7 Surprising Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight

By Abraham Lincoln Trainer Michelle Beachem  So often I see people coming to the gym, cleaning up their eating, and generally thinking they are doing exactly what they need to do to lose weight. However, we all know the story isn’t that simple — even people who adopt healthier habits can struggle to shed those stubborn pounds. Here are seven common reasons why.

1. Not drinking enough water. Besides keeping you hydrated, drinking water regularly throughout the day, according to recent studies, can help you lose weight. Drinking a glass of water (8oz or more) before a meal helps encourage portion control, and eating foods that contain a lot of water (like fruits and vegetables) helps to fill you up faster, and in turn helps you to eat less.
2. You over indulge in healthy foods. Nuts are healthy for sure (especially as an after workout pick-me-up) but they aren’t exactly devoid of calories. You still need to watch how much you eat of the good stuff. Portion out proper serving sizes of nuts and other calorie-dense healthy foods in to containers for easy snacking so that you don’t have to worry about over-consuming them.
3. You only do cardio. Cardio is good for you, this much is true. However, if you are trying to lose weight you need to add in resistance training to help speed the process along. Weight training helps you gain muscle mass which helps to raise your metabolism, which in turn helps you to burn more calories.
4. Your partner isn’t on a healthy path. A partner who’s on a healthy path can be a huge help to your weight-loss goals, but if your partner is not on board, then your relationship may be contributing to keeping you fat. You can’t expect to lose weight if your partner constantly suggests ordering delivery for dinner, wants to go out for ice cream, or is guilt tripping you into sleeping in instead of exercising. Communication is key and letting them know that you need their support in losing weight is a great first step to keeping the lines of communication open. You don’t want to end up resenting your partner or vice-versa, especially if it is simply from not communicating your needs.
5. You don’t sleep enough. Making time for your workouts can mean less time for sleep, but it’s important to get enough z’s if you’re trying to lose weight. You need extra energy to keep up with your exercise routine, and skimping on sleep can affect your body’s ability to control its appetite; not enough shut-eye increases the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, and decreases leptin which helps you feel full.
6. You don’t eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast may seem like a great way to save calories, but your body will likely hold on to stored fat because it thinks it needs to save fat rather than burn it. People who eat breakfast tend lose more weight than people who don’t. Make sure to eat breakfast each morning to jump-start your metabolism, but don’t just grab anything — make sure to include a rich source of protein along with a complex carbohydrate to give you long lasting energy and enough fiber to keep you feeling full for hours.
7. You still drink soda- Soda offers literally no nutritional benefits. None. Continuing to consume soda will sabotage your weight-loss goal, even if you are only drinking diet soda. Studies have shown that individuals who drink two diet sodas a day or more had waistlines that were significantly larger than the nondrinkers.

If you’re guilty of any of the above common mistakes, try incorporating these healthy strategies into your lifestyle. You might be surprised at the progress you’ll make!

When We Fall

By Kimberley Turner, NSCA-CSCS and Personal Trainer at MLK and North HS

It is when, not if, I assure you. My intention in writing this is not to be pessimistic or discourage you, but rather quite the opposite. Because falling is inevitable, but it’s in the getting back up that defines who you are. I am a competitive road bike racer, and for the past several years have been racing throughout the country at professional races. I give you this seemingly random statement to give context to what I am about to say. I have learned that in bike racing, the strongest and most respected riders are not always those with the highest VO2 max or fastest sprint (physiological determinants of performance) but those who have developed mental fortitude and learned to quickly adjust to unforeseen turns of events without letting it derail them.

As I approach a big race, there are variables under my control, such as the training I do, the discipline I have in properly nourishing my body and the planning before and on race day. I will give every ounce of effort to make sure that I have set myself up for success to the best of my ability. But in any given race, for every one thing I can control, there are a host of other variables outside of my control that might be thrown into the mix. Examples that I have personally experienced in the last year are extreme wind, sickness and unavoidable crashes in my most important races.

Very few if any of the readers of this blog are bike racers, so why am I taking time to share how very unpredictable race situations can be? Very simply, because life, like bike racing, is unpredictable. And in life, just as in bike racing, mistakes happen. It is about responding to those mistakes and what you do with those twists in life that propel you forward and help you achieve success. Accomplishing your goals is about not letting past shortcomings determine future outcomes. So, if you have made mistakes on your journey toward bettering yourself, be encouraged! You now have the opportunity to learn from and use those mistakes to spur you on toward a bright, successful future.

I recognize that what I’m suggesting is infinitely harder to do than it is to write, and it’s a lesson that I’m still learning! But it is possible. Practically speaking, what does this look like? It means doing everything in your power to take charge of the variables that you can control. Pre-planning is one of the greatest tools you have at your disposal, and building this into your life will lead to greater success in making healthy changes. Schedule time to exercise on your calendar just as you would a work meeting. Spend 20 minutes each night chopping fresh fruits and veggies and putting them in ziplock bags or Tupperware for the next day’s snacks. Write out your meals for the week, and make sure you have all the groceries you need so you don’t resort to pre-made or packaged foods when you inevitably get home late one night to find you are missing an ingredient. If you do slip up and throw a pizza in the oven, despite your best intentions to make a fresh salad with a whole grain pasta side dish, do you throw up your hands in distress and then decide to eat a pint of ice cream because you’ve already “ruined it all”?

I can’t tell you the number of clients I’ve worked with whose entire diet and exercise program was derailed by one mistake. This need not be the case. If you eat something you later wish you hadn’t, rather than planning on starting over the next day or next week, start fresh RIGHT NOW. If you sleep through your alarm and don’t make it to the gym like you’d planned, don’t let it spiral into a week without breaking a sweat. Instead, take 20 minutes to walk at lunch, refocus, remind yourself what your goals are, why they are important, and the conscious actions it takes to get there. The bottom line is that in your desire for better health and wellness, take action and consciously put measures in place to set yourself up for success, but when the inevitable slip-up happens, do not let one step off the path derail the entire journey.