Why am I Not Losing Weight!?

I know it can be discouraging to step on the scale and not see any progress. Worse yet, to see yourself going the opposite direction! I've been doing some thinking, and a little bit of research, and wanted to put together a list of ideas on what helps or hinders our weight loss. Just know that these are simply ideas and suggestions, and may not work the same for everyone. It's up to you to try and find out what is affecting you and what isn't. It helps to brainstorm with others, so feel free to add your own insights and experiences here.

(1) EAT LESS - Bottom line, you need to be eating fewer calories to lose weight. I've found that no matter how good of a workout I do, if I eat more than around 1400-1500 calories each day, I don't see a drop on the scale. In other words, I try not to eat my exercise calories, and focus more on keeping my food intake around that number, no matter what. The only time I break that rule is if I've had a very high calorie burn, like a hike or something that has put a LOT of demand on my body. (2) BUT NOT TOO MUCH LESS - Find calorie goal that works for you so you're eating less but not so much that you're starving. If you're curious that you may be eating too little, try increasing your calories for a week and see what happens. (3) MAKE YOUR CALORIES COUNT - Content matters! We know we should eat whole foods, watch the sugar, and try for more protein. Another tip is to opt for foods that help you feel full! Last time I checked, I could eat a LOT of chips before feeling full, so skip those foods that are high calorie but leave you feeling empty, unsatisfied, and searching for more. Do a little research to find those snacks that help you feel full longer so you can avoid all the salt and sugar that does you no good. I've recently found that cauliflower really fills me up, and takes just a bit of butter and pepper to taste pretty good! (4) MIX UP THE EXERCISE - If you're doing the same routines over and over, your body becomes more efficient at it and you end up burning less calories over time. The best thing you can do is give your body different challenges throughout the week and mix up your exercise routines as often as possible. I like to do spin classes, boot camp classes, swimming, running, climbing hills on the treadmill, long walks with the kids, and strength and interval training at the gym or at home. It can be a fun challenge to find different things to do throughout the week as opposed to the same old same old. What do you like to do? (5) GET YOUR HEART RATE UP - You must put demands on your body and tell it to change, or it won't. The way you do that is an elevated heart rate and some muscle burn. I've found that I get OUT what I put IN when it comes to my workouts. The more stress I put on my body, the more I demand from it, the more I see results. Yes, I burn calories walking, for instance. But it's not really very demanding of my body. It knows how to walk. I do it all day - in the house, at the store, etc. So if my body isn't under much stress at all, then it's happy to stay the same shape. I'll see much more benefit when I get in some good hard cardio that gets my heart pumping and muscles burning. (6) DON'T FORGET THE MUSCLE - It's science. If you have more muscle, you burn more fat. This is why men can lose easier than women because they naturally have more muscle mass. So it's good to incorporate some muscle-building exercises to help you become, as my mom always calls it, a "better butter burner." You can find plenty of workouts that incorporate muscle training along with the cardio and then you get the benefit from both an elevated heart rate and some muscle building for better metabolism. (7) SLEEP WELL - If you're not sleeping enough, it can hinder your weight loss goals. So don't be like me and stay up late doing Facebook posts about how people should get plenty of sleep! (8) VISUALIZATION - Sometimes it can really help to understand the WHY of your efforts. Remember that it's not just about looking good, although that is a wonderful part about losing the weight. It's about changing the shape of your body into a healthier you, so you feel good, you feel strong, you feel capable. That's why I named my blog My Shape for Success, because it's not just about shedding the weight, but about transforming our shape into a stronger and healthier one that makes us happy and gives us confidence. Visualize that goal - how you will look AND feel - and it can help you stay on track. I know you guys are eating your fruits and veggies and drinking your water, otherwise I'd mention those. And I know most of this you all already know! But it's good to discuss it. Anyone else want to share their ideas on how to see better weight loss results?