Why am I Not Losing Weight?

Why am I not losing weight? The number one question I receive is people wondering why they aren’t losing weight. It usually goes something like this:

I’m working out and eating right. It’s been a month and there’s no change on the scale. Does this sound like you or someone you know? If so, you are not alone.

The Problem is Your Diet

I can tell you that after I do some investigating with their fitness program, the problem can almost always (yes, there are exceptions) be pinpointed to their diet. They think that their diet is great, but in reality, it’s usually filled with processed grains and calorie “free” foods or soda. And it usually lacks the proper nutrients to fuel fat loss.

Also, realize that at the beginning of a fitness program, your weight can fluctuate rapidly, or even increase. The additional exercise creates larger glycogen reserves to fuel your workouts. These glycogen stores enlarge and store water within the muscle. Each gram of glycogen can store around 3 grams of water, so the additional weight can add up. But this is good weight!

Are you working out but gaining weight? Here’s why…

My Own Personal Nutrition Meal Plan

Here is what I eat on a day to day basis. This is the diet I use when I want to lose an average of .5-1% body fat per week, and it’s the diet I eat when I don’t want to lose any weight, and it’s the diet I use when I want to gain weight. The foods remain the same, it’s just the portion sizes that vary. Look over it closely. Does yours look anything like this at all? Are you eating similar portion sizes? Are you eating enough calories? Are you getting enough nutrients?

• Meal 1: Power Shake – milk, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 tsp fish oil, spinach, and 2 cups mixed fruit (banana, orange, apple, grapes, kiwi, mango, coconut, cherries)
• Meal 2: Power Salad – 1/4 lb chicken, spinach, bell peppers (orange, red, & yellow), pomegranate seeds, tomato, carrots, pumpkin seeds, cucumber, onion, parmesan cheese, olive oil & red wine vinegar dressing
• Meal 3: 1/4 lb chicken, 1/4 sweet potato, 1/2 cup pinto beans
• Meal 4: Shepard’s Pie (1/4 lb 95% grass-fed beef, tomato sauce, onion, greek yogurt, cauliflower)
• Meal 5: 1/4 cup mixed nuts, 1 tbsp all-natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup mixed frozen berries, 1 tsp raw honey

Notice how 90% of my diet is whole foods. The only thing not is the omega-3 fish oil. My diet is packed with a big variety of fruits and vegetables and is extremely nutrient dense – providing all the nutrients my body needs to efficiently lose fat. I also drink water, water, more water, and nothing but water.

Read here to see why drinking water is the secret to fat loss.

Your Diet Should Follow These Guidelines

• As a general guideline, eat 10-12 times your body weight in calories. The higher your body fat, the lower the number you should use. If you want an exact number that you should eat, I recommend you check out the BodyMedia FIT armband. It’s what I use to accurately track my calorie burn and set my calorie intake. You can check out the BodyMedia armband here.
• Eat .7-1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight and divide it equally into 4-5 meals. You’ll have to measure your body fat to determine your lean body mass, and this cheap pair of body fat calipers will get the job done.
• Make sure you are getting some EFAs (essential fatty acids). I get those mostly through the ground flaxseed and especially through the fish oil.
• You should be drinking water (or water with lemon, lime, orange, etc). You can also add in some of these 8 healthy drinks besides water, but water should be your primary drink.
• Fill the rest of your calories with whole foods – not processed foods. Here’s a list of 100 healthy foods to eat that you can fill in the rest of your calories with.
• Eat as many green veggies as possible. They are nutrient dense and calorie sparse. You can eat a nearly endless supply of them without any real worry about gaining weight.
• While not necessary, if you feel you are a little more carb sensitive, you can keep the majority of your carb intake first thing in the morning and before and after your workout. This will ensure that you’re eating your carbs when your insulin sensitivity is the highest. Read more about why improving your insulin sensitivity is the key to fat loss.
• Eat a diet that is high in fiber. It helps to slow down the digestion of your food and keep a steady release of glucose. You don’t want a rush of sugar and then an insulin spike. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. Here are 11 easy ways to get fiber in your diet.

Chances are, if you aren’t losing weight, you have to look no further than your diet. The majority of your health and weight loss results are going to come from good nutrition. It’s not all about calories. Your body needs nutrients to function optimally. Take a real close look at your own nutrition and see if there’s any way you can improve it. I bet you can, and I guarantee you’ll be better off with the changes. If after reading this article you still think you’re doing everything right, you might want to see if one of these 20 reasons for not losing weight is the cause of your troubles.