5 Truths About Why You Aren’t Losing Weight

Are you dieting and exercising but can’t seem to lose weight? There could be an easy fix to your problem, according to an expert. Gillian is a Women’s Nutrition Coach who boasts over 64,100 followers on Instagram alone, whose specialty is “helping you ditch diets & transform your body through macros, movement & mindset,” she explains in her bio. In a recent post she gets real about weight loss, revealing “Five truths about why you’re not losing weight.”

1. Your Diet Is TOO Restrictive

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The first reason she offers? “Your calories are set too low causing you to be too RESTRICTIVE,” Gilian says. “Pulling back too much can and most likely will backfire, causing you to get frustrated and throw in the towel bc it feels too hard or follow your plan most days but totally go off the rails on the weekend because you just can’t handle it anymore.”

She Recommends a Sustainable Calorie Deficit

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She says that her goal with her clients “is always a sustainable calorie deficit,” and keeping an eye on the “big picture.”

2. You’re Eating Back Calories Burned

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The second reason you aren’t losing weight might be that you’re eating back calories “BURNED,” she writes. “Slippery slope! Our watches are highly inaccurate if you’re using it to track calories burned and then thinking you can use that amount to eat more,” she writes.

Make Sure to Track the Correct Way

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Her advice to remedy this? “If you’re tracking in MFP make sure the setting is toggled OFF to add back in exercise calories,” she suggests.

RELATED: 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week

3. You Aren’t Getting Detailed Enough with Your Tracking

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You also might not be tracking everything you are eating. If “you’re not including BLTs (bites, licks, tastes),” you could be consuming a lot more calories than you think. “These add up SO FAST and can easily send you several hundred calories over your plan. (Speaking from experience 🙋‍♀️)” she writes.

4. You Aren’t Counting Calories on the Weekends

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“Not counting weekends,” can also add calories. “All days count, girls! Meals out count, alcohol counts … it all counts. This doesn’t mean no social life, it means have a strategy! Master your weekend and 10x your results 🔥” she writes.

RELATED: 8 Essential Proteins That Boost Weight Loss Efforts

5. You Aren’t Getting Enough Sleep or Hydrating

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And finally, another reason why you might not be losing weight? “You’re not prioritizing two other key components - SLEEP & HYDRATION,” she writes. What are the health benefits of sleep? According to the Sleep Foundation, getting enough z’s is a mood booster, promotes heart health, regulates blood sugar, improves mental function, restores your immune system, helps relieve stress, and aids in weight loss. As for hydration, the Mayo Clinic maintains that it is important for a variety of reasons. Water helps get rid of waste through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements, keeps your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, and helps protect sensitive tissues. It can also ward off hunger.

💪🔥Body Booster: If you are dieting and exercising but aren’t losing weight, you might need to take a closer look at your health habits.

Maybe you feel extra bloated after a weekend? Or, perhaps the scale went up five pounds. Gaining weight fast can be frustrating and discouraging. However, it might mean less than you think. “Weight fluctuates ALL.THE.TIME,” explains health and accountability coach Gina Wynn. This is especially the case when you are traveling. Here are key reasons why you may have gained five pounds in two days.

There Are Multiple Reasons Why the Scale Might Show That You Gained 5 Pounds

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According to Gina, here is why you may have gained weight fast.

• You’re out of routine
• You don’t have your own kitchen
• You don’t prioritize sleep
• You don’t hydrate as much
• Your 💩 routine is out of whack

Unless You Ate 17,500 Calories, You Didn’t Gain 5 Pounds of Fat

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“So, did I really gain 5 pounds of fat over the weekend?? NOPE,” she continues. “I would have had to eat 17,500 more calories to gain 5 pounds of fat.”

RELATED: 10 Signs You Aren’t Consuming Enough Calories

It’s Likely Water Weight

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While the scale may have gone up, it’s not what you think. “The extra five pounds reflected on the scale was water weight and 💩,” she says.

Hydrate, Eat Healthy, Exercise

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Gina makes a few suggestions to get your body back into normal rhythm. “So yesterday, I made sure to hydrate, focus on whole food nutrition, and a 30-minute workout,” she says. “Guess what? I’m back to my normal weight.”

Weight Is Not an Accurate Measure of Fat Loss

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“All this to say—don’t freak out if your weight fluctuates. It’s not an accurate measurement of fat loss,” she points out.

She Never Weighs Herself

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*Disclaimer- I never weigh myself. I did this as an experiment since I was traveling. I measure my progress with how I feel, my clothes, and how heavy I’m lifting,” she says.

RELATED: 20 Proven Tips to Lose Weight with the 12-3-30 Walking Method

Another Expert Agrees That the Scale Isn’t Always Accurate

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Chris McMahon, a nutrition and fitness coach, agrees that the scale isn’t always an accurate portrayal of your changing body. “Even if you're working out, you'll see the scale go up and things of that nature because you're retaining water and glycogen, which is an energy form that we can keep in our muscles,” he says.

💪🔥Body Booster: Instead of weighing yourself, try gauging your progress by how your clothes feel on.