It's the goal of pretty much everyone I see in the gym. Losing fat. On paper, it's straight forward. Practical application on the other hand... Well, it can be quite impractical. Here are 6 reasons why you may not be losing fat.
Disclaimer: As with any lifestyle change, do your research before delving in. It might be advisable that you check with your GP for any contraindications before making any changes. If you have a history of eating disorders, I suggest you find an approach that keeps you healthy in mind, and talking with someone who is an expert in that field who will be able to advise you better.
1. You eat too much
It can be a tough one to swallow (pun intended). But, it all goes back to calories in versus calories out. Eat less than what you burn, and you will attain fat loss. Do it gradually and you will go through sustainable fat loss. Rather than missing out on too many calories then binge eating like the classic yo-yo diet effect has people doing, make minor changes and expect minor changes.
Smaller plates equal smaller portions
Drink more water
Limit snacking
Eat when you are actually hungry, learn to listen to your body
2. You believe because you exercised, you can eat whatever you like
You deserve reward for your hard work. This doesn't mean it allows you to out-exercise your poor nutritional choices. A cheat meal here and there is no big deal, but just because you did a workout and your calorie counter suggests you burnt over 300 calories, doesn't mean you can go eat 300 calories.
Look back at point 1. It comes down to calories in versus calories out. You can't out-exercise a bad diet I'm afraid.
3. You're scared of being hungry
It's ok to be hungry. You will survive. You need to learn to feel hungry. The modern day life of a human doesn't lend itself to this very well. We are expected to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. But, were you actually hungry? Learn to be in-tune with your body and listen to it.
4. Eating refined carbs are cheap and easy
Not like that you filthy minded animal. What I mean is, they are easy to consume. They are everywhere. And dirt cheap. No wonder it's so easy to consume so much of it. Chances are if I told you to reduce your intake of refined carbs, you'd end up eating better.
Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean you can never eat refined carbs ever again. Be conscious about your consumption and don't go overboard with them. Now hand me that chocolate bar.
5. You give up
Life is like a roller coaster. As cliché as that is, it's true. No one's journey is a straight line to the top of the mountain. NO ONE'S! And if they say it was easy, they are lying. All sorts of stressors come into the mix when you are trying to reach your desired fat loss. Let me list a few things that you'll do on your fitness journey:
Binge eat
Binge drink
Hate the way you look
Love the way you look
Feel great
Feel terrible
Lift amazingly
Have a terrible workout
Have a terrible day/week/month/year
But you have to have patience and consistency. When you fall off, which you will, you have to do your best to pick yourself up and carry on. Myself included. Some people's situations will be worse than others. But don't beat yourself up. You'll make mistakes. Brush yourself off and keep going, you can do it. I believe in you.
6. You don't lift weights
I don't care what you else you do, you'll need to do this too. You need to lift weights (or some sort of resistance work, doesn't necessarily have to be weights to create that resistance). Think of weight training as fat loss facilitators. Alongside your good nutrition that you've come to realise you need to do, weights will help you to get into more fat loss. Here's a cheeky infographic to help you see what I mean.
There's a few reasons, see if changing them helps you on your journey. Good luck.
Thanks for reading!
BennyFit