You’re drinking too much alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates the body and puts your detox systems on overdrive working twice as hard for half the product. This can slow down your metabolic systems for up to 48 hours when only done occasionally. Everything in moderation plays an important role here in maintaining proper servings of each alcohol type. A glass of wine, true serving = 1/3 of the standard glass. Liquor, true serving = a single shot. Same for a mixed drink, however the added sugar makes this type of drink more lethal. One beer is a true serving, however should be avoided if the body does not respond well to Barley and the like ingredients.
 
You’re not drinking enough water. People are probably sick of hearing me say that but it’s the God Honest Truth. Your body is 70% water, brain 90% water. Feeling groggy and sluggish and needing some mental clarity, try drinking my more water. Water is absolutely necessary in flushing out with old so it can process the new. Water removes waste, toxins, and yes even fat. Even a fat cell has to get cleaning out somehow but let’s go back to the fundamentals of not just weight loss but overall health. The best physicians in the world will tell you it all starts in the gut. Well, have you ever tried to flush a toilet with no water after going #2? Doesn’t work too well does it? Your body works the very same way. So if you find yourself having trouble or being irregular with your bowel movements it is imperative that you drink more water. Furthermore remember your gut is where nutrients are absorbed. You don’t want your #2 to be what’s sitting there fermenting and being absorbed for nutrients, it is bound to make you feel like S-H-I-T.
 
You’re eating too much sugar. Sugar processes in the body in many forms and your cute little pancreas can only take in so much. This becomes of immediate importance when living borderline diabetic or as a diabetic. Your body sees bread, rice, beans, lentils; additives aka fake sugar, many fruits, as well as the real deal as sugar. Sugar can be burned during a workout but we don’t want to burn what you ate today, we want to burn what you ate 3 years ago that still sittin’ there. This stuff gets stored and unfortunately when your body stores it, it jiggles.
 
You’re not getting enough fiber. This comes back to importance of your gut, nutrient absorption and the expelling of waste. Did you know people can have the ups of 10-15 pounds of literally poop sitting in their gut. Fiber is essential is bringing the poop together so it can make that semi-solid piece that will come out later. That is why these detoxes work so well. You finally start taking in the right stuff that your body can push out the unneeded junk. And this is not the stored kind this is the kind that has been sitting there like a delayed flight just waiting for its chance to be delivered to the porcelain throne. 18 is your magic number, if you’re not getting at LEAST that, then you’re not pooping to your full potential.
 
You’re not keeping yourself accountable. Days are busy, we all know this. And while you definitely have no idea what you ate yesterday, what are the chances that you remember everything you ate today (including the little things) or even what you had for breakfast. This is why I recommend all my clients to have a log. We have an app for that which is a step up from what you would find in the popular My Fitness Pal but what if you’re not tech savvy. A little journal will make all the difference! (And yes I have those too if you need one;) It is very easy to think you ate good and then 3 hours later…OOh yeaa, Susan brought donuts to work…annnnnd I had one… Having a log is one of the essential ways to see numbers go down on the scale because the fact is, you may be eating better, and you may be making better choices BUT you may still be eating too many calories. Which comes to……
 
You may be eating too many calories. Weight loss is more than counting calories or calories in and calories out. The difference in 400 calories worth of a fruit and yogurt smoothie and 400 calories worth a Cheetos.. I really shouldn’t have to go into detail there. The FACT is however that if you’re not seeing the numbers going down on the scale it is because you are eating enough calories to sustain that weight. Cutting calories is not an easy thing to endure sometimes but it’s necessary to teach your body the ability to live on the calories of a healthy 150 pound woman. That’s what you want to be right? Or insert your goal here… Now start acting like it.
 
You may have a metabolic disease. Thyroids are going out like crazy. It used to be a rare find but now it seems that the majority of my clients have an under-active thyroid. This makes it difficult to lose weight. The medications that give no matter how natural cannot replace that of the human body so even if you are on medication for Hypothyroidism and your numbers come back within normal range, it’s difficult to lose weight. Doctors don’t really know what makes someones thyroid stop actively working the way it should. Maybe it’s the lesser quality of food, sedentary lifestyles that people adapt but this is my theory and it’s been proven. Adrenal Fatigue. We live go-go-go and usually we keep pushing until our bodies just crash, it gets to the point that we get sick and that’s the only time we slow down or were sick and we keep going anyways. Getting sick is a blessing in disguise, your body trying to tell you, S-L-O-W D-O-W-N. There are many books that go into details on this topic, my favorite being by James Wilson, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome. If you don’t have time to dig into that right away here’s my advice. Stop stressing on little things, Don’t worry about things you can’t control, Learn to say NO and WhoTF cares, and make time for the most important person in your life-You.
 
You’re not exercising. Or maybe you are exercising but you’re doing the same old thing. You can’t repeat your habits and expect new results. Cardio is great, it can burn the most calories in the least amount of time BUT when you’re tired already, Cardio is just going to drain you more so guess what.. Get off the treadmill and pick up some weights. Muscle weighs more than fat, so real quick..
You may be losing fat and gaining muscle..
Muscle also burns more calories at rest. That’s right, you’re sitting at your desk and for every pound of muscles your burning 12 calories an hour vs. fat only burning 2. Now don’t be swinging around those weights and getting hurt by them. If you’re reading this article then you know someone that can educate you on proper lifting techniques for your body and your goals. Cardio is excellent for the dismissal of visceral fat, the dangerous fat around your organs. Cardio can be properly executed during weight training so get more bang for your buck!
 
You’re drinking your calories. I said keep a log but I bet your automatic thought was food. One of girlfriends and I used to go get pedicure together all the time and we would always stop at Sonic for a Route 44 Sweet Tea, shed talk about her “chunky-butt-syndrome”(her words not mine) and that she couldn’t seem to lose the weight. I’d just stare at her cup… She knew it, but wasn’t ready to give it up. Now she’s my size and wonders what she ever saw in the contents of that oversized cup. Tea, Coffee (because who buys is plain anymore), and soda. All major culprits. Diet soda, even worse. But its calorie free you say.. we had this discussion earlier right about how artificial still processes as sugar and the body stores it. Imagine that diet soda, all containing ingredients the human body doesn’t recognize, it doesn’t process through its normal systems and instead goes…. I’m calling the arms, annd some on the thighs, definitely the lovehandles…
 
You’re not getting quality sleep. How many hours do you get a night? Once you’re under the covers how long does it take you to fall asleep? Do you wake up periodically throughout the night? Why? These are all questions to ask yourself. The answers should look like this. I get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. It takes me 5-15 minutes to fall asleep. I maybe wake up once to use the bathroom (Yay you’re drinking water!) Anything outside of that we need to work on. Does your husband snore? Kick him or send him to a specialist. Are you going through a to-do list in your mind over and over again afraid that you’ll forget? Keep a pad and pen (light on phone will stimulate your mind and pull you away from your sleep cycle) by your bed to jot things down as needed. Your handwriting may be unrecognizable for a couple nights but then you’ll get the hang of it. And if your waking up on your own in the night it’s usually stress induced. Something in your life needs to be addressed, address it or have a shut off button. Read a book before bed to pull your mind away from the stresses of life or practice meditation or breathing techniques. Longer exhales for relaxation.
 
You’re skipping meals or having too much time between meals. Those of you that skip breakfast, I urge you to stop immediately. Even those that say they get an upset stomach when they eat in the morning. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Food is meant to be for fuel. Fill your gas tank at the beginning of the day and actually get somewhere aka be productive. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece meal, just have Something. Snacking between meals (on the right things of course) is a great way to keep your metabolism moving. Your body knows your schedule so when you have breakfast at 8 but lunch is not until 2.. Your body knows your schedule and will store the food you consume (the jiggle stuff we talked about) why, because it’s saving it for later. Didn’t think that KID Phrase would come up did you but it’s the truth. Your body needs periodic fuel. You get into the habit of eating every 3-4 hours and your body will be singing praises by dropping unnecessary fat because it KNOWS it’s going to get its next meal in just a little while and it can run its course, take the nutrients it needs and move on.
 
You’re stressing out about the number. How long did it take you to gain this weight? Losing is way harder than gaining. You’ll have to work for every pound. You’ll have to be consistent and determined and positive about your journey. That’s exactly what this is, a journey. Weight loss is not meant to be a quick fix, it’s a lifestyle change. You want to keep it off right, for life, as a style of living, lifestyle change. Don’t be hard on yourself if you make a mistake, just learn from it and move on. Your own mind will be your greatest battle. My saying – “when you want something bad enough, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen” Know that you are blessed, there is no destination and enjoy your journey.