The Reason You Are Not Losing Weight

Reasons you Might Be Hitting a Plateau:

1. Holding on to Fat due to Stress

2. Quality of Sleep

3. Food Journaling

4. Do Not Cut More Calories

5. More Intense Cardio Does not Mean Better Results

6. Blood Tests

7. Get a Therapist

1. Holding on to Fat due to Stress

When we are stressed out, our bodies produce a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is the body's way of protecting itself in fight or flight situations. It gives us that extra alertness if we are in danger, heightens our ability to respond to stimulus like fear or anxiety, and gives us the energy to push through and solve critical problems like hunting prey. Unfortunately, in today's society that stress seems to be compounding and we are no longer in the savannah hunting wild game for food. Instead we are innundated with project deadlines, dealing with problem clients and coworkers, and enduring conflict or caregiving duties with loved ones. Our cortisol never has a chance to go down since the stimulus is with us day in and day out. 

When cortisol is high, our bodies use up energy to stay in high alert mode. This means we may get more hungry. Some people stop eating because it makes them feel sick. But for many of us, this is when we turn to food to cope. The body starts to store calories thinking we'll need them for fight or flight at any time. 

Even though you're eating right and exercising 3-5 times a week, cortisol will cause the body to become insulin resistant. When you consume carbohydrates or sugar, the body is no longer producing insulin to suppress blood sugar. Instead the body is holding on to the calories in the form of fat as lipid metabolism decreases when cortisol is high.

2. Quality of Sleep

It is recommended that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep each night to allow the body to repair itself from the day to day stresses. If you have developed insomnia due to stress and anxiety, this will impact your ability to lose fat. Like stress, lack of sleep can make us more insulin resistant and increase hunger. Hormones will become dysregulated. 

Lack of quality sleep can stall weight loss because our metabolism starts slowing down to reserve energy to stay awake and continue executive function. Over time this will cause weight gain, not just stall weight loss progress. If you are struggling with sleep, it's time to start working on your sleep hygiene. That can include going to bed at the same time each night, turning off devices 1-2 hours before bed and wind down, doing some light stretching before lights down, avoid eating 3 hours before bed so you are not digesting food while you sleep, and keeping your room temperature lower to induce sleep.

3. Food Journalling

We have all struggled with knowing what we are eating throughout the day. We may think we're eating healthy, but portion sizes can creep up if we don't use measurements. Over-eating calories can happen in the blink of an eye. Eyeballing portion sizes is notoriously inaccurate. 

With the help of a coach to review your food journal, they can see what's going on to pinpoint the exact foods that could be causing you to hold on to fat. Sodium and sugar are hidden in a lot of processed foods, sauces, and seasonings. 

4. Do Not Cut More Calories

We recommend being in a 500 calorie deficit daily to lose weight and make adjustments for daily activity. When you plateau, the first instinct might be to skip meals or eat less food. Going beyond the 500 calorie deficit can make your body think its starving. When that happens, you are once again increasing your cortisol levels and becoming insulin resistant. 

Many women have come to believe they can lose weight on 1200-1500 calories. You cannot sustain this caloric deficit for a long time. It is only meant to work in the short term and crash diets can work well, but you'll gain the weight back as soon as you go off of it. What happens is that your body becomes more efficient over time and reduces its need to metabolize the same number of calories it required in the beginning of your weight loss journey.

It seems counter-intuitive but as your body builds muscle, it requires more protein to sustain that muscle. If you continue to cut calories, eventually you won't just lose fat but muscle as well. At this time, it might be beneficial to increase calories by 200-300 to build more muscle and burn calories at rest. Adding exercise to your routine means that your body needs more calories, not less.

5. More Intense Cardio Does not Mean Better Results

Don't punish yourself on the cardio machines because you aren't losing weight fast enough. As mentioned previously, your body starts to get efficient at doing certain exercises which is why we need to lift heavier weights as we progress. We don't need to increase cardio as that could lead to stress injuries if we push ourselves too hard.

Sweating more doesn't equal fat loss. Some people, as they become more fit, will not sweat as much. However, that doesn't mean that they aren't burning calories thanks to their muscle mass. Adequate rest in between weight lifting days is a requirement to get consistent results over time. Watch your stress levels and don't cut calories!

6. Blood Tests

We recommend visiting a doctor to check your hormone levels if you feel you are doing everything right and still not losing weight. Estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, cortisol, insulin sensitivity, and testosterone can be suboptimal and cause the body to hold on to fat regardless of anything else you are doing. If you have been struggling for a while, it's time to consider if you may have a metabolic condition and order a panel of tests. Food allergies and inflammation can also cause weight loss to stall. 

7. Get a Therapist

Chronic stress and anxiety are increasing in today's fast-paced society. If you are struggling with mental health, it's time to find a therapist and learn strategies of how to cope. If you have childhood trauma or post-traumatic stress from other past situations, a cognitive behavioural therapist can help you work through the root causes of your mental distress.

Your body has cell memory and generational trauma can be passed down. If you have a neurodivergent brain, you could be struggling to fit in and a therapist can help you find systems to build resilience.

It's not good to suppress your emotions as they can not only impact your ability to lose weight, but also your career, relationships, and ability to weather the hard times. Many private insurance companies now cover psychological treatment so it's worth it to find the help you need.

Beat Weight Loss Plateaus 

The old adage, "eat less and move more," can be infuriating when you hear it in a doctor's office. As though that's the magical cure for obesity! Let's look into what stalled progress is caused by, and it's not always related to willpower or your inability to follow a plan. Sometimes you can be doing everything right and still get nowhere. Having a personal trainer holding you accountable can help you be successful.

You don't need to do this alone, in fact you get better results when someone is challenging you to push your limits farther than you thought. Don't quit on your journey because you're stuck. Remember that consistency over a long period of time is where people see their bodies change and transform. There are no quick fixes. We can help you figure out what's going on and recommend a plan to kickstart your progress.

Book a physical assessment for $47+gst to get a report on actionable steps you can take to hit your goals, please call/text us at 1-825-945-7733, or fill out the online contact form today!