Why am I not losing weight?

Why am I not losing weight? The number one question I receive is people wondering why they aren’t losing weight. It usually goes something like this:

I’m working out and eating right. It’s been a month and there’s no change on the scale. Does this sound like you or someone you know? If so, you are not alone.

The Problem is Your Diet!!!

I can tell you that after I do some investigating with their fitness program, the problem can almost always be pinpointed to their diet. They think that their diet is great, but in reality, it’s usually filled with processed grains and calorie “free” foods or soda. And it usually lacks the proper nutrients to fuel fat loss.

Also, realize that at the beginning of a fitness program, your weight can fluctuate rapidly, or even increase. The additional exercise creates larger glycogen reserves to fuel your workouts. These glycogen stores enlarge and store water within the muscle. Each gram of glycogen can store around 3 grams of water, so the additional weight can add up. But this is good weight!

My Own Personal Nutrition Meal Plan
Here is what I eat on a day to day basis. This is the diet I use when I want to lose an average of .5-1% body fat per week, and it’s the diet I eat when I don’t want to lose any weight, and it’s the diet I use when I want to gain weight. The foods remain the same, it’s just the portion sizes that vary. Look over it closely. Does yours look anything like this at all? Are you eating similar portion sizes? Are you eating enough calories? Are you getting enough nutrients?

Meal 1: Power Shake incl. 35g of protein (Greek yogurt, 1cup mixed frozen fruits, 1 tsp raw honey) & lots of vitamin and minerals
Meal 2: sprouted bread with ham, goat cheese, or butter and honey or avocado etc.
Meal 3: Power/brain Salad incl. lots of fibers & meat in order to reach at least 25gr of protein! (chick peas, beans, spinach, avocado, walnuts, almonds, peppers, broccoli etc.)
Meal 4: chicken or fish, sweet potato, pinto beans/romano beans/ chick peas, quinoa etc. reaching approx 25gr of protein & lots of fibers!
Meal 5: greek yogurt & fruits or protein chicken soup
Meal 6: Power Shake incl. 35g of protein & lots of vitamin and minerals (Greek yogurt, 1cup mixed frozen fruits, 1 tsp raw honey)
 
Notice, 90% of my diet is whole foods. My diet is packed with a big variety of fruits and vegetables and is extremely nutrient dense – providing all the nutrients my body needs to efficiently give it what it needs in order to lose fat.
I also lots of drink water, water, more water, and nothing but water & tea.

Your Diet Should Follow These Guidelines

• Eat . approx 20 - 30 gr protein/meal for women! Men should eat around 30 - 40 gr protein/ meal
• You’ll have to measure your body fat to determine your lean body mass, muscle, water content etc. (locally done e.g. at my place :) )
• Make sure you are getting some EFAs (essential fatty acids). -> You should be drinking water (or water with lemon, lime, etc).
• Fill the rest of your calories with whole foods – not processed foods.
• Eat as many green veggies as possible. They are nutrient dense and calorie sparse. You can eat a nearly endless supply of them without any real worry about gaining weight.
• While not necessary, if you feel you are a little more carb sensitive, you can keep the majority of your carb intake first thing in the morning and before and after your workout. This will ensure that you’re eating your carbs when your insulin sensitivity is the highest. 
• Eat a diet that is high in fiber. It helps to slow down the digestion of your food and keep a steady release of glucose. You don’t want a rush of sugar and then an insulin spike. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. Here are 11 easy ways to get fiber in your diet.

Chances are, if you aren’t losing weight, you have to look no further than your diet. The majority of your health and weight loss results are going to come from good nutrition.

It’s not all about calories!!!!

Your body needs nutrients to function optimally. Take a real close look at your own nutrition and see if there’s any way you can improve it. I bet you can, and I guarantee you’ll be better off with the changes. If after reading this article you still think you’re doing everything right, you might want to see if one of these 20 reasons for not losing weight is the cause of your troubles.

Join my FREE iChange nutrition program: http://www.AstridSchiller.net

Anny comments are highly appreciated
Have a great day
Astrid