There are hundreds of diets and wild remedies to lose weight. But even though they worked for some people, they might not do the trick in your case. Even after combining them and trying everything at the same time, your scale shows the same reading over and over again. So, if you’re trying to eat healthier and your weight is still stagnant, there must be something you’re getting wrong.
For that reason, in this article, we have gathered the top 4 reasons why people do not achieve their target weight.
Reason #1. Inadequate glucose control strategies
Controlling your glucose is not only recommended for diabetic people. When the blood glucose spikes after a high-sugar food, insulin levels go up and stimulate the muscle tissue to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. But the same happens in the fatty tissue, leading to an increase in body fat. Moreover, maintaining the habit of eating high-sugar foods may lead to insulin fatigue because the pancreatic tissue is forced to synthesize too much insulin and may eventually start failing (1). Thus, if you don’t have adequate glucose control strategies, your weight will likely remain stagnant.
Some strategies you will find useful are as follows:
- Engage in strength training: Weight lifting and bodyweight exercises improve the ability of your muscles to absorb glucose (2).
- Fasted cardio: Exercise early in the morning before breakfast. Be careful to do it progressively and always listen to your body (3).
- Go for a walk after eating your meal: Stay active instead of sitting or lying down after your meals, and thermogenesis will level your blood sugar (4).
Reason #2. You’re not counting your macronutrients
Carbohydrates, protein, and fats are also known as macronutrients. Each food has its own macronutrient combination, and you can use that to your advantage. Using self-monitoring techniques to count your dietary intake is a helpful way to understand why are you not losing weight. You will get useful data on how many calories you’re consuming and whether or not you're achieving a proper distribution of carbs, proteins, and fats in your diet (5, 6).
Reason #3. Inconsistent meal timing and frequency
There are several inconsistencies you should avoid, especially when it comes to meal timing and frequency. For example, it makes no sense to eat six times a day or more if you want to lose weight. Doing so sometimes reduces the sensation of hunger, but it might trigger anxiety and recurrent food cravings. Moreover, studies show that this strategy is not helpful if you want to lose weight (7).
Instead of eating six times a day, a helpful meal timing strategy is intermittent fasting. This technique helps you reduce your daily calorie intake and promotes various metabolic changes that favor weight loss (8).
Reason #4. Your blood lipids are always high
Most people trying to lose weight do not measure their blood lipid levels. This piece of information is fundamental to know whether or not there’s a balance between your calorie intake and your metabolic function. For example, if you’re eating too many carbs, your triglyceride levels are likely to go up (9). Similarly, choosing saturated fatty acids instead of omega 3 and healthy fats increases your levels of LDL cholesterol (also known as bad cholesterol) (10).
Thus, if you monitor your cholesterol and triglyceride levels as a part of your weight loss strategy and keep a record of your dietary pattern, you will be able to find out the perfect balance of macronutrients according to your individual needs. In any case, self-monitoring has proven to be a useful way to successfully manage your weight and achieve your fitness goals (6).
