Why am I not losing weight?!
We hear this all the time in our clinic. Weight management can be incredibly frustrating, and there are dozens of things that can get in the way of successfully losing weight.
Let’s take a look at a few of the more common ones.
Great expectations: Long term, sustainable changes can produce large amounts of weight loss, but it’s almost always over long amounts of time. Sometimes when I hear “I’m not losing,” they really mean “I’m not losing as fast as I’d like.” Keep in mind that even 1 pound a month will add up. Also, if you’re losing inches without losing pounds you must be replacing fat with muscle – this actually sets you up for a better metabolism long term.
The yo-yo curse: If you’ve lost weight by dieting in the past but each round seems to be harder, you’re probably not imagining it. When you lose weight, especially on highly restrictive diets, you can slow your metabolism long term. Also, if you lost lean muscle mass with each diet and then regained to your original weight, you now have more fat making up your body. This also makes it a slower process to get back in shape.
Are you a furnace or a vault? What’s the difference? Fuel! I actually have quite a few patients whose main issue improving metabolism and losing fat is that they don’t eat enough, or they go too long between meals. If you are routinely skipping meals or following a very restrictive diet plan, I would look at re-evaluating that. Visiting with a registered dietitian is also a great way to get back on track.
Missing half the equation. Diet and exercise complement each other and they are both necessary to manage body weight. Notice I said manage, not lose – even people who don’t want to lose pounds can see benefits in their health by getting a good combination of cardiovascular and strength based exercise on a regular basis. And you won’t build the healthy, lean body you want without giving it the right nutrition to work with.
If you feel like you can check this list off and you’re still struggling, talking with a healthcare provider experienced in weight management might be your next step, but these are by far the most common issues we see.
Trying to use diet to manage diabetes.
I understand this issue. I know that my insulin causes weight gain also. At least I have been told. With an insulin pump I’m constantly getting insulin. Your supposed to watch carbs but then I feel I don’t lose at 44 carbs per meal.
I eat foods that do NOT trigger insulin response and keep my carbs minus FIBER under 30. You cannot loose weight in the presence of insulin. I suggest doing some of your own research. Our gov. is NOT an expert since we are the Fattest generation ever. I have lost 95 pounds since January following the Code Red Lifestyle. I am NOT a paid actor. I am an RN who is 5.1 and was 247 and depressed and now I am 151 and dropping. Dr. Hyman is another GREAT resource. I increased my good fat and cut out processed crap and sugar. Increased water and SLEEP. No pills, no shakes, no pre-packaged food, no exercise required.
Looking forward to tips
Nurses and Doctors receive less than 15 hours of nutrition education. I bought into the “low-fat” craze of the 80’s that lead us to being the FATTEST and most unhealthy generation. In the 80’s how many type 2 diabetic children did we have? ZERO Now 54 million. This is unacceptable. Eating REAL food, drinking water and sleeping can give you peace and health. Please do your own research on how a diabetic should eat. Sugar and “Healthy Grains” are NOT healthy. If you eat Meat, Veggies, Eggs, Nuts, seeds, berries and Good Fats like Avocado, coconut, walnuts, olives and BUTTER you will heal your body from the inside out. My labs were drawn here at billings clinic and my tryg. were 204 in Sept 2017. Sept 2018 they are now 122. I am not diabetic, but I eat like a diabetic SHOULD eat and have lost 95 pounds, got out of depression, cleared up my skin, no more heartburn and can bend over and tie my shoes. Do you own research people, but a good place to start is a book called the “Code Red Revolution” written by an ex-professional boxer from Orofino, Idaho.