top of page
Search
Writer's picturewayne nonis

Reasons Why You Are Struggling With Fat Loss

Updated: Aug 24, 2022

We have come a long way to understanding the chemistry that happens with fat gain and fat loss. Most experts will agree it boils down to calories in vs calories out. I don't think there has been anyone who has come out of a significant period of a restrictive calorie intake complaining that their pants are a little too tight.


Yet we have had people who have been on diets and yet look the same as before they started and even the scales back that up, how is that possible? the math still holds thru when it comes to calories in and calories out, however there are far more variables involved. Lets take a look at some reasons why some people struggle with their fat loss journey.


Metabolism

This is by far the biggest culprit. Our metabolism fluctuates daily and even on an hour to hour basis. There are too many factors that can impact our metabolism. Studies have shown that drinking 0.5 liters of water increases resting metabolism by 10–30% for about an hour. Even eating spicy foods can temporarily increase metabolism by about 8 percent over a person's normal rate. That is why it is helpful to pay attention to body temperatures first thing in the morning as well as your general response to the temperature of your environment. That way you can take steps to maximize your metabolism should it not be optimal.


Underestimating Calorie Intake

Another mistakes people unconsciously make is eating high calorie foods. We forget sometimes that the foods we eat contain calories no matter how healthy they are. I often get clients to list out their daily food intake only for the to be shocked later that their calorie intake is way higher than expected. This is an easy fix though and with most people working from home it's much easier, weigh everything you eat. After a few days you will be more aware of the calories consumed and can make the necessary changes to portions.


Stress

This is the sneakiest and most difficult culprit to identify and correct. The stress can be emotional, physical and mental, it doesn't matter to the body. The body will react in the same way. The body releases cortisol when stress levels are high. This causes appetite increase in the short term which will lead to hunger and sugar craving which in itself disrupts the use of fat for fuel when sugar is present.

Insulin another hormone related to sugar intake can also rise during stressful periods even if sugar intake is low. This will also disrupt fat loss to a very significant level.

Stress will also impact quality of sleep. Sleep is a significant period when the body heals and when the right hormones are optimized to keep you healthy and positively impact fat loss.


It is important for anyone looking to lose fat that they look at their daily habits and listen carefully to their body. Monitoring your weight along with body fat percentages and muscle mass on a daily basis can alert you quickly and allow you to make the necessary changes to keep you on track with your progress.



50 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page