It’s extremely frustrating if you have embarked on a health kick, cut out all the junk food and are exercising more than ever before but the scales aren’t showing off your hard work.
For many, losing weight isn’t about what you do, it’s how you do it! The number on the scales isn’t always a true reflection of your weight loss success, anyway.
Here are some things to bear in mind…
8 reasons why the scales don’t seem to be moving
1. You’re not keeping track of what you’re eating
You aren’t going to just burn off all the weight overnight. Your body is adapting to the new food you are consuming and getting used to you moving more.
A common mistake many people make is they aren’t properly tracking what they are putting into their mouth. Coffees are loaded with calories and fizzy drink has heaps of sugar.
If you want to get a true indication of everything you are eating in a day, then make sure you track EVERYTHING on your Healthy Mummy app.
2. You’re not eating the right ‘health foods’
Just because it’s labelled ‘Fat Free’, ‘Sugar Free’ or ‘Sodium Free’ it doesn’t mean it’s actually good for you.
Often, products that are labelled as sugar free have a ton of added salt, which can cause bloating. Another thing you can look out for is, hidden sugars in food.
One of our Healthy Mummy Nutritionists has provided some information and tips about how to make sense of food labels and what to look out for when reducing sugar in your diet and how to make sense of food labels.
3. You aren’t regular enough
Another common reason why you might struggle to see the scales go down is because your digestive system isn’t functioning as well as it should be.
Your digestive system is what helps aid weight loss, the food you eat is absorbed and anything left over is excreted.
Protein and fibre are essential at keeping your full but fibre also helps keep your regular. Including more fibre in your diet can encourage more regular bowel movements.
What’s more, a high protein intake also helps prevent metabolic slowdown, a common side effect of losing weight. Additionally, it helps prevent weight regain
4. You aren’t watching what you are drinking
As we’ve said before, watching what you drink is just as important as what you eat! Drinking heaps of water can help kickstart your metabolism and keep you full for longer.
But drinking water isn’t the same as fizzy drinks, alcohol or coffee. A bottle of soda can be between 150 – 200 extra calories! And alcohol, such as wine, beer, cocktails, cider, is very high in calories.
But when it comes to weight loss, coffee can really affect it. Here are the pros and cons of coffee and weight loss.
Looking for a coffee alternative? Check out these five energy boosting drinks that aren’t coffee.
5. Are you being true to yourself?
We all have good intentions when it comes to weight loss and many of us will find we fall off the wagon many times! It’s easy to order an ice-cream if you’ve gone for dinner or to have a slice of cake at a birthday party.
We at The Healthy Mummy encourage you to live your life and enjoy everything in moderation!
However, you can skip dessert in favour of dessert at a restaurant and have a yoghurt at home instead or instead of cake, have a piece of fruit from the party buffet instead. These little indulgences all add up! It’s surprising how the little things could be derailing you.
By being true to yourself and aware of what you’re eating, you will find find the weight will eventually drop off!
6. You’re not sleeping enough
One of the easiest ways to help the scale numbers shift is by ensuring you are getting enough sleep every night. Sleep is important for your physical and mental health as well as your weight.
And studies indicate that poor sleep is one of the single biggest factors for people being overweight. Easier said than done when you have young children.
By getting enough sleep every night, you are less likely to reach for sugary treats to keep you going throughout the day and it also helps boost your metabolism.
7. You’re not lifting enough weights
To put it simply, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when resting. Fat doesn’t convert into muscle when you lose weight.
Muscles are an active tissue that builds when it’s been broken down. The more stress you put on your muscles, the more they will grow. Muscles also burns calories 24/7 – even as you sleep!
When you exercise, you are effectively putting stress on your muscles and the body is triggering your brain to tell your body to repair ‘the damage’, causing you to build them up.
One of the best ways to break down fat is to work on your diet and exercise. High intensity exercise such as running, walking and bike riding is what will help you burn off more fat.
8. You’re not eating mindfully
The issue is not so much the food you’re eating rather it’s how you’re eating it which may come from lack of awareness about what your body is telling you about hunger and satisfaction.
This is where mindful eating can be an extremely important step in the direction of a better nourished and a healthier you.
Some tips to eat more mindfully:
- Eat with no distractions
- Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
- When you begin to feel full, drink some water and stop eating
- Shop mindfully, when you are full rather than hungry
- Prepare your own food
Don’t lose heart!
Instead of relying on the scales, it’s best to use body measurements to gauge your progress.
The Healthy Mummy has a fantastic guide teaching you just how to do this, and it’s a great way to motivate yourself.
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