20 Reasons Your Not Losing Weight

So you are following a fitness regiment and you eating better foods but your still not seeing the results you wanted...what gives?? Something I have learnt on my journey is that not all results are based on just cutting calories and sweating a bit.  There is a lot of factors that can actually contribute to your weightloss (or muscle gain!)  Here are a few things to consider:

1. Your not drinking enough water.

Besides the obvious reason of keeping your body hydrated, your body actually can lose weight with water intake! Filling up on water before a meal helps encourage portion control, and eating foods that contain a lot of water (like fruits and veggies) will fill you up faster, causing you to eat less. Drinking cool water can speed up your metabolism.  Most importantly, your body stores toxins, water helps flush those toxins out...bye bye cellulite!

2.  You Only Do Cardio.

If you live on the treadmill but never lift a pound, then you're missing out on one of the most important pieces of the fitness puzzle. Not only does weight training prevent injury by strengthening the joints, but it also helps your body build muscle and speeds your metabolism. Bonus: thanks to a revved-up metabolism, you'll keep burning calories long after you've slipped off your sneakers.

3. You Leave Out Food Groups

HELLOOOOO...who doesn't love carbs??  We have learnt the "carbs are bad" but this is completely UNTRUE! The right carbs are extremely beneficial and critical to our health. Giving up entire food groups can lead to a nutritional deficiency — not to mention trigger major cravings for whatever food has been cut. Rather than, say, eliminating all carbs, focus on whole grains and remember to monitor portion control. Usually it's the extra servings that add to your waistline, not the pasta itself.  And when i say carbs, i don't mean dunkin doughnuts.

4. You Wear Only Comfy Clothes

This is something I KNOW about myself...if i wear yoga pants for a week (yes, i have been known to live in yoga pants and tights), I got to put on my jeans and TOOO TIGHT!!!  Loose clothes are comfy, but they cover up the body and allow you to forget what you look like, which can work against your fitness motivation. Instead, opt for clothes that have a more fitted silhouette to help give you a sense of your body image. Or better yet, start the day in your gym outfit to inspire you to do something active.  I like to put on my favourite pair of jeans AT LEAST once a week to remind me of how badly i want to ROCK them.

5. You Skip Breakfast

Yaaa...im really busy too! And skipping breakfast may even seem like a  great way to cut a few calories but really what your doing is not starting your metabolism for the day. Your metabolism is what will burn calories for you all day long, even when your not working out...if you don't start your engine, your car isn't going to drive! <---if you skip breakfast, your metabolism is shut off!!  ALSO, breakfast eaters have more energy throughout the day, better sleep patterns, more focus and get more done! Take about easy efficiency! Don't have time?? Make a few servings of oatmeal ahead of time, portion them into baggies and have ready to go for the next morning! Here is what i LOVE and enjoy every single day for breakfast (it helped me lose 40 pounds and it takes me 30 seconds to make!! )

6.  You don't Eat Enough

Don't starve yourself to save calories for later. It'll not only mess up your metabolism, and by dinnertime, that famished feeling will likely cause you to eat more than you would if you weren't starving. Not only is starving yourself not sustainable for continued weight loss, but also, limiting yourself to too-small portions can lead to excess snacking between mealtimes.

7.  Your Eating Low Fat Foods

OK...I've said this MANY times but i will say it again..LOW FAT=TOXIC SHITSTORM.  Fatty foods are needed in your diet! You need those healthy fats to complete a balanced diet...your cheese, your yogurt, your avocado, your dips, they are meant to add health fats to your diet, not be substituted with chemicals and sugars.  These types of foods should be portioned into your diet in same amounts.  And lets be real, low fat tastes "light", you end up eating MORE so the calories you think your saving, your not ;)

8. You Always Eat Out

Hitting your favorite restaurant is a great way to unwind, but you're more likely to indulge in a huge meal complete with appetizers, drinks, fried foods, and dessert. Calorie counts are also a mystery, since many foods aren't labeled. If you don't want to give up your nights out, then split a meal with a friend, order healthy options like salads and grilled chicken, and sip water instead of wine. <---I will often eat a snack before I head out to dinner, that way a side salad with a little chicken is more than enough for me.  PS...your wallet will THANK YOU!

9.  You Never Indulge

You eat chicken and veggies ALL THE TIME. I don't know about you, but with me, if i don't get a treat ever so often, when i see one its GO TIME! I have one cookie, then 4 cookies, then a few chips to offset the sweetness, then a few M&M and next thing you know I am like WTF just happened?! <---Don't be an impulse glutton.  Have your piece of cake, enjoy ever little bit of your cake, understand you worked hard for the piece of cake and move on with your healthy regime.

10. You think Walking Your Dog is Enough

A 15-minute stroll is better than nothing, but don't expect to see dramatic weight-loss results. You've got to kick it up a notch — big time — and do at least 30 minutes a day of heart-pumping exercise. Big calorie and fat burners include running, spin class, interval training, hiking, and circuit training.

11. You OverEating Healthy Foods

Avocado, Coconut Oil, Dark Chocolate, Organic Chips, Nuts, Sunflower seeds....they are have AMAZING health benefits, but they are also loaded in calories and fat. You should be consuming some of these daily to help promote healthy brain functions, prevent heart disease, and grow your hair and nails BUT you don't want to add to your waistline. Really watch your portions on this one, a whole avocado or a handful of nuts is too much in a day.

12. Your Partner isn't on the Same Health Journey

A partner who's on a similar path can be a huge help to your weight-loss goals, but if your partner is not on board, then your relationship may be making you fat. You can't expect to lose weight if your husband constantly suggests ordering takeout, wants to go out for ice cream, or encourages you to sleep in instead of hitting the gym! Communicating that you need his support in losing weight is a great first step in finding compromises — for both of you. For starters, the next time you have dinner out, offer to split an appetizer or skip dessert.  Another tip I love to recommend in this area is possibly joining a community of people with the same goals, somewhere to celebrate, somewhere to connect and somewhere to find support. Click here to find out more about the Inferno Challenge!

13. Not Enough Sleep

Making time for your workouts can mean less time for sleep, but it's important to get enough z's if you're trying to lose weight. You need extra energy to keep up with your exercise routine, and skimping on sleep can affect your body's ability to control its appetite: not enough sleep increases your appetite-stimulated hormones!  Also, eating your last meal too late at night can effect your sleep!

14. You Aren't Following a Meal Plan

How many times have you been unprepared for hunger to hit so you either ran through a drivethru or ate the first thing you can find thats quick in the fridge? I think if i didn't plan ahead i would do this daily! If you plan out your meals for the week and prep ahead what you can, when its time for a meal, you are prepared and excited to be making the right choices for yourself.  Also, this will help you stay on track with eating 5-6 healthy meals a day, boosting your metabolism. 

15. Your Not Getting Enough Protein

If your not enough enough protein (food for your muscles) your body will start eating its muscles!  Muscles burn fat. Muscles help you move through your workout more efficiently.  Muscles help you lose weight.  STOP EATING YOUR MUSCLES! Make sure your getting a little protein with breakfast, lunch and dinner!

16. You Don't Have a Plan

Here is what I used to do...I would say ok I need to lose 20 pounds. the first 3 days I would eat salads, our drink shakes, or do a few pushups then by day 5 I was on the couch with a book and a bowl of soup...The change I made? I have a set plan so I know what I need to be doing every single day. I have a meal plan that is simple to follow for my 6 meals a day, i have 30 minute workouts and a schedule I follow daily and I check in with my accountability group...nothing is left to guessing!  Need help with a plan? Check it out...

17.  Condiments & Topping Galore

A salad is one of the healthiest meals you can have, but when you top it with bacon bits, goat cheese, nuts, dried fruits, and ranch dressing, you can double the calorie amount in a flash. Be aware of how many calories your adding on. For instance, 10 croutons is an easy 100 calories.  Also, be aware of the little picking you do all day long...mommas with toddlers, watch those grilled cheese crusts you cut off, the "taste tester" of macaroni that turned into 5 taste testers, and the 2 hard candies you just ate at the office.<--- these are an extra 150+ calories each!

18.  Your Not Paying Attention

Aligning mealtime with a screen like your computer or the TV can hurt your weight-loss goals. Designating a special time for meals without distractions will help you connect to your food and, as a result, eat less. Sometimes you don't even realize how much you're scarfing when your mind is somewhere else.  And besides, you took the time to prepare your food...thank yourself and appreciate your food!

19. Your Still Drinking Pop (Soda)

I can't believe I even need to add this to this article! People, pop is chemical crap...its killing you. Soda is FULL of sugar and chemicals...sugar and chemicals turn to starch, turning to fat. Your body cannot process this so it stores it, as fat. Diabetes,  obesity, learning & developmental problems, tooth decay, hair loss, gall stones all on top of serious weight gain and your still drinking the stuff?  <---try swapping carbonated water with some added lemon, a herbal tea, or just chug down some good ol' H2O.

20. Your Not Taking the Time to Love Yourself

This is what I believe is the most underrated cure for obesity. You become what you constantly tell yourself you are. if your fat, if your unhealthy, if your unorganized, if your tired...you WILL BE!  If you are going to have success on your weightless journey, you have to learn to appreciate your body as a living, working machine.  If you tell yourself you are beautiful, you are healthy, you are fit, you are organized..your body will automatically want to work towards that!! So here is a trick:  Write down 3 positive affirmations for yourself and put them somewhere you see daily (bathroom mirror) I AM BEAUTIFUL, I AM HEALTHY, I AM FIT, I AM MOTIVATED <3