5 Reasons Your Body Is Not Losing Fat, And Why Workouts Alone Don’t Helpv

Frustration with the current health plan is the single most important, and prevalent, reason why people give up on it. While it is perfectly normal to want to see results immediately, the body takes time to adapt to a new routine, and results do take a few months to become visible. 

Another common problem that leads to people abandoning a health plan is the lack of results in spite of working out. We often hear from people whose primary complaint is that all of the jogging, stretching and weight training hasn’t helped them achieve the objective of losing weight. 

In fact, you may be one of those people too, or you may know someone who is always pondering over the unfairness of the world, where even a whiff of cake is making you gain weight! You may be wondering where the problem lies. We give you the answers. There are a multitude of reasons why you may not be losing weight as quickly as you would like to, so we have narrowed it down into the top five reasons why it could happen. 

Your Internal Health Is Letting You Down
More often than not, internal health reflects externally, and quick fixes work only for a short period of time. For example, having metabolic issues such as thyroid dysfunction and diabetes can cause unexplained weight gain or loss that cannot be controlled with a workout alone.  Also, adrenal stress syndrome and inflammation in the body cause weight fluctuations too. You need to address the problem at its root, correct it and then proceed towards fitness.

Then, there is the much debated issue of gut health. Your digestive system is inhabited by intestinal flora that aid in nutrient absorption and also prevent a host of illnesses. Some research has shown that not having a healthy balance of the flora can cause us to gain weight. Seeing as how their balance is affected by everyday aspects such as excess alcohol or very spicy food, we need to closely monitor our gut health.

It is no surprise really that most of us operate in some state of dysfunction, some worse than others. All of the little things we take for granted every day, such as poor sleep or binge-eating have their roots in a disorder in the body. Unless we correct them, all of the external patches we apply would not show the desired result.

Do you cook all of your meals at home? If the answer is ‘no’, you’re not alone. About 60% of Americans order food from outside at least once a week, and the urban Indian is not far behind. Even the ‘healthy’ salad you have ordered for yourself is prepackaged and may not be as nutritious as a fresh salad.

If you do cook most of your meals at home, there is still some bad news. Food additives, pesticides and artificial colorants significantly affect the quality of what you eat. Pesticides cause a host of systemic illnesses, diabetes included. Nitrites added to food to preserve meat do their job very well, but are reported to cause thyroid dysfunction. 

So, what is the solution? Step one is still to eat as many home-cooked meals as possible. Step to is to shift gradually from bulk produce to organic variants, and then even to growing your own food at home. When it comes to choosing your meals for the day, don’t fall into the dessert trap. A bowl of fruit yogurt is great for fighting the sweet tooth.

Also, you need to remember that each person’s nutrition requirement is different. The balance of various nutrients you need to be healthy can differ from person to person. A good nutrition plan first calculates your energy expenditure and calorie intake, and then incorporates a plan that matches your food intake with the amount of energy you expend. Since nutrition is the basis of good hormonal balance in the body, it indirectly influences how much weight you are able to lose.

The Exercise You Have Selected Is Not For You

Another problem area that often surprises people is that they may have chosen the wrong exercise for themselves. After all, isn’t all exercise just cardio and strength? The answer is a no. Exercises such as running, jogging, cycling, Zumba and aerobics are all great for the heart. But in order to lose weight evenly, you need to focus on your problem areas. If you have trouble losing weight from around the belly, running for 45 minutes instead of 30 alone will not help you lose that fat.

You need to incorporate elements such as cardio, strength and compound movement training, endurance aspects and cross-training into your routine that helps your body avoid a plateau and get ample movement at the same time.

Sometimes, it may also be that the exercise you have chosen is not helping you. Most people swear by one exercise method because that is the one they have seen maximum results with. You need to pick one that works just as wonderfully for you.

Your Supplement Stacks Are Inefficient

Supplementation is one way to help us bridge the nutritional deficiencies in our body. We do take at least one supplement each day, and we may not always be aware of what they do for, and to, us. A B-complex supplement is a common inclusion for many people, but the thing about vitamins is that if there is enough of them in the body, they simply get flushed out. So, is the supplement just really a placebo?

In recent times, spirulina supplements have gained a lot of attention, and they can indeed work wonders for you. However, when grown in a toxic environment, spirulina can be very harmful for the liver, and often manifests as extreme thirst. We need to ensure that we are taking supplements from trusted sources that have the right purification processes in place.

The same goes for protein supplementation. You may not even need one if you are already getting your share of proteins through diet. By incorporating unwanted supplements into our diet, we are putting unwanted pressure on our body, and not seeing any results either.

There’s also another aspect with supplements. Some supplements can reduce the efficacy of others, so we need to space them out for effective results. Iron and calcium supplements cannot be taken together as calcium inhibits iron absorption on the body. Iron supplements are often paired with citrus juices to help in better absorption.

Your Body Is Made Differently
Sometimes, no matter what you try and what changes you make, you may not see the results you want to see. Don’t be disheartened though, because the answer to your problem lies in your genetic makeup.

Then, there are people who don’t put on weight easily, but when they do, they have trouble getting rid of it. If we were to position diet, nutrition and exercise on one side and the body’s inherent predisposition on another, the body type does take precedence and dictate your routine. This is why it is so important to understand what your body can and can’t do, and follow a health plan accordingly.

*Medical Disclaimer - The following information is for educational purposes only. No information provided on this website, including text, graphic, and images, are intended as substitutes for professional medical advice. Please consult with your doctor about specific medical advice pertaining to your condition(s)