You tried the paleo diet and ate like a caveman. You consumed all the fatty things on the keto trend. You even hopped on the vegetarian bandwagon until you caved for a chicken nugget. But no matter what you do or what fad diet you follow, you just can’t seem to lose weight. WTF is the deal? Dieting is different for everyone, so there could be any number of reasons that you’re stuck. Here are some of the possible explanations for why your diet isn’t working the way you want it to.
1. You’re Eating The Wrong Amount Of Calories
Whether you’re eating 1,000 or 3,000 or the recommended 2,000-2,500 calories a day, you aren’t consuming the right amount of calories to shrink your personal temple. It can be really tricky to find the right balance, but don’t be afraid to make some changes. Try playing around with your daily calorie count and see how it impacts both the way you feel and the number on the scale.
2. You’re Not Burning Your Calories Off
Maybe you ARE eating the right amount of calories for your body. Maybe you’re just not burning them off! A good, healthy diet will only do so much when it comes to losing weight. I hate to say it, but at some point you’re going to have to hit the gym. There’s just no way around it. Combine a proper diet plan with regular exercise and watch those tough-to-lose LBs melt right off.
3. You’re Eating At The Wrong Times
I’m not saying you should immediately start intermittent fasting, but restricting yourself to eating at or between certain times of the day is proven to jumpstart your metabolism and keep it burning at its best. Don’t eat directly before bed. If you’re not hungry in the morning, wait to eat breakfast. Try setting scheduled eating windows, so your body has time to digest the food you’ve already put into it before throwing more in there.
4. You’re Skipping Meals
STOP. STARVING. YOURSELF. Not eating will put your body into starvation mode. This will not make you lose weight. And the weight that you DO “lose” will not be true weight loss, so you won’t be able to keep it off, and you risk damaging your body in the process. Of course, eating less calories or cutting out certain foods can be exactly what you need, but that doesn’t mean skipping food altogether.
5. You’re Eating The Wrong Types Of Food
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit high school health class, only this time I’m your awkward teacher and we ain’t talking puberty. Everyone’s body is different! That means what someone else puts into theirs may not be what’s right for yours. Your BFF may have lost 10 pounds after eating cheese quesadillas for a week straight, but milk products could actually be bloating you and keeping you from losing weight. Conduct some personal food testing (or see a nutritionist if you’re fancy) to find out what foods work best for your body, speed up your metabolism, and make you feel good. Also consider your personal genetics and figure out if there are common problem foods for people of your background.
At the end of the day, the most important factor as to whether or not your diet is working is how you feel–not what the scale says (f*ck scales anyway). Eat the foods that make you feel good and give you the energy you need in order to take on the day like the beautiful bad betch you are.
Images: Shutterstock; Giphy (3)
