8 reasons that you aren’t losing weight

1. Not enough fiber

 

1. Why you need fiber to lose weight 

1. Fiber has nearly zero calories but adds a significant bulk to food. This is especially important for those of you who needs to eat high-volume foods in order to feel full after a meal. 
2. Fiber reduces the number of calories you ABSORB. Wait, so eating more high-fiber foods will actually decrease my calorie load?? Yep you heard right. Researchers measured energy absorption when you eat a high fiber vs. low fiber diet and found that high fiber diets decrease total calories absorbed! Meaning that if you eat a high-fat meal with a lot of fiber, the fiber will bind some of the calories from fat and prevent their absorption. 
3. Fiber keeps your energy levels stable. It turns into gel-like bulk in your intestines and prevents sugar from getting absorbed quickly. This prevents large spikes in blood sugar – meaning no afternoon hunger or energy crash, cravings cycles, or overeating. YAY.

a. What to do? Increase fiber by

1. Smoothies: Add a smoothie to your day. Throwing your favorite fruits and/or vegetables into a blender, can be an easy and delicious way to get the fiber you need. 
2. Nuts as snacks: Grab a small container and toss in some almonds, walnuts, cashews, whichever is your favorite! Nuts are packed with fiber and are a filling snack to keep with you throughout the day. 
3. Pre-cut veggies in the fridge to snack on:  Vegetables are one of our greatest sources of fiber. Slicing up a pepper, cucumber, or celery to take with you on the go and keep in the fridge as a fiber-filled snack at the ready is simple and quick

 

 2. Inflammatory fats and oils

1. What are they: canola, sunflower oil, safflower oil, etc
2. Why they are inflammatory: high in omega 6, chemically extracted with toxic     solvents 

Losing weight does not mean cutting fat out of your diet. But the types of fats we eat matter. Steering clear of inflammatory fats and oils such as Canola, Safflower, and Sunflower oil will prove useful when trying to shed those last few pounds. These fats are high in omega 6 fatty acids (the fats that we don’t want), and they also retain some of the chemical solvents that are used in the refinement process. These are toxic chemicals like hexane that can cause an inflammatory effect in the body.  

a. What to do: 

1. Check ingredient labels (even of “health” foods, because many of them contain inflammatory oils. Check the label!  Even if you don’t typically store these oils at home or use them in your cooking, some of these inflammation-causing fats and oils can be hidden deep in those pesky ingredient lists of the foods you are eating (even in those “health” foods!).
2. Stick to EVOO, avocado oil, ghee, or coconut oil: Stick to non-inflammatory oils that are high in  Omega-3s such as EVOO, Avocado oil, grass-fed Ghee, or Coconut oil. These are delicious alternatives that will give you the fat you need without the added inflammation.
3. Restaurants usually use these inflammatory oils for cooking. So if you dine out often, ask for your foods to be boiled or steamed. Or chose the raw option! 
4. Nuts/Nut butters: Another way to add healthy fats to your meals is as simple as a scoop of almond butter or a handful of nuts. These fats are packed with anti-inflammatory omega 3 oils.

 

3. Eating most of calories at end of day

a. Need to sync food intake with biological clock

When we get home from a long day, our first instinct is to have a big dinner. We are tired and our body is craving fuel. Chances are we have not eaten much since breakfast, which only makes hunger at the end of the day seem worse. But, eating a large meal at the end of the day is tough on our metabolism, because our meals need to sync with our internal clock. Meaning that you need to eat more of your calories earlier in the day when our bodies are most capable of processing the calories and nutrients and eat less of your calories close to bedtime.

b. What to do?

1. Make sure your feeding window is between 10 am-7 pm: This is not “intermittent fasting” but rather a strategy to eat your calories during the earlier part of the day. Try timing your first meal for 2-3 hours after you wake up and your last meal 3 hours before you go to sleep. Giving your body the time it needs to digest and wind down. 
2. It’s important to eat a small and early dinner. That means you can’t get to dinner starving. So many sure to eat a large lunch and afternoon snack, so when you get to dinner time, you can chose a small and healthy meal. 
3. Set reminders in your phone: at first adjusting to a new schedule for your meals may not come naturally. Try setting reminders in your phone or in your calendar for mealtimes and bedtime. This will keep you on track to kick off eating to your circadian rhythm.
4. Planning meals is such a tedious task. It’s so difficult to plan ahead and make food decisions in advance. Using the food list and meal plans from the metabolism Magic program makes it easier to mix and match the foods to create diversity in your meals. Allowing you to eat on time without worrying too much about planning ahead.  

 

4. Not enough sleep

Being tired is a vicious cycle that is hard to break. When we don’t get enough sleep we are tired and eat foods throughout the day that prevent us from sleeping well the next night, such as foods high in refined sugars, keeping us from losing those last few pounds. Getting enough sleep is important for our hormones that control our appetite to work well, it also impacts how much and what we are eating throughout the day.

1. Try eating your last meal of the day 3 hours before bedtime. Giving your body time to digest the food or fuel before going to sleep, ensuring a restful night. 
2. Avoid caffeine late in the day. That 2nd cup of coffee might seem tempting around 2 pm when you get hit with afternoon fatigue, but this could do more damage to your night’s sleep. Try instead going for a walk or a caffeine-free cup of tea. 
3. Getting a restful sleep also depends on your atmosphere. Make sure your room is dark, quiet, and well-tempered. Make sure to turn off your screens at least an hour before bedtime. This allows your body time to get into sleep mode. 

 

5. Cravings triggered by processing carb and sugar 

Eating processed carbs and refined sugar makes us crave more. Foods high in these are highly palatable and set off the chemicals in our brain to crave more. As we all know processed carbs and refined sugars, even as just a treat, are foods that contribute to weight gain and can prevent us from losing weight.

1. Replace those sweets with fruit. Fruit can be a great alternative dessert or end of your meal. It will satiate your sweet tooth without the added calories!
2. Eating balanced meals high in fiber, healthy fats, and carbs will mitigate the cravings for high sugar foods. 
3. Stay hydrated! Drink water throughout the day, before and after your meals, will keep you satiated and less likely to endure cravings. Try also adding apple cider vinegar to your seltzer water. 

 

6. Too much stress

Being stressed can trigger our emotions. We feel anxious and overwhelmed setting off our hormones that control our appetite. At first, the stress may prevent us from eating, turning off our appetite, but persistent stress will have the opposite effect and cause us to overeat. Stress will send us eating in hopes to comfort ourselves and relieve our anxiety. 

1. Alternative coping methods. When faced with a stressful time or situation, it’s important to take a minute to yourself. Find ways to relieve stress that don’t include more food. Try meditating or working out, giving you time to yourself, and let the moment pass.
2. Stop and think. When you feel stressed and want to eat, stop and think if you are actually hungry or if this feeling is fleeting. We often don’t stop and think before we eat, but being mindful about our meals is the first step to losing weight and keeping it off. 
3. Pick up a hobby. Self-care is more than just a day at the spa. Self-care is about finding the things we like to do and making time for them in our lives. Not only is this important for our quality of life, but it also is a strategy for losing weight. When we feel anxious and want to relieve this feeling with food, we can turn to our hobby as a distraction and a way to relax. 

 

7. Not enough protein 

When we get caught up in counting calories, we forget about the distribution of our macronutrients throughout the day and in our meals. Not getting the protein we need could be preventing us from losing those last 5 pounds. Protein triggers our satiety hormones and makes us feel full longer. 

1. Adding a protein to your meal in the morning will start your day off right. This can be an egg or even a plant-based protein like nuts or beans. 
2. Afternoon snacks usually include sliced up vegetables and/or fruits, try adding a nut butter or hummus dip with this for added flavor and protein!
3. Protein is associated with animal products but protein can be found in nuts, legumes, and even many vegetables. By diversifying your diet to include more of these, you will more easily meet your protein needs for weight loss.  

 

8. Trying to burn cals instead of building muscle 

a. Muscle is our metabolically active tissues (aka the one that burns calories). You burn about 150 cals for each pound of muscle 

Going to the gym can feel like a burden when we feel directionless in our workouts. When our workouts are not yielding weight loss results we hoped for, we get dettered. There are two categories of workouts to concentrate on when trying to burn fat: HIIT (High-intensity interval training) and NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis). HIIT, by getting your heart rate up and then quickly bring it down, more calories are burned when compared to longer, less intense workouts. NEAT this refers to the menial tasks we do throughout the day, such as taking the stairs or walking to the train. Sitting for too long will only prevent us from losing the weight and we are better off staying continuously active.

b. What to do?

1. The goal for your workouts is to build muscle over burning calories. Metabolically active tissue (aka the tissue that burns calories). The more we have of it, the more calories we burn at rest
2. Find a workout buddy. Working out alone can be monotonous and lonely. Find a friend that will work out with you 2-3 times per week, motivate you to get to the gym, and put in the work!
3. Plan your workouts for the morning, ideally after your morning coffee and before your morning meal. Hitting the gym when you are in a fasted state has the most benefits to your metabolism and will yield the best weight loss results.