Mid adult woman trying to button her tight jeans. Vertical shot. Isolated on white.

5 reasons you’re not losing weight

August 18, 2022|Lisa Powell|
  1. Eating too many healthy foods 

    No matter how you look at it, calories do come in to play when it comes to weight loss. In most cases, switching out an unhealthy diet full of processed foods and takeaways for a healthier diet naturally reduces calories and will result in some weight loss. But even eating healthy foods that are naturally high in calories or fat can prevent you reaching your weight goal. For example, avocados are a great healthy option which feature regularly on my meal plans, with half a medium avocado containing around 150 kcal. And olive oil, highly regarded as a source of healthy fats, contains approx. 119 kcal per tablespoon. Being heavy handed with the pour can easily add a couple of hundred extra kcal to a meal. The advice isn’t to avoid these foods, simply to be aware of serving sizes and where extra (even healthy) calories may be sneaking in. 
     
  2. Focussing on low fat/fat free foods

    Removing the fat removes the flavour, so something must be added to make it taste good … sugar!  Start looking at labels. If you find them confusing then just look at the ingredients list. The higher up sugar (or one of its substitutes appears) in the list the more sugar it contains. Sugar substitutes go by many different names (and include honey, maple syrup) but an easy way to identify them is anything ending in “-ose” is a form of sugar. Common culprits for low fat are yoghurts, breakfast cereals and sauces. 

  3. Too much snacking

    There are 2 main reasons snacking can be a problem. Mindless snacking can be a huge source of calories. Eating mindfully is really important when trying to lose weight. Treats are always factored in when I work with clients, but mindlessly munching your way through a 100g bar of chocolate (so easy to do!) can add over 500 kcal to your daily calorie intake.

    Snacking can also be problematic because it encourages your body to constantly be releasing insulin, which affects blood sugar levels. This in turn can influence how our body stores fat, cravings, energy levels and mood swings.

  4. You’re drinking your calories

    Most people don’t count the calories they drink. Whether it’s alcohol (can be hugely calorific), fruit juice or a flavoured coffee (often even more calorific and more like a dessert) drinking calories really counts. Fruit juice is a problem because the fibre is stripped from the fruit, making the natural fruit sugars much more available in the body, so they count as free sugars. If you love high-street iced coffee style drinks you can easily reduce the calories by avoiding the flavoured syrups and creamy toppings. 

  5. You’re not getting enough quality sleep

    Have you noticed that after a poor night’s sleep you tend to snack more or make less healthy food choices? A lack of sleep can also cause imbalances in hunger hormones, which can trigger cravings, making you eat more. 

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