Trying hard and not losing weight? It’s estimated that 45 million Americans go on diets each year. With nearly two-thirds of Americans still overweight or obese, it’s safe to say the majority of diets aren’t working. I have worked with countless athletes with weight loss goals and have found that many of the issues separating failure from success are the same. If you’re trying to lose weight without success, check out the list below to see if you’re making a critical mistake.

You’re Not Eating Enough

You cannot trick your body. It’s smarter than you. If you want to lose weight you need to work with your body to give it what it needs to achieve what you want. We all know that eating too much can pack on the unwanted pounds. We have developed such a negative association between eating and losing weight that for many of us the concept of eating more to lose weight is unimaginable.

Your body will always fight to maintain homeostasis and will burn whatever tissue is needed to maintain its energy levels. Unfortunately for your body, fat is much more efficient for providing energy than muscle tissue and as a result when energy is low muscle is burned. You must make sure you are providing your body with enough calories to maintain muscle mass and to  fuel your workouts. If you’re not working out you may still be doing more than you realize and could still suffer if you’re underfed.

You’re Not Moving Enough

How active are you, really? If the hour you spend at the gym 3 days a week is really it for you in terms of activity then you’re not really doing much. If weight loss is the goal and you’re eating as you should be then you need to get moving. For most people this doesn’t mean you should add multiple high intensity workouts to your day but rather some low intensity, steady state cardio several days a week.

You’re Moving Too Much

Basically the same as not eating enough, if you’re doing too much work compared to what you are eating then your body is going to freak out on you. Again, the body is constantly fighting to survive in homeostasis and will always win. If you are working out far above your daily caloric intake the induced stress will cause a lowering of your metabolism to survive.

You Don’t Know Macros

All macronutrients are not created equal. In fact, your individual macronutrient needs are completely dependent on your day to day life and workout regime. If you’re doing Olympic lifting only, a high carbohydrate diet may not be right for you. If you’re doing CrossFit and trying to go “low carb”, chances are you’re about to crash. If you’re not working out, factors such as your job, stress levels, and general health will still dictate the macronutrient ratios you need for optimal health. You need to know the correct macronutrient ratios to improve your performance, whatever that performance may be. 

You Don’t Have A Plan

Making sure you’re eating and moving enough, but not too much is a lot of work and easy to mess up. The biggest mistake many make is trying to do it all on their own. You let professionals help you when you’re sick. Why not let professionals help you with your nutritional wellness? You and I can work together on a plan to find out exactly how much you need to eat based on how much you’re moving. People helping people.

Losing weight that will stay off is a serious goal. If you’re committed to the task at hand it is paramount that you avoid the aforementioned mistakes that could stand in your way. Make sure that you’re eating enough and are active, but don’t workout more than you have fueled for. Take the time to educate yourself on macronutrients and have a plan of attack. If you need help, we offer nutrition coaching and meal plans fully customized for individual schedule and statistics. A new year is approaching. Don’t let another year go by without reaching your weight loss goals!

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