Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

You’ve tried everything, or at least it feels like you have. You’ve cut calories. You’ve gone low carb. Low fat. Paleo. Organic. Fasting. Cabbage soup. Boot camp group sessions. Cross fit. Each new thing ends up with you tearing your hair out, thinking to yourself… “Why can’t I lose weight?”

Before you decide once and for all that this is how you are, and you will never be able to change it, make sure that you aren’t falling victim to one of the weight-loss-stoppers below.

You skip breakfast

If you forget breakfast, or run out of time, you are at risk of experiencing more extreme hunger later in the day. This might mean, for example, that you get to lunch time and eat a larger portion than normal. It could also mean that you are more likely to choose something unhealthy.

Late night snacking

You’ve been so good all day, what’s one little treat after dinner? Turns out it can make quite a difference. A lot of the time late night snacking is done in front of the TV, which means you are distracted, and could eat far more than you meant to.

A good weight loss plan will let you enjoy your favourite foods, but choose times when you are distraction free and can take your time enjoying it, and have worked out a portion that fits in with the rest of your diet plan.

Life happens

Unexpected things come up. Conflicts arise. Things take longer than they should. Things break. All of these can cause stress, and the more things go wrong, or the more pressure you feel, the higher your stress levels. The higher your stress levels, the more stress chemicals circulate around your body.

These chemicals can increase fat storage. Stress can also make you crave a feel-better quick fix… like something sweet, or fatty. More stress means you are more likely to make unhealthy choices, and then store the fat from those calories.

Bad genes

Do you come from a family where everyone is a bit bigger? It could lifestyle choices from family habits, genes, or a combination of both. If it’s harder for you to lose weight, exercise could play a more important role in counteracting this than you would think, down-regulating the genes linked to obesity. 

Metabolism slowing down

Things like getting older, changes in hormones, and how much muscle mass you have can all affect your metabolism. Regular exercise, and regular low GI meals can help counteract this.

Poor sleep

Either not enough sleep, or getting poor quality sleep can all make it harder for you to lose weight. Simple strategies like avoiding caffeine after 3pm, exercising daily in some way, limiting screen time in the hour before bed, and sleeping in a comfortable environment can all help.

None of the above! So why can’t I lose weight?

If none of these apply, and you still can’t shift that weight, why not consider a 1-12 week stay at one of our weight loss retreats? We offer a range of workshops that can help you discover what your barriers are to weight loss.