Why You’re Not Losing Body Fat
First, losing body fat isn’t the same thing as losing weight. So stop relying on scale weight to determine if you’re losing body fat and getting smaller.
Second, losing body fat does not happen within a few weeks and losing body fat sustainably does not happen within a few months. So if you begin doing all the right things including eating in a calorie deficit (eating less than you’re burning), exercising (mainly resistance training and some cardio), and increasing activity levels throughout the day (standing up at your desk, going on walks during your breaks or any free time, chores), prioritizing whole foods over ultra-processed foods, prioritizing protein and fiber, drinking less alcohol, and getting good sleep, and its been a few weeks or months and you’re not exactly where you want to be yet, listen up and read below:
Why You’re Not Losing Body Fat
1) You’re not actually in a calorie deficit — if you haven’t taken the time to track calories and learn how many carbs, protein, and fats you’re eating, then you’re most likely NOT in a calorie deficit even if you’re claiming you’re “eating a little.” However, other signs that tell you you are in a deficit are: fatigue, low energy, and increased appetite. This is normal. This is what eating less than what your body prefers feels like. Eventually, your body will adapt (adaptive thermogenesis) to the deficit calories by decreasing energy output to maintain homeostasis. But…it takes a while for this to happen. You have to be a calorie deficit consistently for a long period of time for your body to go through adaptive thermogenesis. So before you think you hit a “plateau,” have you been consistently eating in a calorie deficit? and how do you know if you haven’t taken the time to track your calories and macronutrients? I go into this more later.
2) You’re prioritizing scale weight — If you’ve gained strength, feel fitter, have better eating habits (eating mostly whole foods but making some room for more fun foods and don’t feel guilty), and your clothes are fitting better but still let the scale get you down, then you need to re-think your priorities. Scale weight usually measures body fat, muscle mass, water retention, sodium intake, your current imbalances of hormones, and more. As said before, you cannot measure your progress in losing body fat just by looking at the scale.
In fact, the scale can go down but you still look the same. Hence, why tracking progress photos and other forms of measurements are more beneficial. If you had to choose, would you go with the scale going down and looking and feeling the same OR the scale fluctuating and you’re looking and feeling better? With the right mindset, I’d go with the latter.
3) You’re not patient enough — This has more to do with your expectations and things you might need to unlearn from some of the misinformation you’ve run into. Quick results might exist but they don’t last and they’re not the best approach. If you want temporary results, sure, google the best fad diet or the latest gimmick and follow it for a week or two, and get your results. Just be prepared to lose those results, too. PLUS, if you just want the scale to go down, then yes a fad diet will work but again, the scale going down or up doesn’t mean much.
The truth is, most of the people you look up to with great physiques have been working their butts off for years and incorporated their workouts into their routines. They have made this into a lifestyle and did not get where they are by working out here and there, and yo-yo dieting. So unfortunately, you do have to be more patient when it comes to losing body fat because it takes time and effort.
4) You’re eating more than you think — This also has to do with being in calorie deficit. Although you say you didn’t eat much, that one meal from your favorite fast food joint was probably more than 1500 calories. And that “coffee” that happens to be full of sugar and most likely a frap or sweetened latte was around 300–500 calories. Even though you “only” had a handful of almonds, you probably filled up the palm of your hand and consumed more than you think adding to more than 200 calories. But almonds are healthy?! Yes, they are filled with healthy fats, however, 1 gram of fat = 9 calories so if you’re consuming more than one serving of almonds which is more than 12 grams of fat, you’re consuming more than 108 calories just from the fat from almonds. That’s not taking protein or carbs into account. This is where learning to weigh your food versus guestimating by volume such as cups or tablespoons can make a HUGE difference.
5) You’re not active enough — Sounds simple right? But in reality, people are more sedentary today especially while working and think their 30-minute workout will overshadow their inactivity levels throughout the day. Yes it’s so much better to go from sedentary + no exercise to sedentary + exercise. But you still need to take into account your activity throughout the day which is called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). This is a part of your metabolism that measures your activity that is not exercise so things like walking, standing up, chores, and fidgeting. In fact, NEAT takes up more of your metabolism than Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
These are just a few reasons why you’re possibly not losing body fat. The truth is it’s more likely a combination of these things, not just one thing. There are certain conditions that make weight loss or fat loss harder such as having PCOS or hypothyroidism but it’s not just that ONE condition that stops you from reaching results. Check in with the basics stated above first before you blame 100% on your condition.
In need of more tips or a solid plan to get your nutrition and fitness on track? Click here to find a nutrition and fitness coaching option that is best for you or if you don’t need as much accountability but just need more information, download my nutrition Ebook for fat loss and athletic performance.
