5 Reasons Why The Scale Isn’t Budging

Once you’re in a healthy weight range, the goal is then to lose body fat and get fitter, and then the scale can be thrown out the window (especially if you’re like me and it was a problem in the past, when I was in my anorexic years I weighed myself daily and had to be a lower number constantly-it was a horrible way to live).

So, for those of you who are wanting to lose weight in a healthy way, that is commendable! Losing weight is a hard, long process, BUT it is worth it to feel good about yourself and to reduce the risk of so many chronic diseases.

The process may be long and tedious, but it’s even worse when the scale doesn’t budge and you hit a plateau…..

Here are some tips of what you’re doing wrong and what to Do, especially if you feel like you’ve done or are doing everything to lose the weight in a healthy way!

5 Reasons Why The Scale Isn’t Budging

You have underestimated your real caloric intake

Plain and simple: you are eating the same number of calories that you are burning without even realizing it. Because there are 3500 calories per pound of fat, there must be a deficit of 3500 calories PER week to lose 1 pound of body fat (the weight you want to lose). Two ways to change that : move more and/or eat less. In-depth ideas: Try to reduce your pasta portions, walk to the grocery store, measure your servings with cups and spoons, walk a mile more than normal, eat 1 less piece of cheese, or give up a small dessert every other day.

You are eating more calories later in the day

It is true that eating more in the morning versus at night can help in weight loss. The reason this is so is because the body needs that energy from the food MORE during the day to do its’ work, workouts, and functions, than the body needs at night. Eat a quality, large breakfast, high-protein snacks, a good-sized lunch, a powerful snack, and a nice, lighter dinner. Late-night snacking is usually a result of not enough quality foods and/or protein during the day–so take a good look at what you’re doing and re-evaluate.

You are overeating on the weekends, at dinner parties, and events, and jump back at it on Monday

This is by far the number-one mistake most people make with weight loss. Consistency is KEY in this health battle. Remind yourself of how far you’ve come before setting out for those high-caloric dinner events or restaurants. Besides, nothing actually tastes as good as being healthy feels. Those extra cookies are not worth the yucky feeling the next day, trust me! Choose one exciting thing each day of the weekend, and one extra indulgent thing at a party and you’ll be satisfied. Our bodies do not need 4 cookies at a time, I promise

You eat off of your kids’ plates, you eat just as much as your husband, OR you hardly eat at all

All three of these things are almost innate if you’ve been doing them for awhile……Here’s the skinny : the food on your kids’ plate has calories, you don’t need as much food as your husband, and you MUST eat often to burn calories. The body’s metabolism slows if you don’t eat enough or often, so that would be jeopardizing your health and your efforts by NOT eating. Sounds counter intuitive, but it’s true science. Plus, from a real experience stand-point, the second I started eating more throughout the day (instead of bingeing at certain times), the more weight I lost.

You are either NOT being real with yourself OR you’re not being patient enough with yourself

This one is a HUGE one. The scale will go down if you continue to give your best effort and TRULY be honest with yourself. Are you really working out hard at the gym? Are you really eating less? Are you trying to portion out your food by measuring it? Usually we will lie to ourselves and avoid admitting things that are hard to swallow…..so if this is feeling uncomfortable to read, you’re probably doing yourself a disservice. Get REAL with yourself and then move on from there. IF you are being honest, then keep being patient. If you STILL don’t see results, contact me directly and we can work out a specific plan.

I know some of this sounds kind of harsh, but let’s face it, over 2/3rds of the people in our country are overweight or obese, and some of those readers look at blogs to get tips.