Why am I not losing weight?

I've always hesitated to write a blog like this because there are SO many factors, and narrowing it down is very hard for me. Mainly because when I read something like this on the internet, the voice in my head goes, "they forgot this, that, and the other thing." But today, I will share 3 common themes I've seen over the years…

#1: Underestimating how many calories you eat. If you eat out often or haven't spent much time measuring food and free-hand servings, it's easy to overshoot total calories. Of course, a few isn't a big deal, but a couple hundred each day adds up. Another common factor in a calorie surplus is being too restrictive. I've witnessed people go SUPER strict during the week and have an epic cheat day like The Rock on the weekend. This can blow a week up.

Tip: Measure your food for a few days. I don't enjoy measuring food but do a spot check here and there to ensure you're right on servings. Especially on things like oils, snacks, or the thing that I like to ignore serving sizes.. Ice cream.. Also, don't have cheat DAYS. Unless you're The Rock, we mortals can't get away with a few extra thousand calories.

#2: Overestimating calories burned. Smartwatches are NOT accurate. To find how many calories we burn daily would require a lot of testing and expensive machines. During runs, my watch reads my heart rate way higher (at times), which gives me more calories burned. Take it with a grain of salt.

Tip: Don't self-reward after hard workouts with food. Reward your body with nutrient-dense food (such a trainer thing to say). I always disappoint when people ask what I ate after running an ultramarathon. I don't want to correlate hard work with "junk food." Randomly in the future, I'll give myself a little treat, though. A pick me up and pat on the back with my favorite gas station candy.

#3: Inconsistency. I'm going to lump a few factors into this one.. Missing workouts, missing meals without a plan (leading to indulgence), and, most importantly…. Sleep. The more consistent we are with workouts and eating, when do make changes (increase exercise intensity, go in a calorie deficit, etc.), our bodies respond to the change in stimulus. I recently listened to a podcast with Dr. Gina Poe, who studies sleep. She spoke about how going to sleep an hour later than usual completely disrupts our growth hormone release, drastically affecting our sleep. I won't go into the depths of growth hormone (quite honestly, I'm not smart enough), but if the Liver King was spending $10,000 a month on it, you could see it has value. Literally... Sleep not only affects how we recover, but it also plays a vital role in all-around health (especially hormones). Good sleep (7-9 hours) is arguably the most crucial factor in longevity.

Tip: Slowly dial in a routine for workouts, eating, and sleep. If you're consistently missing workouts, we need to revisit our approach. Are we giving ourselves enough time? Maybe evening workouts of being skipped often, and waking up earlier while the family sleeps is the best option. Find flaws and don't force change. Make it user-friendly. This takes time.

Alright, that's all I have for now. My closing advice: Don't get frustrated if you do not see the results you want. Stick to it. So many I work with get frustrated, and then a few weeks later, they see the results they have been working towards. Friction points and plateaus are part of the journey. Enjoy the ride. You're doing good things.

Much love.