4 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight
April 23, 2009 by Paul
Filed under General, Weight Loss
So you’ve started a weight loss program that has you becoming a regular visitor to the gym or shopping for workout clothes and accessories. You’re all gung-ho and eager to begin your journey into the land of the fit and healthy. But your enthusiasm begins to wane when your bathroom scales don’t show you the results that you’re expecting. If you’re one of those people who are asking yourself the question “Why am I not losing weight even though I’m working out?” read on for the answers. You’re not shedding those excess pounds because:
- Your food habits are abysmal: You can’t eat all you want just because you’re sweating it out at the gym. Your weight gain or loss can be calculated using a simple formula – the number of calories you eat minus the number of calories you burn. If the former is higher, you store the excess as fat and grow bigger by the day; if the latter is higher, you burn your stored fat and grow slimmer gradually. So if you’re working out, ensure that you eat healthy food that provides you with the energy to fuel your workouts without being too high in calories and fat.
- You’re not really into your workout: You may think you’re doing enough, but there are certain ways and times to do certain activities that are necessary for the fat loss process. A slow and lethargic walk or stroll is only going to do nothing for you except get your blood circulating. You need to start slow but graduate to high intensity exercises if you’re really serious about losing weight. Interval training helps – you can walk for five minutes and jog for the next two. Alternating this routine helps you lose weight faster and without taxing your body too much. Any workout that’s worth its salt must have you sweating for a while even after you’ve stopped exercising.
- Your body is used to your routine: Once you reach a certain level of fitness and lose a certain amount of weight, your body gets used to all the running and moving that you do. If you want to lose more weight, you need to vary your routine and add more variety to it. Include strength training exercises that help you build muscle mass and burn more calories for any activity that you do. Take up a game that uses other muscles in your body. Change your routine once every few months and see the difference that it makes.
- You’re not giving yourself enough time: You can’t expect to show results a week after you’ve started, so wait for a month or two to actually start seeing the fruits of your hard work. Also, if you’re working out with weights, you’re not going to see a difference in the scales because you gain muscle and lose fat. So your weight may remain the same or even go up, but that’s nothing to worry about because you’re fitter and you look better. The ugly flab is replaced with tight and toned muscles that make your clothes fit better.
Remember to warm up and cool down before and after each workout you do to prevent injuries and accidents.
This post was contributed by Katie Wilson, who writes about nursing schools. She welcomes your feedback at KatieWilson06 at gmail.com













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I have needed to lose weight for years but have not found that golden key that will allow me to lose weight easily. I have bookmarked this site to return as I found the posts great. Looking forward to more insights on my return so I can move on in my life and my health. David