing weight – the proper way – involves time, it’s easier to get discouraged and unmotivated.
Here’s the thing, when it comes to weight loss, you have to accept that it’s going to be a process. That’s why a good way to look at it is, instead of thinking about what you can do to lose weight the fastest, think about what you can do and the kind of habits you can build that you can achieve on a consistent basis that will get you closer to your goals.
Once you build more goal-oriented habits, you’ll be closer to achieving your goal than you think. And by that point, it will be a part of your lifestyle, and will be easier to maintain.
NOT EATING ENOUGH FIBER
Let’s think about something, roughly 97% of people in the US don’t eat enough fiber, and around 70% of the population is overweight or obese
Now I’ve written about the benefits of fiber before, and I will always continue to. Here’s a quick recap of some of the benefits of fiber (from whole food, plant sources, not some bogus supplement or bar):
- Yes, it can help you poop, but it also..
- Activates our natural satiety hormones so we feel full
- Helps regulate and manage blood sugar
- Feeds our gut microbes and improves gut health
- Absorbs excess cholesterol and helps manage levels
- Absorbs excess hormones and helps balance them
- Absorbs excess calories and helps prevent fat storage
- Cleans the colon and reduces risk of colon cancer
The list could go on. Fiber is amazing, and a few of those benefits such as activating our satiety hormones, and helping to absorb excess calories, are some reasons as to why fiber is amazing for weight loss and healthy weight management.
Now, back to those statistics.. Is lack of fiber the main cause of overweight and obesity rates? Of course not. But I would argue that it’s one of the main causes. Also, roughly 60% of the calories consumed in the US come from ultra processed foods, which tend to be lacking in fiber or nutrients, and therefore, don’t promote satiety or fullness, but rather promote more cravings and further drive excess eating.
Whereas again, fiber helps to regulate our hunger and satiety hormones. And chances are, if we’re eating plenty of fiber throughout the day, the drive to overeat on junk food will be diminished.
Point being, if weight loss and/or healthy weight management are the goals, start incorporating more fibrous foods in your routine! Quick recap on great sources:
- Oatmeal
- Beans
- Lentils
- Whole wheat breads & pastas
- Berries
- Apples
- Avocados
- Sweet potatoes
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Bran cereals
All plant foods contain fiber just in varying amounts and types. That’s why the best option is to try and incorporate as much of a variety of plant foods into the diet as you can.
NOT BEING CONSISTENT ENOUGH
This one is along the lines of wanting the quick fix. A lot of people want or expect quick results, and if they don’t come, or if motivation dips (which is completely normal and means nothing) they’ll fall off the wagon. Only to repeat this sort of ‘on and off’ cycle, not really getting anywhere.
Consistency is key. That’s probably cliche as fuck, but it’s also true as fuck.
Referring back to when I mentioned weight loss taking time, this is when consistency matters.
This is why it’s important to build habits and behaviors that will get you closer to and more aligned with your goals. Because the desired weight loss (whatever it may be), unfortunately, won’t come after just 1 week, 2 weeks, maybe even 3.
Everyone is different, but about a month or so into a weight loss journey is when you might start to actually “see” a difference. That’s why the key here is to not get discouraged when you don’t get that quick fix, and instead, stay consistent week after week. The time will pass, I promise
NOT WHY YOU’RE NOT LOSING WEIGHT
There are a few popular ideas out there that try to explain why weight loss is hard. And by ideas, I mean excuses. At face-value they might seem like they make sense, but the reality is that there’s more to the story, and these excuses are really just bullshit.
HORMONES
Hormones definitely have a role in metabolism, and fat storage, but they’re not the reason for lack of weight loss, nor do they inherently cause weight gain.
This idea has been fear-mongered around social media recently. The idea that insulin spikes, or cortisol levels – to name a couple – are inherently bad, and are to blame for weight gain or lack of weight loss. It’s total bullshit. These are natural hormones that our bodies produce when needed.
Hormones do not magically make us store fat on their own, nor do they keep us from burning fat. The only thing that makes us store fat is eating in a calorie surplus.
Hormones can drive cravings, especially for junk food, and certain satiety hormones, like GLP-1, can be suppressed from junk food, making it more likely for someone to overeat. However, the end result is still eating an excess of calories, which promotes the weight gain, not the hormones.
Certain hormones will also not magically keep someone from losing fat. Again, they can play a role in how you feel, and drive choices, but they’re ultimately not the determining factor.
There’s not a single study or sliver of evidence that shows people being consistently in a calorie deficit, yet not losing weight strictly because of their hormones. Not. one.
Don’t buy into some influencer’s nonsensical fear-mongering crack about hormones and wanting you to buy their supplement. Fuck that person.
AGE
“The older you get, the harder it is to lose weight!”
Something I always remember hearing as a kid. Yet, here I am nearing 30, and in the best shape of my life. Almost the complete opposite of the shape I was in when I was a teenager, and in my younger twenties.
Because the truth is, age itself has nothing to do with how good of shape we’re in as we get older, our lifestyle choices and habits do.
Recent research looking into metabolism and age shows that our metabolism doesn’t even start to naturally decline until around 60! And even then, the decline can still be mitigated by healthy eating habits and regular exercise/strength training. BOOM, age-old myth busted, no pun intended…
The reality is that when someone lives a more sedentary lifestyle, and regularly eats highly palatable, ultra processed foods (the standard American diet), for decades and decades, that can weaken and down-regulate the metabolism, causing easier weight gain and harder weight loss. And THAT is why “the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight”, a lifestyle of poor choices, not age itself.
GENETICS
Another factor that’s not necessarily the reason for lack of weight loss, genetics. Let me explain..
Genetics definitely have a role in things like how prone someone is to gaining weight, or where someone stores body fat, but just like the rest, genetics are not inherently the reason for weight gain or lack of weight loss.
Genetics can play a role in habit forming, and food choices, but these are things that are still in our control. At the end of the day, It is the choices and habits we form that can drive excess calorie consumption and ultimately lead to weight gain.
THE REALITY
The truth is, in terms of weight loss or gain, the phrase “calories in, calories out” will always hold true. Ya just can’t get away from it.
Hormones and genetics can drive our cravings and have a role in habit forming, but they’re not ultimately responsible for weight gain, or lack of weight loss.
We live in a world where it’s very easy to latch onto a victim mindset, and point the blame on something else other than ourselves. But at the end of the day, our body is our responsibility.
SUMMARY
Let’s recap why you’re not losing weight…
Why someone isn’t losing weight/ultimately not in a calorie deficit:
- Thinking a particular “diet” will do the trick (rather than overall calories)
- Unknowingly consuming excess calories “sneaky calories”
- Focusing too much on exercise
- Having weekend “blowouts”
- Only wanting the “quick fix”
- Not eating enough fiber
- Not being consistent
There could also be other reasons at play, such as getting shitty sleep which can leave a person feeling sluggish and mentally drained. That in turn can lead to a lack of movement/exercise, and poor food choices.
In order to successfully lose weight and achieve a calorie deficit, a person would want to:
- Eat plenty of whole, fibrous, plant foods
- Get plenty of daily movement/exercise in
- Be mindful of “sneaky calories”
- Get good sleep
- Be consistent
- sign up for my one-on-one online coaching services! heh
Thanks for reading!