5 Possible Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight, Despite All Your Best Efforts

You've been eating right and working out. What's going on?

Woman working out

You’re eating too much healthy food

You’re a clean eating pro but calories count too, you know. When you’re chowing down on clean foods on the regular it can be easy to lull yourself into a false sense of security and assume you can eat as much as you want, but whether you’re scoffing an XL quinoa salad or a Big Mac, it all adds up.

The fix: Track your calories for one week to get a feel for how much food is too much.

You’re not doing enough incidental exercise

So you hit up the gym four times a week, but what do you do with the rest of your time? If you’ve got a desk job or are mostly sedentary then you may need to add some everyday exercise into your daily routine.

The fix: Small efforts like taking the stairs or going for a walk around the block on your lunch break can have a big effect.

Your portions are huge

Hands up, who’s guilty of filling their plate and then going back for seconds? Snacks and little nibbles here and there can all add up too if you’re not careful.

The fix: Invest in a set of kitchen scales and weigh out your ingredients when you’re cooking and track your snacks so you don’t overindulge.

You’re only doing cardio

Old habits die hard, but if you really want to get lean, then you’ll need to lay off the treadmill a bit and incorporate weight training into your weekly workout routine. Why? Well, you’ll get a bigger after burn from weight training than you will from cardio, meaning your metabolism will keep burning off calories for hours afterwards.

The fix: Slowly add some weights sessions or sculpting classes to your routine.

You’re not eating the right foods

Living solely on salad leaves and low-cal options isn’t going to help you burn fat. In fact, you’re body needs a whole lotta extra energy if it’s going to shift those extra pounds.

The fix: Switch out foods that aren’t filling for a diet rich in lean protein, fats and post-workout carbs.