Why Losing Weight Is Hard
If you’re struggling to lose weight I can tell you from experience that I feel your pain. Weight loss can be extremely frustrating and confusing—especially when you have no idea why it’s not melting off as quickly as the magic pill peddlers on TV swear that it will.
There is so much misinformation out there that it can be hard to know where to start. Often times what you hear might be completely contradictory and have you running in circles trying ridiculous things without any clear direction.
Here is the Top 8 list of reasons why most women have difficulties losing weight. Of course, everyone’s body is different, but for most women, each of these reasons plays a big role in the overall look and feel of your body.
Three Things More Important to Track than Carbs, Fats, and Protein: Beliefs, Thoughts, and Words.
Start with your beliefs and arrive at your destination. I am less concerned with surface-level fixes and more interested in deep, powerful lifestyle shifts. I can prescribe a restrictive diet, an exhaustive workout plan, and throw multiple other quick-fix gimmicks your way, but they won’t create lasting change to your health. A lot of things will probably work in the short term, but without seismic shifts, you’ll be right back where you started in time.
Starvation tactics, crazy workout regimens, and a lack of mindset work built a weak foundation for their lifelong health. Most of the people who have already followed a diet have all of their weight back within five years. It seems like they only read the last half of Gandhi’s quotation before they got to work. They focused more on the action and forgot to address their beliefs, thoughts, and words. I won’t do you such a disservice.
What do you believe you’re capable of doing?
What do you think of yourself?
What words do you use to describe your goals, your dreams, and your life?
Those three questions will make or break your fitness journey. Guaranteed
#1. You Don't Believe In Yourself.
Taking care of your belief system will take you longer than a 30– 60-minute workout, but the results will ripple through all areas of your life. You need to believe in your goals. You need to believe in your worth. You need to believe in yourself.
Beliefs are often based on truth. The reason some people don’t believe they can lose their desired weight is that they’ve spent years trying with little success. They have a backlog of evidence screaming, “You can’t do this.”
How do you turn the tide of negative evidence? You immerse yourself in stories of incredible weight loss.
You surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you—people who have actually accomplished them. You surround yourself with positive messaging that inspires you. To overcome the mounting evidence of failure from your past, you need to pile on the evidence of success—evidence of what is possible—to create a beautiful foundation for your future.
The story of Roger Bannister may be overplayed by now, but it’s worth mentioning when it comes to breaking false beliefs. In 1954, Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes, the first time anyone had ever done so officially. In the years leading up to his historic run, the record for the fastest mile sat for nine years at 4:01.4. Prior to the mark of 4:01.4, the world record in the mile run fell by a second or two every year. But, as the record inched towards four minutes, progress slowed.
Why did it take so long for someone to run the mile in under four minutes? The same reason you can’t seem to keep the weight off, get your butt out of bed to hit the gym, or stop picking at the donut spread at work: it seems impossible. A time below 4:00.0 sounded like a fictional narrative to the runners of that time. “It’s never been done before, so what suggests it can be done now?” they thought. Insert Bannister and his conquering of the four-minute barrier.
Want to know what happened after Roger Bannister clocked a time of 3:59.4? Once runners saw the intimidating plateau could be broken, the impossible became possible. By the end of that year, another man, John Landy, ran the mile in 3:58.0. A handful of other men ran sub-four-minute miles in 1955 and 1956 as well. Within ten years, Bannister’s monumental 3:59.4 had been trimmed by five seconds down to 3:54.1. All it took was one man to show everyone that what was once considered impossible was, in fact, possible.
Psychological barriers can be just as intimidating as physical ones.
Your beliefs matter. If you don’t believe you can create positive change in your life, find ways to witness what your brain deems impossible. There are people who have already done what you want to accomplish. Find them and use their stories as inspiration. If another human being has pulled off what you want, I bet you can find a way to do the same.
It’s as simple as Ford suggests. At the beginning of this article, Gandhi suggests your thoughts will eventually lead to your destiny. Ford’s point is that if you begin with negative beliefs (which will translate into negative thoughts), what do you think your destiny will look like?
That’s not really a rhetorical question. Where do you think your negative thoughts will take you? Nowhere pleasant, I’m sure.
It’s time you reframe your thoughts and emotions and point them in a positive direction. You can’t control many of life’s circumstances, but you can control how you think about them.
I like to look at an opportunity versus obligation. Do you feel grateful for the opportunity to exercise and to move your body, or do you resent your workout? Do you love the chance to nourish your body with quality food, or do you think, “This broccoli insults my taste buds”? Whatever the external event, you get to choose your attitude towards it.
By shifting your thoughts from a place of obligation to one of opportunity, your thoughts will breathe positivity into the rest of your life. You won’t resent your weight-loss journey anymore because you will see the opportunity for a healthy, vibrant life. The early mornings won’t be a chore because you will understand that you are setting a strong foundation for your day.
You might experience the same day as everyone else, but you can think about the events in a completely different way. Your thoughts—how you view your daily routine—change everything. They permeate positive or negative results through the rest of your life. Be aware of your thoughts. Opportunity serves you, while obligation leaves you resenting your every move. Choose wisely.
Three specific thought patterns in people in general stunt their growth as they pursue whatever goals they’ve set. These persisting thoughts are poisonous in health, business, relationships, and life in general, so let’s take a little time dispelling them.
break apart the “not enough time” issue. most people only thought they didn’t have time to exercise or plan their meals, but they do not have an idea how to prioritize their 24 hours to their optimum advantage.
10 hours for work
8 hours for sleep
4 hours for family
1 hour for “me time”
Even with these generous allocations of time, there’s still 1 hour left for exercise. You don’t even need an entire hour; 30 minutes of hard work will do just fine. The point is this: thinking you don’t have time is completely false. You can always make the time; you just need to adjust your priorities.
You can’t let your lack of knowledge hold you back. Once you acknowledge your lack of experience, you can use the truth to move forward. You can become intentional about learning something new.
Find a coach, a trainer, or a mentor—someone who can help you convert your “I don’t know” into “Now I understand.” You can always find resources—people, books, or courses—to help you bridge the knowledge gap.
The finish line is always a clear image in your mind, but if you can’t find the starting line, the finish line doesn’t matter. Find a professional to guide you towards the right path and see you through to the finish line.
Thoughts can either be powerful or leave you powerless. But you choose your thoughts. Whenever a thought passes through your mind, decide if it’s serving you or not, then use or dismiss accordingly.
Beliefs are often based on truth. The reason some people don’t believe they can lose their desired weight is that they’ve spent years trying with little success. They have a backlog of evidence screaming, “You can’t do this.”
How do you turn the tide of negative evidence? You immerse yourself in stories of incredible weight loss.
You surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you—people who have actually accomplished them. You surround yourself with positive messaging that inspires you. To overcome the mounting evidence of failure from your past, you need to pile on the evidence of success—evidence of what is possible—to create a beautiful foundation for your future.
The story of Roger Bannister may be overplayed by now, but it’s worth mentioning when it comes to breaking false beliefs. In 1954, Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes, the first time anyone had ever done so officially. In the years leading up to his historic run, the record for the fastest mile sat for nine years at 4:01.4. Prior to the mark of 4:01.4, the world record in the mile run fell by a second or two every year. But, as the record inched towards four minutes, progress slowed.
Why did it take so long for someone to run the mile in under four minutes? The same reason you can’t seem to keep the weight off, get your butt out of bed to hit the gym, or stop picking at the donut spread at work: it seems impossible. A time below 4:00.0 sounded like a fictional narrative to the runners of that time. “It’s never been done before, so what suggests it can be done now?” they thought. Insert Bannister and his conquering of the four-minute barrier.
Psychological barriers can be just as intimidating as physical ones.
Your beliefs matter. If you don’t believe you can create positive change in your life, find ways to witness what your brain deems impossible. There are people who have already done what you want to accomplish. Find them and use their stories as inspiration. If another human being has pulled off what you want, I bet you can find a way to do the same.
#2. You Have Negative Thoughts.
That’s not really a rhetorical question. Where do you think your negative thoughts will take you? Nowhere pleasant, I’m sure.
It’s time you reframe your thoughts and emotions and point them in a positive direction. You can’t control many of life’s circumstances, but you can control how you think about them.
I like to look at an opportunity versus obligation. Do you feel grateful for the opportunity to exercise and to move your body, or do you resent your workout? Do you love the chance to nourish your body with quality food, or do you think, “This broccoli insults my taste buds”? Whatever the external event, you get to choose your attitude towards it.
By shifting your thoughts from a place of obligation to one of opportunity, your thoughts will breathe positivity into the rest of your life. You won’t resent your weight-loss journey anymore because you will see the opportunity for a healthy, vibrant life. The early mornings won’t be a chore because you will understand that you are setting a strong foundation for your day.
You might experience the same day as everyone else, but you can think about the events in a completely different way. Your thoughts—how you view your daily routine—change everything. They permeate positive or negative results through the rest of your life. Be aware of your thoughts. Opportunity serves you, while obligation leaves you resenting your every move. Choose wisely.
Three specific thought patterns in people in general stunt their growth as they pursue whatever goals they’ve set. These persisting thoughts are poisonous in health, business, relationships, and life in general, so let’s take a little time dispelling them.
“I Don’t Have Time”
Wrong. You have plenty of time, just poor time management. At the very least, you’re choosing not to make time for what’s important. You’ve found time for Netflix, happy hour, or movie night, but you just can’t seem to find the time for an hour of exercise. Odd that you can’t rearrange a few things. If you want a healthy lifestyle badly enough, you can shift your schedule around to make things work.break apart the “not enough time” issue. most people only thought they didn’t have time to exercise or plan their meals, but they do not have an idea how to prioritize their 24 hours to their optimum advantage.
10 hours for work
8 hours for sleep
4 hours for family
1 hour for “me time”
Even with these generous allocations of time, there’s still 1 hour left for exercise. You don’t even need an entire hour; 30 minutes of hard work will do just fine. The point is this: thinking you don’t have time is completely false. You can always make the time; you just need to adjust your priorities.
“I Don’t Know How”
There may be some truth here, but it shouldn’t be a permanent fixture in your mind. Life is a constant learning process. Every day presents the chance to convert “I don’t know how” into “Now I understand.”You can’t let your lack of knowledge hold you back. Once you acknowledge your lack of experience, you can use the truth to move forward. You can become intentional about learning something new.
Find a coach, a trainer, or a mentor—someone who can help you convert your “I don’t know” into “Now I understand.” You can always find resources—people, books, or courses—to help you bridge the knowledge gap.
“I Don’t Know Where to Start”
No kidding! If you have a goal and know every step required to achieve it, you would’ve done it already. It’s okay to be a novice or an amateur because there are always professionals who can help you. They’ve been there before and can assist you to find an appropriate starting point.The finish line is always a clear image in your mind, but if you can’t find the starting line, the finish line doesn’t matter. Find a professional to guide you towards the right path and see you through to the finish line.
Thoughts can either be powerful or leave you powerless. But you choose your thoughts. Whenever a thought passes through your mind, decide if it’s serving you or not, then use or dismiss accordingly.
#3. You Use Words That Don't Serve Your Goals
Let’s observe the same situation from the perspective of two different people. It could be a married couple, best friends, or coworkers—you choose. Whatever the case, each person has the same plans tomorrow morning: waking up early to get a workout in before heading off to work.
To do my workout. If I wait until after work, I’ll have to fight rush hour traffic and a crowded gym just to get some decent exercise. Once I finish my workout, it’s time to ship off for an eight-hour shift. I wish I could get an IV of coffee upon arrival.”
Sure, I’m getting up at 4:30 a.m., but it’s a great way to start the day and gives me the energy I need to be productive at work. It may be early, but I can’t think of a better way to start my day with more positive momentum.”
Same situation, two different perspectives. Who do you think is going to have a better workout? Who do you think is going to have a better day at work? Who do you think is going to have a better day overall? That’s right, Person #2 in a unanimous decision.
Same situation, two different perspectives. Who do you think is going to have a better workout? Who do you think is going to have a better day at work? Who do you think is going to have a better day overall? That’s right, Person #2 in a unanimous decision.
Why?
If you “get to” workout, you’re thankful for the privilege to move your body around. If you “have to” get up early and workout, it feels more like a chore or punishment.
Your vocabulary rests somewhere on a spectrum. At one end of the spectrum, you have words with negative, limiting connotations. Words and phrases like “I can’t,” “impossible,” and “I have to” hang out on that end. On the other end of the spectrum are words that project positivity.
Phrases like “I am,” “I will,” and “Yes!” anchor this side of the spectrum. No matter where you find yourself, there’s always room to improve. I truly believe the vocabulary you use can transform your attitude, your actions, and your life.
Discard phrases like “I can’t do...” and replace them with “I’m currently working on...” When you let negative phrases ooze out of your mouth, your mind has already decided between success and failure, and the results are not in your favor.
By shifting your words and phrasing from the negative end of the spectrum to the positive end, your mind gets a head start towards success. Small changes in your vocabulary will transform your health, fitness, and life. I promise.
Figure out what words have no place in your world. What words aren’t serving you at all? Either discard them or replace them with something more positive. Your words are your choice. Choose something that paints a positive picture for you on a daily basis.
Again, your awareness stands at the forefront of making a positive shift here. You can’t change bad habits unless you’re aware of them. You can’t stop your emotional eating until you’re aware of those emotions and their effect on your food consumption.
RELATED: How To Develop a Positive Mindset >>>
Similarly, you can’t change your beliefs, thoughts, or words without being aware of where you currently stand with them. Be more conscious of your thoughts throughout the day. Take note of the words you’re using. You can’t make a change until you see a problem for what it is.
Your beliefs, your thoughts, and your words are all in your power. Every day, you get to decide how they impact your progress in health, in fitness, and in life. The more you open your eyes to how you’re currently using these three things, the easier it will be to shift them all for the better. Be honest with yourself and start creating the destiny you deserve.
I believe you. I think you are more capable than you think you are. I am telling you, whatever your goal, you have the ability to crush it.
SUPER Action Step: For the next week, wear a rubber band on your wrist. Every time you use a word that doesn’t serve your goals (Negative words) snap the rubber band on your wrist. Sure it’s a small, stinging pain, but it will serve as a negative connection for your brain. Your brain knows touching a pan on a hot stove is not good, so it knows not to do it. By snapping a rubber band on your wrist every time you let a negative word fly, your brain will allow fewer and fewer of them. The negative correlation between pain and negative words will ensure reduced, ever-decreasing use.
#4. You’re Not Getting The Right Ratio Of Macronutrients
There’s a good chance that in this low-fat, low-protein world we live in, you’re not getting the right ratio of macronutrients for optimal health. Knowing the type and quality of the foods you consume kicks your weight loss up to the next level.
There are three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates, and they all perform essential roles in the human body. Macronutrients are the main components of our diet.
Our bodies require other nutrients as well—like vitamins and minerals—but these are needed in much smaller quantities, so we refer to them as micronutrients.
All three macronutrients are needed in the diet, they each perform vital functions in the body and they play a huge role in your fat loss.
As a very broad, general rule a balanced diet will consist of:
✓ 25% carbs
✓ 25% protein
✓ 50% fat
As I said, that’s VERY broad. Everyone is different, depending on their personal health goals, activity level, and the current state of health.
Let’s talk a bit more about each of these macronutrients, and bust some cultural myths in the mouth at the same time.
There are three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates, and they all perform essential roles in the human body. Macronutrients are the main components of our diet.
Our bodies require other nutrients as well—like vitamins and minerals—but these are needed in much smaller quantities, so we refer to them as micronutrients.
All three macronutrients are needed in the diet, they each perform vital functions in the body and they play a huge role in your fat loss.
As a very broad, general rule a balanced diet will consist of:
✓ 25% carbs
✓ 25% protein
✓ 50% fat
As I said, that’s VERY broad. Everyone is different, depending on their personal health goals, activity level, and the current state of health.
Let’s talk a bit more about each of these macronutrients, and bust some cultural myths in the mouth at the same time.
Carbohydrates
If I could choose a macronutrient as the main culprit to all the stubborn, inconsiderate fat you may be carrying…I’d point an accusatory finger at excess carbohydrates. I say ‘excess’ carbs because I believe that carbs, in general, have had a bad rap ever.
But carbohydrates are only “bad” when they’re not being used to power some form of exercise or basic bodily functions. If you eat a bunch of carbs and then just sit around, then they are most probably going to turn into fat on your body.
Here are some common sources of carbs in a standard diet:
• Grains
• Sugars
• Starchy Vegetables
• Fruits
• Bread
• Pasta
• Pastries
• Beans
So if you want to lose weight, cut down your total carb intake. This “low carb” method of eating has been proven to be powerful, in weight loss. But not all carbs are created equal. Refined carbs such as sugar, white rice, and white flour are especially troublesome.
They’re digested so quickly that they reduce insulin sensitivity, cause blood sugar surges, and spike cortisol levels in the blood, which leads to weight gain and many other potential health problems.
More complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, squash, and all other fruits and vegetables are packed with fiber, which doesn’t break down and get stored as fat.
These foods leave you feeling full longer so you’re less likely to continue eating more than you actually should and contain vital nutrients For a typical person trying to lose weight who’s doing easy workouts 1 to 3 times per week for a short amount of time it’s a good idea to keep your net carbs below 100 grams. (When I say ‘net carbs’ I mean your total carbs after you subtract your total fiber intake in grams).
But carbohydrates are only “bad” when they’re not being used to power some form of exercise or basic bodily functions. If you eat a bunch of carbs and then just sit around, then they are most probably going to turn into fat on your body.
Here are some common sources of carbs in a standard diet:
• Grains
• Sugars
• Starchy Vegetables
• Fruits
• Bread
• Pasta
• Pastries
• Beans
So if you want to lose weight, cut down your total carb intake. This “low carb” method of eating has been proven to be powerful, in weight loss. But not all carbs are created equal. Refined carbs such as sugar, white rice, and white flour are especially troublesome.
They’re digested so quickly that they reduce insulin sensitivity, cause blood sugar surges, and spike cortisol levels in the blood, which leads to weight gain and many other potential health problems.
More complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, squash, and all other fruits and vegetables are packed with fiber, which doesn’t break down and get stored as fat.
These foods leave you feeling full longer so you’re less likely to continue eating more than you actually should and contain vital nutrients For a typical person trying to lose weight who’s doing easy workouts 1 to 3 times per week for a short amount of time it’s a good idea to keep your net carbs below 100 grams. (When I say ‘net carbs’ I mean your total carbs after you subtract your total fiber intake in grams).
Everybody is different, so experiment to see how you feel and the sort of results that you get. If you’re feeling sluggish, add a few extra carbs. If you’re not losing fat like you want to and you have the energy to spare, try dropping your daily carb intake to 50 grams and see how that feels. If you have a lot of fat on your body, typically you can cut down on carbs more than someone thinner because your body will use your own fat reserves as fuel.
If you drop below the 50-gram mark you run the risk of exhausting your body. You may start experiencing fatigue or thyroid issues, especially if you aren’t eating enough food in general.
So don’t go too crazy with the carb-limiting thing. You need carbs! Try making smarter choices and you’ll notice a big difference in how your body looks and feels.
Try substituting bread or pasta with low-carb alternatives whenever possible:
• If you’re having a burger, try to only use half of the bun, or go without the bun altogether and instead sandwich that patty between two crisp pieces of lettuce.
• It’s spaghetti night, try using shredded spaghetti squash instead of noodles. With fewer carbs, greater nutrients, and more fiber than the simple carbs of traditional pasta, squash makes for a deliciously healthy alternative.
• Cooking curry? Simply go without rice and include more vegetables—it’s just as delicious and much better for you! Replacing carbs with healthier alternatives is pretty easy to do if you give it a little bit of thought.
And you don’t have to be some kind of iron chef to make delicious, low-carb
meals. If you’re looking for ideas The Paleo Cookbook is packed full of mouth-wateringly delicious low-carb recipes, and they’re super easy to make!
Fat
Let me make this super clear:
Fat does not make you fat.
Fat doesn’t make you fat.
If you eat fat, you won’t get fat.
The whole “fat makes you fat” lie is too prevalent in our society, so I want to squash it right now. And contrary to what you may have been told, saturated fat is actually good for you and a necessary part of a healthy diet.
For years fat has been demonized as having negative health properties and falsely associated with ailments such as heart disease and cholesterol problems. Because of this, foods branded as “low fat” have been sold as diet alternatives for years. But these very same low-fat foods are often packed full of sugar to give them added flavor (flavor lives in fat, after all).
But in these modern times full of technology and scientific discovery, it’s becoming a well-known fact that sugar is actually terrible for your diet and saturated fat has positive health benefits. Saturated fat does not lead to heart disease when paired with an anti-inflammatory diet and if you want to have good heart markers, including blood cholesterol levels, the best way to go about it is to actually cut back on carbs rather than fat.
Saturated fat incites your liver to function more efficiently by dumping its fat cells, which is good for your health. Fatty acids also help white blood cells recognize and destroy invading viruses and bacteria, which boosts your immune system. Eating saturated fat also increases testosterone levels, which helps to repair tissues, build muscle, and improve sexual function.
Eating fat is also very satisfying.
When you don’t have enough fat in your diet, then your body doesn’t get the signals that you’ve had enough food. This is why many women struggle on low-fat diets because they end up constantly feeling hungry, which leads them to eat much more than they should.
Fat does not make you fat.
Fat doesn’t make you fat.
If you eat fat, you won’t get fat.
The whole “fat makes you fat” lie is too prevalent in our society, so I want to squash it right now. And contrary to what you may have been told, saturated fat is actually good for you and a necessary part of a healthy diet.
For years fat has been demonized as having negative health properties and falsely associated with ailments such as heart disease and cholesterol problems. Because of this, foods branded as “low fat” have been sold as diet alternatives for years. But these very same low-fat foods are often packed full of sugar to give them added flavor (flavor lives in fat, after all).
But in these modern times full of technology and scientific discovery, it’s becoming a well-known fact that sugar is actually terrible for your diet and saturated fat has positive health benefits. Saturated fat does not lead to heart disease when paired with an anti-inflammatory diet and if you want to have good heart markers, including blood cholesterol levels, the best way to go about it is to actually cut back on carbs rather than fat.
Saturated fat incites your liver to function more efficiently by dumping its fat cells, which is good for your health. Fatty acids also help white blood cells recognize and destroy invading viruses and bacteria, which boosts your immune system. Eating saturated fat also increases testosterone levels, which helps to repair tissues, build muscle, and improve sexual function.
Eating fat is also very satisfying.
When you don’t have enough fat in your diet, then your body doesn’t get the signals that you’ve had enough food. This is why many women struggle on low-fat diets because they end up constantly feeling hungry, which leads them to eat much more than they should.
RELATED: Weight-Loss Success Story That I really hope it has even a fraction of the impact on your life.
Protein
Protein—specifically the protein found in meat, eggs, and seafood—is loaded with positive health benefits. Like fat, it keeps you feeling full for longer so it’s easier to eat less when you have some in your system.
It also helps to stabilize your blood sugar, which keeps you from binge eating, and craving sugary treats. Eating animal protein helps your body develop lean muscle mass when combined with regular exercise.
Now, I’m not saying that you’re going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger—that only happens when you consume excess calories and train for size. Gaining lean muscle by eating enough protein will make your body look toned and fit, and the more muscle you have on your body, the easier it will be for you to lose weight.
For vegetarians, there are alternate sources of protein such as beans or protein powders, though neither of these sources offers the additional positive health benefits derived from their animal counterparts. On the flip side, if you’re just eating a ton of steak or a ton of chicken, then you run the risk of damaging your body if you aren’t getting enough carbs, fat, and other nutrients to sustain yourself.
Mountain men and survivalists used to experience something called “rabbit starvation” when they would live in the woods during the winter and only eat rabbits. Rabbit meat is very lean and our livers don’t like to have more than 35% protein in our diet at one time.
It’s important when on a low carb or otherwise restrictive diet to consume a healthy balance of fat and carbohydrates to ensure that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs to properly function.
Otherwise, you may be starving yourself, which is dangerous, unhealthy, and in many ways the opposite of what a proper diet should be for cultivating
good health and a body you love.
I’m a big fan of using resources to help jumpstart my learning curve when I’m starting anything new. So if thinking about macronutrients makes your head spin, you may want to start with a Few Simple Recipes that have already been proven to help you lose weight. No thinking, no guilt—just good healthy food.
It also helps to stabilize your blood sugar, which keeps you from binge eating, and craving sugary treats. Eating animal protein helps your body develop lean muscle mass when combined with regular exercise.
Now, I’m not saying that you’re going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger—that only happens when you consume excess calories and train for size. Gaining lean muscle by eating enough protein will make your body look toned and fit, and the more muscle you have on your body, the easier it will be for you to lose weight.
Mountain men and survivalists used to experience something called “rabbit starvation” when they would live in the woods during the winter and only eat rabbits. Rabbit meat is very lean and our livers don’t like to have more than 35% protein in our diet at one time.
It’s important when on a low carb or otherwise restrictive diet to consume a healthy balance of fat and carbohydrates to ensure that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs to properly function.
Otherwise, you may be starving yourself, which is dangerous, unhealthy, and in many ways the opposite of what a proper diet should be for cultivating
good health and a body you love.
I’m a big fan of using resources to help jumpstart my learning curve when I’m starting anything new. So if thinking about macronutrients makes your head spin, you may want to start with a Few Simple Recipes that have already been proven to help you lose weight. No thinking, no guilt—just good healthy food.
#5. You Don’t Sleep Enough
This may be the most surprising reason why you’re not losing weight as quickly as you want. It’s so surprising that I’ll be sure to duck if you want to throw that alarm clock at me. But hear me out… This may not really seem related to weight loss at all, and, in fact, it’s sort of admirable in our society when women don’t sleep very much and they’re just super uber-productive…
But our sleep has a lot to do with how our bodies gain and lose weight. This can be a hard one for a lot of women, especially if you’ve got kids, and you’re trying to work out, and you’re making time to eat well, and of course, you’re doing all of this while trying to work… but you’ve got to sleep! Let me tell you why.
When you don’t sleep enough, your cortisol levels rise in your body, which makes it really easy to gain that unwanted belly fat. But when you sleep for many hours at a time your body produces human growth hormone (HGH), which helps you to lose fat and gain muscle. So when you don’t sleep, you’re not allowing your body to do that. You’re essentially starving yourself of the exact hormones that you need to losing weight and to get the fitness results that you’re looking for.
Also, when you don’t sleep enough, your ghrelin levels are increased, which means that your body just wants to eat and eat… and eat. This is the hormone that kicks in to let you know that you’re hungry. When you don’t sleep, your body overproduces this, so you tend to end up eating more than you should.
In addition to that, the hormone leptin gets suppressed when you don’t sleep enough. This is the hormone that tells your body you’ve had enough to eat. So when you don’t have enough of this hormone, you end up overeating. The combination of the ghrelin and leptin imbalances makes for a very slippery slope into overeating.
So how much is enough sleep? Eight to nine hours per night, and for most women that might seem impossible but it’s what your body really needs. A lot of women are getting seven, six, five hours or less per night and that’s just not enough.
Culturally a lot of women might actually feel ashamed if they were to really get a full night’s rest like some lazy teenager, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about at all. In fact, you should feel proud that you’re giving your body what it really needs. The amount of sleep you get directly affects your performance so how are you going to get that promotion, become a CEO, or a successful entrepreneur if you aren’t performing at your full potential?
To maximize the benefits of sleep you’re getting. Try to consistently go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Bringing structure to your sleep cycle can help train your body to fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply than it otherwise would. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime as these can prevent you from getting good quality sleep.
Regular exercise and a comfortable sleep environment will get you in the mood to rest easier.
But our sleep has a lot to do with how our bodies gain and lose weight. This can be a hard one for a lot of women, especially if you’ve got kids, and you’re trying to work out, and you’re making time to eat well, and of course, you’re doing all of this while trying to work… but you’ve got to sleep! Let me tell you why.
When you don’t sleep enough, your cortisol levels rise in your body, which makes it really easy to gain that unwanted belly fat. But when you sleep for many hours at a time your body produces human growth hormone (HGH), which helps you to lose fat and gain muscle. So when you don’t sleep, you’re not allowing your body to do that. You’re essentially starving yourself of the exact hormones that you need to losing weight and to get the fitness results that you’re looking for.
Also, when you don’t sleep enough, your ghrelin levels are increased, which means that your body just wants to eat and eat… and eat. This is the hormone that kicks in to let you know that you’re hungry. When you don’t sleep, your body overproduces this, so you tend to end up eating more than you should.
So how much is enough sleep? Eight to nine hours per night, and for most women that might seem impossible but it’s what your body really needs. A lot of women are getting seven, six, five hours or less per night and that’s just not enough.
Culturally a lot of women might actually feel ashamed if they were to really get a full night’s rest like some lazy teenager, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about at all. In fact, you should feel proud that you’re giving your body what it really needs. The amount of sleep you get directly affects your performance so how are you going to get that promotion, become a CEO, or a successful entrepreneur if you aren’t performing at your full potential?
To maximize the benefits of sleep you’re getting. Try to consistently go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Bringing structure to your sleep cycle can help train your body to fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply than it otherwise would. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime as these can prevent you from getting good quality sleep.
Regular exercise and a comfortable sleep environment will get you in the mood to rest easier.
#6. You Are Stressed
Stress: the not-so-silent diet killer.
This is another reason that might at first seem unrelated to weight loss but is actually extremely important. Some women can’t imagine living without excessive stress. They see it as a natural part of their life, or they might even believe that they function better under stress. But this is simply not true. Just to be clear, I’m not saying that you should never have any stress in your life.
Some stress is good and natural. But when you’re constantly stressed, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have so much to do that you can’t even take care of your own needs, that’s a problem.
Stress has a lot to do with not being able to lose fat. Sometimes it can be the other way around where women are anxious and stressed out so they stop eating and end up losing weight, but then when they aren’t stressed out or anxious anymore the weight just comes back on. So it’s not like being stressed is a sustainable way to keep weight off.
When you are stressed your adrenal glands get activated and they produce cortisol, which is a hormone that does all kinds of things like create inflammation in your body and unwanted fat in your belly and thighs. When you’re cranking out cortisol it suppresses your immune system, it turns off your digestion, and it turns off your sex hormones, which can actually make you infertile in the long run.
If your adrenals are working too hard, it can affect your pituitary, which controls your thyroid, which is also in control of your metabolism. So it’s like this big huge maze of interconnectedness where if you’re stressed it’s affecting your entire body. It’s also going now know has its own effects on your ability to lose weight.
Allow me to mention the most obvious reason why stress will keep you from losing weight: stress eating. I can’t tell you how many women are stress eaters, including the younger.
Stress serves a natural function within our bodies that is very practical from a hunter-gatherer perspective. When our ancient ancestors were being chased by saber-tooth tigers, stress would automatically shut down every function that didn’t help us make an escape as efficiently as possible.
Your stomach stops digesting so all of your energy can go to your legs so you can run for your life. All of your sex hormones don’t need to really be working, your immune system doesn’t need to be working, nothing needs to be working except for your legs, your lungs, and your ability to get the heck out of there.
Our bodies are not meant to constantly operate in this state of dire emergency, yet nowadays we are constantly pushing ourselves to the limits of our psychological (and physical) threshold.
Money is usually our biggest stressor, so if you can make your life less expensive, oftentimes you can get by with working less and having less stress.
Also: are you working a job that you love? That very well may be the thing that’s stressing you out. Can you find a job that you love and start doing things that are enjoyable to you? These are the sorts of things that you need to be asking yourself.
If you’re in a relationship that isn’t benefiting you or you’re always in situations where you’re unable to express yourself, then you’re going to naturally find satisfaction someplace else, and the easiest way to make your body feel good is by stuffing it full of salty-sweet unhealthy foods.
If you can find an activity that you absolutely enjoy, then it will do wonders to help you reduce stress every time you get to do it. Even just going for walks in nature (or not) can be extremely relaxing, to just get outside and change your pace for a while. (How to Relieve Emotional Stress)
This is another reason that might at first seem unrelated to weight loss but is actually extremely important. Some women can’t imagine living without excessive stress. They see it as a natural part of their life, or they might even believe that they function better under stress. But this is simply not true. Just to be clear, I’m not saying that you should never have any stress in your life.
Some stress is good and natural. But when you’re constantly stressed, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have so much to do that you can’t even take care of your own needs, that’s a problem.
Stress has a lot to do with not being able to lose fat. Sometimes it can be the other way around where women are anxious and stressed out so they stop eating and end up losing weight, but then when they aren’t stressed out or anxious anymore the weight just comes back on. So it’s not like being stressed is a sustainable way to keep weight off.
When you are stressed your adrenal glands get activated and they produce cortisol, which is a hormone that does all kinds of things like create inflammation in your body and unwanted fat in your belly and thighs. When you’re cranking out cortisol it suppresses your immune system, it turns off your digestion, and it turns off your sex hormones, which can actually make you infertile in the long run.
If your adrenals are working too hard, it can affect your pituitary, which controls your thyroid, which is also in control of your metabolism. So it’s like this big huge maze of interconnectedness where if you’re stressed it’s affecting your entire body. It’s also going now know has its own effects on your ability to lose weight.
Allow me to mention the most obvious reason why stress will keep you from losing weight: stress eating. I can’t tell you how many women are stress eaters, including the younger.
Your stomach stops digesting so all of your energy can go to your legs so you can run for your life. All of your sex hormones don’t need to really be working, your immune system doesn’t need to be working, nothing needs to be working except for your legs, your lungs, and your ability to get the heck out of there.
Our bodies are not meant to constantly operate in this state of dire emergency, yet nowadays we are constantly pushing ourselves to the limits of our psychological (and physical) threshold.
Money is usually our biggest stressor, so if you can make your life less expensive, oftentimes you can get by with working less and having less stress.
Also: are you working a job that you love? That very well may be the thing that’s stressing you out. Can you find a job that you love and start doing things that are enjoyable to you? These are the sorts of things that you need to be asking yourself.
If you’re in a relationship that isn’t benefiting you or you’re always in situations where you’re unable to express yourself, then you’re going to naturally find satisfaction someplace else, and the easiest way to make your body feel good is by stuffing it full of salty-sweet unhealthy foods.
If you can find an activity that you absolutely enjoy, then it will do wonders to help you reduce stress every time you get to do it. Even just going for walks in nature (or not) can be extremely relaxing, to just get outside and change your pace for a while. (How to Relieve Emotional Stress)
#7. You Don't Drink Enough Water
Water is to weight loss as donuts are to weight gain.
When we feel hungry, oftentimes we’re actually just thirsty - and you may have heard this before because it’s something that’s been said thousands of times and it’s easy to just ignore it. It can be hard to carry around a water bottle and remember to do it, but if it’s something that you’re actually consciously doing, it will really truly help.
Drinking water helps flush things out of your system. It keeps you from snacking quite as much because you’ll feel full more often. Staying hydrated improves your skin complexion by keeping your body moisturized and also helps prevent wrinkles over time.
Since our bodies are mostly water, when we aren’t dehydrated everything functions better, you have increased energy and relief from fatigue. Hydrating before and after exercise helps to prevent cramps and sprains. When your body is getting the water it needs you’ll just feel better and it would always keep you full, and you didn't find yourself super hungry very often. PLUS, water is basically free so there are really no excuses for not drinking enough.
There are a lot of guidelines related to how much water is best to drink based on your own body weight (0.5 ounces x Body Weight in Pounds = Daily Suggested Water Intake).
As a general rule, I suggest drinking 2 liters of water per day; if you’re an athlete I would up that to 3 liters; and if you’re an athlete that sweats a lot—like a long-distance runner.
It’s a scary statistic to know that water is only the second most popular beverage in the United States after soft drinks. Start your day with half a liter of water when you wake up. Drink another before eating a meal to help your body feel less hungry and keep you from overeating.
Then an hour or 2 before bed, drink another half-liter to replenish your body’s nutrients, helping you to relax and rest better throughout the night. Drink throughout the day whenever you’re thirsty, or bored, or hungry between meals.
When we feel hungry, oftentimes we’re actually just thirsty - and you may have heard this before because it’s something that’s been said thousands of times and it’s easy to just ignore it. It can be hard to carry around a water bottle and remember to do it, but if it’s something that you’re actually consciously doing, it will really truly help.
Drinking water helps flush things out of your system. It keeps you from snacking quite as much because you’ll feel full more often. Staying hydrated improves your skin complexion by keeping your body moisturized and also helps prevent wrinkles over time.
Since our bodies are mostly water, when we aren’t dehydrated everything functions better, you have increased energy and relief from fatigue. Hydrating before and after exercise helps to prevent cramps and sprains. When your body is getting the water it needs you’ll just feel better and it would always keep you full, and you didn't find yourself super hungry very often. PLUS, water is basically free so there are really no excuses for not drinking enough.
As a general rule, I suggest drinking 2 liters of water per day; if you’re an athlete I would up that to 3 liters; and if you’re an athlete that sweats a lot—like a long-distance runner.
It’s a scary statistic to know that water is only the second most popular beverage in the United States after soft drinks. Start your day with half a liter of water when you wake up. Drink another before eating a meal to help your body feel less hungry and keep you from overeating.
Then an hour or 2 before bed, drink another half-liter to replenish your body’s nutrients, helping you to relax and rest better throughout the night. Drink throughout the day whenever you’re thirsty, or bored, or hungry between meals.
#8. Caffeine May Keep You From Losing Weight
Listen: be it coffee, tea, kombucha, or some sort of sports energy drink, caffeine can not only mess with your sleep—which we know is important—but for some people (not all) it also has its own undesirable consequences that interfere with your body’s ability to lose weight.
Caffeine is a drug that stimulates your cortisol and adrenaline and makes your liver push out glucose. Basically, it makes your blood sugar rise in the same fashion that sugar would. That’s why when you put cream in your coffee it has less of an effect on you because it’s sort of dulling that sugary effect.
When you’re shooting sugar into your bloodstream it’s going to go sky-high and the higher it goes, the faster (and lower) it drops. So it’s going to go up then you’re going to plunge down and then you’re going to crave sugar, so you’re either going to eat more sugar or have more caffeine, which will make it go back up then plummet down again. It becomes a never-ending rollercoaster ride that’s very hard to get off.
Women will spend an entire day battling these highs and lows, and when their body has had enough and wants to sleep…they can’t really sleep or they have bad quality sleep. which leads them to wake up groggy…which causes them to go for more coffee and continue this vicious cycle.
Oftentimes because people use caffeine so regularly, they don’t fully realize the effects that it has on their body. Caffeine has been associated with high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, indigestion, and even infertility in some women. If you’re exercising too much and live a stressful lifestyle, caffeine use may increase your risk of adrenal fatigue as well.
If caffeine is something that’s an everyday thing for you (or an every hour thing?), then I suggest you try cutting it out for a few weeks. Just stop consuming it and see what happens. There is nothing wrong with a little caffeine occasionally for most people, but if you struggle to function without it then there are probably greater issues weighing on your body that need to be straightened out.
If you’re using coffee in place of food to get you through your day, there’s a very easy solution for that: eat healthy, balanced meals instead of drinking coffee. Food gives you energy, too!
The thing with coffee is that it’s a common part of so many people’s morning ritual and it’s hard to break out of the habit. I totally get that. It’s nice to have something warm to sip in the morning to help wake you up, but there are plenty of other hot beverages that you can have instead if you’re taking a break.
To sum it up, if you’re drinking caffeine and having weight issues, try cutting it out just to see what happens. The only way to truly know how caffeine is affecting you is to test your body by taking a break. At first, it may be challenging but give it a week and see how you feel.
Caffeine is addictive and there is a lot of anxiety that gets bundled together with addiction generally, but if you can find a way to break free from unhealthy patterns of behavior and reduce stress then your body will definitely benefit from it.
Caffeine is a drug that stimulates your cortisol and adrenaline and makes your liver push out glucose. Basically, it makes your blood sugar rise in the same fashion that sugar would. That’s why when you put cream in your coffee it has less of an effect on you because it’s sort of dulling that sugary effect.
When you’re shooting sugar into your bloodstream it’s going to go sky-high and the higher it goes, the faster (and lower) it drops. So it’s going to go up then you’re going to plunge down and then you’re going to crave sugar, so you’re either going to eat more sugar or have more caffeine, which will make it go back up then plummet down again. It becomes a never-ending rollercoaster ride that’s very hard to get off.
Women will spend an entire day battling these highs and lows, and when their body has had enough and wants to sleep…they can’t really sleep or they have bad quality sleep. which leads them to wake up groggy…which causes them to go for more coffee and continue this vicious cycle.
Oftentimes because people use caffeine so regularly, they don’t fully realize the effects that it has on their body. Caffeine has been associated with high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, indigestion, and even infertility in some women. If you’re exercising too much and live a stressful lifestyle, caffeine use may increase your risk of adrenal fatigue as well.
If caffeine is something that’s an everyday thing for you (or an every hour thing?), then I suggest you try cutting it out for a few weeks. Just stop consuming it and see what happens. There is nothing wrong with a little caffeine occasionally for most people, but if you struggle to function without it then there are probably greater issues weighing on your body that need to be straightened out.
If you’re using coffee in place of food to get you through your day, there’s a very easy solution for that: eat healthy, balanced meals instead of drinking coffee. Food gives you energy, too!
The thing with coffee is that it’s a common part of so many people’s morning ritual and it’s hard to break out of the habit. I totally get that. It’s nice to have something warm to sip in the morning to help wake you up, but there are plenty of other hot beverages that you can have instead if you’re taking a break.
To sum it up, if you’re drinking caffeine and having weight issues, try cutting it out just to see what happens. The only way to truly know how caffeine is affecting you is to test your body by taking a break. At first, it may be challenging but give it a week and see how you feel.
Caffeine is addictive and there is a lot of anxiety that gets bundled together with addiction generally, but if you can find a way to break free from unhealthy patterns of behavior and reduce stress then your body will definitely benefit from it.
In Summary
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