Why Am I Not Losing Weight? 3 Common Causes

Why am I not losing weight? This is a regular question from both women and men, and if you are dieting and exercising then you can end up totally demoralised if your weight doesn't change. First, you need to understand the relationship between energy in (food) and energy out (exercise). It is a simple equation that if energy in is less than energy out, you will gain weigh, if both are the same, then your weight remains stable, and if you use more energy than you take on board, then your weight will drop. Sounds easy, doesn't it. But in practice, there are things which can disrupt this.

Muscle weighs more than fat

If you are exercising regularly and toning your body, then as long as you are eating a sensible diet the fat content of your body will decrease and your muscle content will increase. But because muscle weighs more than fat, you may not necessarily lose weight. In fact, you may put a little on. Instead of using the scales to determine how successful your exercise regime is, use measurements around your waist, thighs and arms.

You are eating too little.

If you suddenly go on a crash diet to lose weight, your body will go into fast mode. It doesn't understand why there is a sudden shortage of food, so it will try to conserve as much energy as possible, thereby using up as little of its fat reserves as possible. When you start eating normally again, it will quickly convert everything it can into fat to store up energy in case another famine occurs. This is a very common reason for why you are not losing weight.

You are not exercising enough

Losing weight isn't just about going on a diet. You need to balance a sensible diet with a sensible amount of exercise. If you can manage at least 30 minutes of exercise which gets you puffing, and do this at least 3 times a week, then as long as you don't over eat, then you will lose weight over the long term.

These reasons are assuming you don't have any medical reason for weight problems, and are not on any medication known to prevent weight loss. A basic, sensible intake of food, along with regular, moderate exercise, should have the desired effect. Once you have worked out a happy medium, you will no longer be asking 'why am I not losing weight?'

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