15 Reasons Your Weight Loss Plan Isn’t Working:
Hey Momma!
How many times have you started a new weight loss plan and down the road felt like it just isn’t working? And then started another one only to feel the same exact way?
You are not alone! I can’t even tell you the number of times I started and stopped different plans on my weight loss journey. But I can tell you that along the way, I learned a lot about why certain plans I tried were never going to work for me, anyways!
My name is Sarah, I am a healthy mom life and weight loss coach, and I just want you to get the support you need to make sustainable and holistic life changes to help you calm the chaos, and reach those seemingly out of reach goals.
So, let’s shake up the frustration, and look at WHY your weight loss plan might not be working.
15 Reasons Your Weight Loss Plan Isn’t Working:
You Are Not Consistent Long Enough
Your Weight Loss Plan is One Size Fits All
You Have Been Dieting for Too Long
You Have Too Much Stress
You Are Not Prioritizing Sleep
Your Workout Plan is Not Balanced
You are Exercising Too Much
You Are Under Eating
You Are Overeating
You Are Only Using the Scale To Measure Progress
You Do Not Track Your Food
You Do Not Plan for Weekend Meals
You Are in a Cycle of Restrict/Binge
You Do Not Track Your Menstrual Cycle
You Have Been Taught to Fear Foods
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
1. You Are Not Consistent Long Enough
There was a time in my life when I would reign in my eating, workout a little extra and see real results after just a couple of weeks. That time has long passed. As a 42 year old, I have learned that consistency for me looks like months, not weeks or days.
To get results you need to be consistent. I know we live in a world where we are sold the idea that we can have whatever we want ‘as quickly as possible’, but the truth is if you want to get lasting results it’s about consistency. Year after year.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
2. Your Weight Loss Plan is One Size Fits All
If the weight loss plan you are trying to follow wasn’t made with your specific body, dieting history, lifestyle goals (yes, this is SUPER important), and food/exercise preferences accounted for- it’s likely going to fail you.
Remember: The weight loss plan is failing you. You are NOT the one failing. All you need is a new plan. Find a coach that you feel sees and understands you, and create a weight loss plan that is designed to fit into your life, so you can stick with it, consistently.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
3. You Have Been Dieting for Too Long
Have you been chronically dieting for years? Chances are your body has adapted, not because it hates you but because it’s so beautifully smart. Instead of living in a calorie deficit for the rest of your life (which will not actually help you create a sustainable long term solution), you need to prime your body to feel safe to drop weight.
The best way to do this is through reverse dieting. Yes, the scale may go up at first, but then you will level off to a weight maintenance phase, and then you enter your fat loss phase. How long each phase will last will depend on your unique history.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
4. You Have Too Much Stress
Stress (or lack thereof) as an integral piece to weight loss, has been traditionally underrated or left as an afterthought. But think about it- If you have A LOT on your plate right now, it’s not always the best thing to add something new.
Do you know that I believe that now is NOT always the right time to go into a fat loss phase? Listen, I want you to lose weight for the long haul. And this means being able to know how to support your body through life's ups and downs. Losing weight is a stressor on the mind and body, if you are already maxed out, it’s not time to push harder.
This is one of the exact reasons my coaching takes a holistic approach to your life. Because weight loss might be one goal, but it is not THE goal. There is still so much great work we can do, so that when you have less stress in your life, you will be more prepared than ever to start that weight loss journey.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
5. You Are Not Prioritizing Sleep
I studied to be a Health Coach at the school of Integrative Nutrition. We learned over 100 diet theories, but the number one take away from a year of school was this: prioritize sleep. It’s so important for weight loss, stress management, body repair, and more. Think of sleep as digestion for your brain.
And- a lack of sleep could also be directly related to unintentional weight gain.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
6. Your Workout Plan is Not Balanced
I was raised hearing move more and eat less. Which in general is how you lose weight. But what we know now is that it's not always that simple. If all you are doing is cardio and eating less, your body adapts just like dieting for too long, and your body will slow down, conserve more energy, and burn less calories.
It’s so crazy, I know. But either you’ve experienced it or you’ve had a friend who is always at the gym yet can’t seem to get her body to drop weight.
This is where strength training is SO important. Adding muscle not only helps you burn more calories, but it will help you stay lean and strong throughout your life. If you haven't been strength training add some in.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
7. You are Exercising Too Much
I tell my clients all the time, “Your body is not a machine. You are not a machine.”
It is so easy to get into the mindset that you must push yourself at all times, but unless you are an athlete, who has a whole support team around them, you need to take breaks.
You need to allow your body to rest, recover and rebuild. Constant overtraining will hinder you from losing weight. And worse than that, you risk really injuring yourself.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
8. You Are Under Eating & 9. You are Overeating
These two are opposite sides of the same problem. Underating is going to cause your body to down regulate and conserve energy. Thus making it hard to lose weight. Overeating, intentionally or unintentionally will do the opposite. It will cause you to gain.
So how do you know if you are doing either?
It takes some analyzing but one way is based on the scale. If you are gaining weight, you are overeating (by definition, more calorie intake than energy spent leads to weight gain).
If you are staying consistent (within 2-4 pounds) then you are eating for your maintenance weight.
If you feel like you are eating under eating for your lifestyle, but you are not losing weight, (that low number on the scale has now become your maintenance number), then you likely need to reverse diet to get your body burning more calories again, and then go back into a fat loss phase.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
10. You Are Only Using the Scale To Measure Progress
Yes, I know you want to lose weight. But along the journey you need to also look at other measurements to gauge your success. Are you losing inches, how do your clothes fit, how is your energy?
Sometimes we can get fixated (raising my hand here) on the scale and forget all the ways we are improving our HEALTH by the changes we are making. For example, I can get a client to drop 2-4 pounds pretty easy just by changing up carb intake. But is that fat loss? No. It’s just water.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
11. You Do Not Track Your Food
Listen, I know you may have a story about how you hate tracking your food. I get it. But think about it this way: Do you have a budget? Do you track your money? When done properly a budget doesn’t hinder you from the life you want, it actually helps you create it. The same goes for tracking your food, and more specifically, tracking macros.
I love flexible dieting for this reason. Eat what you want, just keep it in the budget. There is freedom in that. But if you aren’t tracking, you have no way of knowing how much you are eating which can keep you from losing weight.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
12. You Do Not Plan for Weekend Meals
Congrats, you are a weekend eater! You are at work all week and are so busy it’s easy for you to stay on track during the week, but come the weekend you throw your plans out the window and indulge.
There is nothing wrong with having different lifestyles on different days of the week, but what you don’t want to do is negate everything you did during the week, and make it so and you are simply eating at maintenance and the scale will not move.
OR, you might be undereating during the week, and the second your body feels a little freedom, you overindulge and then get stuck in a cycle of food guilt.
But this is such a simple problem to fix! All you need to do is create a diet plan so you have more calories built in for those weekend celebrations.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
13. You Are in a Cycle of Restrict/Binge
If you had to generally describe yourself as one or the other which one do you relate to? Binger or restrictor? I struggle more with binging than I do restricting. It goes back to not wanting to be controlled from childhood. (Yes, childhood influences can play a HUGE role in your weight loss and I do go that deep with my clients.)
Identifying this cycle and knowing how to break free is key to losing weight. Balance and freedom is what will allow you to land in the healthy middle.
This is intended for minor binging and restricting challenges and patterns with food. If you have a clinically diagnosed disorder I am not simplifying your situation at all, and I am so glad you are getting support.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
14. You Do Not Track Your Menstrual Cycle
We’re starting to have more conversations around this topic, and I am so happy. I really wish we were raised with better knowledge and understanding of how our cycle impacts our day to day life.
I urge all my clients to track their cycle and begin to notice how their body responds throughout the month.
We talk a lot about energy and mindset, but the reality is that sometimes it’s just at the point in our cycle when we need to rest. When you can start to recognize that, and adjust your schedule, you will see much more success in your weight loss journey.
Tracking your cycle can also help you explain mystery weight gain. For example, my weight goes up 2 pounds 2-3 days before my period every month. I know this now, so it’s not a problem. But before I tracked my cycle, I would go crazy not understanding why I was gaining weight.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
15. You Have Been Taught to Fear Foods
I hate that foods have been labeled good and bad. Yes, certain foods are better for you than others. But, if you have fear around foods because they have been labeled bad, it could be hindering your ability to lose weight.
For example, if your body thrives on higher carbs, but you’ve been made afraid of them it will impact your overall health and weight loss. Not to mention, you are probably missing some vital micronutrients.
This is something I talk about with my clients, especially when something just doesn’t seem to be connecting with the food they are eating. The best way to overcome this is to cast off any preconceived idea of food you’ve had, and come at a new diet plan with an open mind. But make sure it is still a diet plan customized to your unique needs.
Your weight loss plan isn’t working because:
BONUS: You Are Not Getting Enough Fiber
You might laugh, but this is important. Are you having regular bowel movements? How is your fiber intake? What even is fiber? Fiber can be a very simple way to kick start your body’s weight loss.
And I don’t mean by using a supplement to force elimination (this can be dangerous and unhealthy). All you need to do is simply get more fiber in your diet. This will help you feel fuller and improve bowel movements.
Some great, easy ways to add fiber is through fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s as easy as that!
Mommas, the fact that you even found this article and wanted to get answers to your weight loss questions means that you’re already doing great on your journey. Weight loss, especially long term, sustainable weight loss, is all about the ups and downs.
You just need to figure out what works for you, and you will probably need to try a few different plans along the way. But the great news is that there are coaches out there to help you through your journey!
If you are ready to lose weight book a call so we can go over the bazillion diets you’ve already tried, why they haven’t worked, & then set your goals in a way that will work for you! Or, you check out The Healthy Mom Method 6-12 month coaching program.