If you are like most people today, you might be recovering from a Superbowl party. It was a great game, especially is you are a Giants fan like myself. Now that the party is over you might be ready to hit the gym and get those extra pounds off. Or you might decide to go on a diet to make up for the chicken wings, alcohol, and guacamole.
Before you start whatever you are thinking about trying to lose weight, you might not want to use weight to determine how well it is going. I think this is one of the biggest mistakes people make when they go on a weight loss program. In fact you should not call it a weight loss program at all. You should be on a fat loss program. This is the problem with most diet programs out there. They focus on losing weight. When we just diet to lose weight you will lose fat, but you will also lose muscle, bone density, water, and your sanity. The scale is only one factor in the puzzle and it is not really a good one. I have seen people drop 2 or 3 dress sizes while only losing a pound or two on the scale. The important thing is to focus on is how you feel and how your clothes are fitting. Even if the scale isn't moving, it doesn't mean you are doing all the right things.
I know I could go on a rant all day about this but I will spare you the time. Instead here are 5 reasons why the scale isn't moving, because I know you are still going to check it anyway. Some are good and some are bad. Enjoy:
1. You have been on a low calorie diet for too long.
People tend to forget what low calorie diets can do to your body. Our body is a very efficient machine. As you decrease your calories ,your body starts to get rid of things that require more fuel so that it can survive with lower calorie intake. One of the first things it will get rid of is muscle. Muscle requires much more energy to function, which is exactly why the more muscle you have the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight. When you drop your calories down for an extended period of time you will lose muscle among other things and your metabolism will start to slow down because of it. You body knows if you eat less it needs to conserve more. So if you been eating 1000-1200 calories for a while you will notice initial
ly you will drop weight fast. Then it will start to slow down because your are not burning as many calories as you use to. Then you will plateau because you are no longer in a deficit. You then get frustrated and start eating more again because the program isn't working. But now you have a slower metabolism than when you started. This means you will gain weight faster and it will be much more difficult to lose it in the future.2. You haven't given your program a REAL chance.
I know everyone, my clients included, want fast results. We watch shows like the Biggest Loser and see these people dropping hundreds of pounds like it is nothing. We need to remember that you are watching TV and can't believe everything you see. I'm not saying they aren't really losing the weight but you don't see everything that is happening on the program. We need to be realistic with our expectations. 1-2lbs a week may be fast for some people. I know that doesn't sound too exciting, but this is the truth. While it is possible to lose faster it is better to be conservative.
Avoid getting on the scale every day to see progress. It just is going to frustrate you. Instead find a pair of jeans that don't fit right now. I know you still have a pair somewhere. Once a week try them on. Stick with the program you are on for at least 2 months. If you can honestly say you have been doing everything the way you should be for two months and do not feel like the jeans are fitting better, you need to change up your program then.
3. You are losing fat but have gain muscle or bone density.
This is hopefully the case for most people. The goal of your workout/diet program is to gain some lean body mass and bone density while losing fat at the same time. When this happens you see very little change on the scale. This is fine though. Who cares what you weigh when you look better, fit into your clothes better, and get stronger. I know when we say build muscle it scares people out there, but do not be afraid of this. Make it as easy as possible to lose weight and gain some muscle. You are probably not training like a body builder (or eating like one) so you won't put on that much muscle mass. Most people will not train hard enough to gain more than a few pounds of muscle. If you have never done a strength training program before or if it has been a while since you have done one, you may notice you build more muscle than others initially but this will slow down.
4. You are not doing enough.
You may have made some changes to your diet and even your exercise program, but that may not be enough. Most people, when they look at the last few years they notice each year they have gained weight for the most part. Sometimes the initially changes you make are only stopping the bleeding. You are going in the right direction and it is a great start. You are at the point where you are no longer gaining weight. Again, I know that doesn't sound very appealing, but this is a good place to be. You are almost there. You just need to make a few more changes or additions to your program to start losing that weight.
5. You are not as good as you think you are.
If you watch House, you know that everyone lies. I find this to be pretty much right on. Everyone tells me how good they have been at certain meals, but always forget when they are bad. This is where food logs come in handy. Be honest with yourself. Are you really sticking to the program or are you cheating more often than you want to admit? When I have someone who is struggling to see changes, the first thing I often assume is that they are not being completely honest with me. Once we start to pry a little deeper we find that they were doing ok but had a few really bad days that are ruining the good ones. Just remember to be honest with yourself and have others look at what you are doing so you can get some feedback.
You Stay Healthy San Diego!
Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator
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