Nothing helps to lose weight. What to do if you can't lose weight. Violation of water balance in the body
The mood sharply worsened, the sparkle in the eyes disappeared, and the enthusiasm disappeared, as if it had never existed. The reason is simple - you can’t lose weight. We try different methods, sacrifice precious health for the sake of newfangled ways to fight extra pounds, sweat in the fitness club or get sprained and short of breath on the treadmill - all to no avail! The scales show the same number, and every trip to the refrigerator turns into real torture: what to eat and what to give up forever in order to regain your slim figure?
How often do we hear: I eat little, but I can’t lose weight... Let’s try to imagine what our body experiences when, having made up your mind, you gradually exclude healthy foods from your diet, and in the end you go on a hunger strike.
Why I'm not losing weight on a diet: mistake No. 1
The first and, unfortunately, one of the most common mistakes made by beautiful ladies who dream of getting rid of extra pounds is turning the daily menu into a short list consisting of 1-2 items. One boiled chicken breast, an egg or a leaf of lettuce - is this the healthy, balanced diet we need? Stop lying to yourself, following the advice from the Internet, claiming that eating varied and regularly means becoming obese. After all, the reason for gaining excess weight is not at all that we eat regularly and tasty, but because of what kind of food is on our plate.
I’m on a diet and not losing weight, why is there no noticeable result, but my health is getting worse? This question has been asked more than once by many sufferers who have decided to take a desperate step - giving up everything at once and systematically following the recommendations of those who promise incredible results after reducing their diet. Now let’s look at the problem through the eyes of specialists: the body does not receive the necessary nutrients and does not “get” calories, and this is a lot of stress that does not go away without leaving a trace. There is a process of uncontrolled accumulation of fatty deposits “for a rainy day”, because if the housewife does not feed, then trouble has struck, and you need to take care of yourself! That’s why we see the same reflection in the mirror, and not the figure of our dreams, which we strive for with such zeal.
What is the result of the passion for newfangled techniques? Alas, conscious fasting cannot lead to anything good. On the list of “unpleasant” gifts:
- exhaustion;
- launching processes responsible for premature aging;
- digestive problems and slow metabolism;
- deficiency of important vitamins and microelements;
- decrease in the body's defenses;
- a set of extra pounds instead of the desired slimness.
Do you want to earn new sores? Most will unanimously say “no” and do the right thing. The most stubborn will face a visit to the doctor and a gradual deterioration in their health. Take care of yourself and stop blindly believing in popular methods that only limit and exhaust, leading to a hospital bed. Do you want to become slim? Then start with a proper diet and healthy eating - regular and nutritious.
Find out more about our weight loss programs:
I eat little and don’t lose weight: from extremes to normal
Many may object: but we eat throughout the day, which means calories enter the body! It’s just that their number is limited, and this is very important for losing weight, because that’s what they write on forums and in the most famous magazines! Such words can only belong to those who have never eaten properly in their lives.
Remember once and for all: the daily intake should not be lower than 600 kcal for women and 800 for men. Less is starvation, and this is slow death for your body. And the decision to try another method on yourself with the “mono” prefix is another mistake that lovers of quick results make. Will you achieve the desired result? Judge for yourself: truncation of the daily diet, and with it a reduction in portions, leads to a deficiency of nutrients and increased appetite. The stronger the feeling of hunger, the more often we run to the refrigerator and eat more. Late-night snacking is one of those “nightmares” that haunt those who eat sparingly and rarely.
Now let's see how our body will work if we start eating correctly - more than a kilogram per day. We will see a completely different picture: the metabolic and chemical processes responsible for weight loss are activated. The bottom line is that it’s better to eat for pleasure, observing your daily caloric intake, than to force yourself to endure and reduce the portion, following the newfangled method.
How much can and even need to be eaten per day for the “activator” inside us to work? The daily amount of food is as follows:
- from 1300 to 1800 g - for lovely ladies;
- from 1500 to 2500 g – for men.
And here is the caloric intake, which should not be exceeded:
- from 950 to 1250 kcal – for women;
- from 1280 to 2000 kcal – for the stronger sex.
How can you control yourself and not break down? To do this, keep a diary in which you need to record the energy value of each cooked and eaten dish. It wouldn’t hurt to purchase scales with 1 gram divisions to measure exact volumes of cooked food and make accurate calculations every day. Difficult? For those who want to get rid of those hated pounds, following these instructions will be as easy as pie.
Why you can’t lose weight: what to do if the weight doesn’t come off
Another reason why weight may increase is hormonal imbalance. In this case, you need to consult a specialist, because only an experienced doctor can identify the sores that prevent you from becoming slim.
Most often, one universal remedy helps return indicators to normal - a balanced and nutritious diet. Start monitoring what you eat and how you eat regularly. If you only eat fatty, fried, sweet, smoked and salty foods, it’s time to sound the alarm. All of these are sources of fat that spoils our figure and jeopardizes our main value – health.
Now let's see how we eat. Do we throw food into our mouths and swallow it without chewing? Are we choking on semi-finished products and dry sandwiches? Let’s forget about these bad habits once and for all and learn the following rules by heart:
We eat slowly, with pleasure, trying to fully feel the taste and enjoy the prepared dish.
We eat regularly, not neglecting breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Be sure to drink the daily amount of water - from 1.5 to 2.5 liters.
Why am I not losing weight with proper nutrition: creating a diet
The products are selected and prepared, the food is not hidden in the refrigerator until better times, but stands on the table, inviting you to eat, but the number on the scale is the same. What should I do? After all, we did everything right: we took what was healthy and forbade ourselves what was harmful. Why don’t the extra pounds go away, but only add on?
There is no need to be sad, you just need to once again analyze your behavior and remember what and when we eat. After all, even fruits can cause fat deposits if you forget about the golden rule: grapes, melon, bananas, persimmons, peaches, watermelon and other substitutes for usual sweets must be eaten before 16:00.
Salads and apples are powerful appetite enhancers, so it is recommended to combine them with a second course or eat them after the first.
If you like natural juices, drink them before meals.
Give up the habit of pouring cold water into yourself after lunch - it will retain fat in the body and prevent you from losing excess weight.
Before 16:00 you need to have time to eat foods rich in carbohydrates (porridge, durum wheat pasta, pastries, bread, etc.), sweet vegetables and dark chocolate.
It is better to replace sugar with an infusion of the herb stevia.
Mono-food is excluded. Strength loads too, because by fanatically working out in a gym or fitness club, we just replace fat with muscle tissue: the volumes remain the same, and there is no need to talk about a successful result.
I eat right, but I don’t lose weight: why I can’t become slim
And now we answer honestly and confidently. Do you keep a food diary? Do you always get enough sleep or every other time? Should you eat healthy and tasty food at work instead of fast food? Drink your daily amount of water?
As a rule, these questions force you to completely change your opinion about your own lifestyle. It’s not enough to throw out high-calorie “snacks” from the refrigerator - you need to completely change your usual daily routine and your attitude towards yourself and the world.
Stop torturing your body with excessive physical activity and find an alternative - yoga, swimming, stretching. Sleep soundly and soundly, and do not doze off in front of the TV or computer monitor. Learn to eat beautifully, and not swallow poorly chewed pieces in order to catch your favorite TV series.
Can't lose weight? Go to the mirror and look at your reflection. Now imagine - the ideal is very close, you just have to want it. Yes, yes, you heard right. The power of words cannot be underestimated. Constant blues, depression, decadent moods - all this is canceled once and for all. Stress is a bad helper in the fight against extra pounds. Love yourself - if your self-esteem has dropped to zero, all your efforts will be in vain. Let every day become a holiday, and not a painful argument with your own body - who will overcome whom...
If you want to become slim, regain your health and beauty by restoring your strength and forming the right diet, contact the specialists of our clinic. We will help you learn one simple truth: you can eat tasty food and lose weight. Start a new life with us - get rid of excess weight without restrictions once and for all!
Impact training and a good appetite go hand in hand, but sports do not give you the right to eat everything and more. “To replenish the energy expended during a workout, you don’t need to increase portions or reward yourself with something tasty,” says personal trainer and two-time European fitness champion Lidiya Ershova.
On the other hand, it is also impossible to sharply reduce the usual number of kilocalories and at the same time actively train. Otherwise, you risk collapsing with exhaustion, burning not only excess fat during training, but also valuable muscle tissue. The daily norm for women with a moderately active lifestyle varies from 1800 to 2000 kcal, and this energy will have to be taken not from sweets or pizza.
Lydia Ershova advises reconsidering your diet in terms of quality, not quantity. Make a menu of foods rich in proteins, slow carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fats and plant fiber - they give satiety, take a long time to digest and provide the body with valuable calories, which will be used for fat burning and building muscle tissue.
- Replace sandwiches with white bread with whole grain toast.
- Instead of ice cream for dessert, you can eat cottage cheese with berries.
- A plate of pasta or fried potatoes can be replaced with a piece of chicken and a vegetable salad.
Your best friend is self-control. But if you really can’t cope without dessert, you can indulge yourself once a week.
Read also Omega-3, Vitamin D and Fish Oil: What's the Difference?
How to plan workouts for weight loss
With regular physical activity, muscle tissue develops. This is precisely why this is all started: by replacing fat with muscle, we speed up metabolism and increase the body’s energy expenditure, that is, we increase the potential rate of calorie loss.
However, calculating calories burned is an extremely rough science. Don't be fooled by the machine's sign that says you just burned 500 calories.
First, the cardio machines (originally aimed at men) only ask your age and weight - but this data is not enough to draw conclusions about energy costs.
Secondly, as equipment wears out, it tends to produce more and more errors. For example, ellipses may show a figure with an overrun of 42%.
Third, Professor Eric Doucet, who studies movement processes at the University of Ottawa, says people often overestimate their efforts: “They think they burned a lot more calories during fitness than they actually did. Especially when the workout is positioned as high intensity.”
When working on a cardio machine, add 30% to the calories you want to burn. So, if your goal is to lose 300 kcal, you should see the number 390 on the display.
In fact, an hour of strength training burns an average of 360–540 kcal. The spread is decent, but for more accurate results you need to know many indicators: age, weight, average body temperature, metabolic rate and hormonal characteristics.
To clarify the situation with individual energy consumption at least a little, Lidia Ershova recommends assessing the composition (composition) of the body using bioimpedance. This can be done in most fitness clubs.
A special device will carry out an analysis in a few minutes and show how much fat and muscle tissue you have in percentage terms, what your body mass index is, whether there is enough fluid in the tissues and how many kilocalories you personally need to meet the minimum needs of the body - to breathe, bat your eyelashes, move convolutions. And how much do you need to spend on physical activity to lose weight?
“Why am I not losing weight?”- every third woman on a diet wonders. In most cases, strict restrictions, refusal of favorite foods and hard training either do not bring the desired result, or it turns out to be short-lived. Where are we going wrong? Body-bar will deal with the most common women's mistakes on the way to a slim body.
Mistake #1. Lack of consistency
A beautiful figure means following the right lifestyle and nutrition for many years. Nevertheless, many women, after achieving results, return to their favorite buns and sweets. And again, extra pounds, diets... To achieve long-term results, you need to work on your figure every day.Mistake #2. Diet - yes, sports - no
Of course, you can lose kilos with nutrition alone. But there are a number of disadvantages here. First of all, the process is too slow. Training takes on average 400-700 calories daily! If you are not using the calories you get from food, then you have to cut back on your diet. As a result, you go hungry. Constant fasting, in turn, leads to breakdowns. It turns out to be a vicious circle, from which it is damn difficult to break out. Also, with a strictly limited diet, the body does not receive the required amount of vitamins and microelements, and metabolism slows down. Instead of the gone fat folds, now the appearance is spoiled by sagging skin. Sport helps to avoid this, makes the body fit, and removes cellulite.Mistake #3. Wrong training system
Doing exercises slowly with weights is, of course, good for your figure and, to be honest, it’s easier than going all out on a 40-minute workout. cardio training. And we don’t urge you to give up strength training at all! But intense cardio is the basis for losing weight! Cardio training burns fat and removes volume. They should be combined with strength training, which helps maintain beautiful proportions and pleasant roundness even when losing weight.Mistake #4. Skipping meals
Remember: if the body does not receive the required amount of energy, it will slow down. metabolism. And this is fraught with starting the process of fat deposition. Many people believe that by skipping breakfast or skipping a meal, they will consume fewer calories and lose weight faster. However, it turns out the other way around, because the feeling of hunger for the body is a signal to store fat “just in case.”Mistake #5. Use of drugs for weight loss
“Lose weight quickly and effortlessly” - this is the slogan of the manufacturers of “miracle pills”. Meanwhile, many synthetic appetite suppressants and diuretics, at best, have either mild or short-term effects. At worst, they can be hazardous to health. A fat burners, included in a separate class of sports nutrition, do not give the expected effect in isolation from training.Mistake #6. Snacks at fast food restaurants
In many cafes and bistro restaurants, large amounts of cheap, low-quality fats (the so-called “fat”) are used in cooking. trans fats"). In addition, it is not possible to calculate the number of calories in such dishes. Don’t be lazy to pack your own lunches for work, using food you’ve prepared yourself. This approach will help you lose weight to the envy of your fellow canteen regulars.Mistake #7. Constant lack of sleep
The forced “owl” lifestyle and going to bed after 11 pm disrupts biorhythms and leads to overwork. The secretion of melatonin, the pineal gland hormone, which neutralizes the destructive effects of oxidative processes and prevents the body from withering, is disrupted. Melatonin is the most powerful endogenous free radical scavenger known, so the importance of this hormone cannot be overstated. With systematic lack of sleep, the amount of melatonin decreases, free radical cell damage accumulates, sensitivity to insulin decreases, and fat deposition increases.Mistake #8. Blind trust in the scales
One of the most common mistakes is relying on bathroom scales as a way to control the weight loss process. Women are accustomed to measuring weight loss in kilograms. If the scales are unchanged, then there is no result - they think. However, it is much more correct to evaluate the result using a measuring tape, a caliper (a simple device that measures the thickness of the fat fold) and, of course, your own reflection in the mirror. Muscle weighs more than fat: If you exercise regularly, you will notice that your clothing size has decreased, but the scale may show more weight.Don't make these mistakes and everything will work out for you! Good luck!
“I eat right and go to training. But I’m not losing weight!” - it doesn’t happen? Of course it happens. In the process of losing weight, mistakes are sometimes possible that slow down the transformation from a pupa to a butterfly. Analyze your behavior: maybe it’s for the reasons listed below that your weight just can’t move?
The first reason: there is no calorie deficit
Regular exercise helps burn calories. However, the most common mistake when losing weight lies in the fact that, by increasing physical activity, we quietly begin to eat more. Sometimes this happens unconsciously. But it also happens that we know and justify our mistakes in nutrition, consoling ourselves with the phrase: “Tomorrow I’ll work it out in the gym.”
What to do?
The process of losing weight is slowed down because the required calorie deficit is not created. When you consume energy, you consume it in the same amount. You must definitely monitor your diet: indulgences are acceptable, but if they do not become a system.
Second reason: sedentary lifestyle
If you sit in the office at the computer all day (or at home in front of the TV), then even despite regularly visiting the gym, your lifestyle is considered sedentary. This is why the body spends little energy and fat reserves remain in place
What to do?
To lose weight, 2-3 workouts a week is not enough if you sit for 6-8 hours a day. Make other efforts to rev up your metabolism. For example, walk outside every day, avoid the elevator and escalator. In the office, try not to sit still all working day - get up more often, go to your colleagues in another department instead of talking with them using instant messenger or phone. Limit the time in front of TV or try to do simple exercises while watching it - spin a hoop, do a “bicycle”, etc.
Third reason: muscle growth
It seems like you’re eating right, and you’ve increased your workload. But the scale arrow froze at one number... The thing is that changes occur in your muscle mass, and they are not visible on the scales. Simply put, the fat deposits in your body are gradually burned, and muscle mass increases. And since it weighs more, the numbers on the scale may also increase.
What to do?
Look not only at the fluctuations of the scale needle, but also visually note changes in your figure. The same weight with the same height can look different in people: a girl weighing 60 and height 168 cm may have an athletic, toned body or solid folds of fat. Keep an eye on the volume of your figure: if it decreases, you are on the right track.
Reason Four: Mindless Calorie Restriction
If you decide to simply reduce your daily caloric intake, for example, to 1300 kcal, this may not work. As a result of incorrect calculation of daily caloric intake and an ill-considered diet, you will be haunted by a feeling of constant hunger. As a result, the feeling of dissatisfaction and stress increases, all thoughts revolve only about food, mood swings and breakdowns are possible. In short, you are not you when you are hungry.
What to do?
First, correctly calculate your calorie needs. After all, as a result of too much of a calorie deficit, your metabolism slows down. Accordingly, weight loss slows down. Secondly, carefully plan your diet, namely: increase the amount of protein and reduce the amount of carbohydrates. Protein foods (fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products) give you a feeling of fullness for a long time and help reduce the number of calories consumed. And one more thing: don’t forget about vegetables, fruits and foods containing fiber - they are also low in calories, but will help eliminate the feeling of hunger for a long time.
You can read about how to determine BJU and calorie intake here
Fifth reason: meals are not organized correctly
Until now, many of us live by the principle: eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, give dinner to your enemy. Eating our entire daily calorie intake in the first half of the day, we try to limit food intake in the evening or “not eat after six” in order to lose weight. This often leads to the opposite result...
What to do?
Eat often, but little by little. It is better to eat 5-6 times a day, but in small portions. This way your body learns to be satisfied with less food and you don’t overeat. In addition, frequent small meals help to avoid surges in blood sugar, which provoke fat deposition.
Sixth reason: you sleep little or are nervous a lot
You are worried about work or stress haunts you in your personal life... You skip meals or, on the contrary, eat too much... You suffer from insomnia or lack of sleep... All this can affect the metabolic processes occurring in the body. For some, stress acts as a catalyst for losing weight, while for others, due to constant “nerves,” the process, on the contrary, slows down.
What to do?
Organize your day. Try to go to bed at the same time every day, and use meditation or breathing exercises to reduce the effects of stress. If you can’t handle it yourself, don’t tolerate it - contact a specialist.
You can read about how to avoid overeating under stress here
Reason seven: You're not being honest with yourself.
Even when calculating the calorie content of breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner, we can inadequately estimate the total daily caloric intake. We can actually forget about all the foods that ended up in our stomach during the day. Do you remember munching on a couple of cookies a colleague offered you? Did you try the dish several times while preparing it? Did you pinch off a piece of bread? Or does it “not count”?
What to do?
Keep a food diary. Or - which is easier - make notes directly on your phone, because most of us always have it with us. Write down everything you eat right away, without leaving it for later. All this data will help to adequately estimate your total calorie intake.
Eighth reason: you drink little water
You drink juices (freshly squeezed), tea (green, without sugar), coffee with a fat-burning effect, believing that there is enough liquid. Meanwhile, only ordinary, clean water is a catalyst for metabolic processes, and all other liquid can be equated rather to food.
What to do?
Drink water before breakfast, and 20 minutes before meals, but not immediately after meals. You need to drink at least two liters of clean, still water per day. Only in this case will the process of burning calories go faster.
Ninth reason: the plateau effect
You have successfully lost weight and suddenly your body seems to have become greedy: it doesn’t want to “give away” a single gram of excess weight. At the same time, your nutrition is clearly organized, you attend training just as before - in a word, nothing happened that could slow down the process. Apparently, the whole point is that a plateau effect has set in - the body has become accustomed to the current loads and standard calorie intake.
What to do?
Don't panic and be patient. Try to adjust your training system and increase the load. Or “shake up” your body with fasting days.
You can read about which fasting days will help intensify weight loss here
Tenth reason: presence of diseases
Finally, we cannot discount some reasons that interfere with weight loss that are independent of nutrition and physical activity. So, there are a number of diseases that affect the process of losing excess weight. This may be hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid function), diabetes mellitus or prediabetes and some others.
What to do?
Visit a doctor, check your blood for sugar and thyroid hormones. If there is some kind of disease, do not despair. If it is successfully corrected over time, you will successfully get rid of excess weight.