Why you're not losing weight

Losing fat isn't easy, but many of us simply need to address certain issues to find the key to success.
If fat loss was easy, most of us would be five kilograms lighter, but as many of us know, fat loss is hard, and keeping it off once you have lost it is even harder. Firstly, the human body is not programmed to burn excess energy; it is programmed to store it. Secondly, it is much easier to overeat than it is to undereat. Finally, if you have carried excess body fat for some time, it takes time to burn it off again, time many of us are not as keen to donate to the process as our bodies need us to. If you are ready to commit to weight loss, answer the following questions to make sure your diet, body and mind are all on the same page.

How committed are you?

People's definitions of commitment vary widely. For some, a trip to the gym three times a week represents the ultimate level of commitment, while for others, commitment is training at the highest level every day for an hour-and-a-half. The truth is that neither of these examples is relevant to anyone but the person setting it. The level of commitment required for fat loss will differ considerably between individuals as each of us has a different body type, genetic background, level of fitness and long-term goal. For some, it will mean weight training each week in addition to high-intensity sessions with a trainer; while for others, two or three aerobics classes will be adequate. If you are serious about losing body fat for good, do whatever it takes for you to achieve your goals as an individual.

What do you really eat?

Try writing down all the extra food that slips in during the day and you may well have the answer as to why you are not losing weight. Cakes at work for office celebrations, the office biscuit tin, lollies at night, picking before dinner and energy-dense snack foods such as 97 per cent fat-free muesli bars and sugar-loaded drinks are the most common culprits. Write down everything you put into your mouth for just one or two days and you will see how easy it is to identify the extras so you can work towards eliminating them.

Is your diet balanced?

The less weight you have to lose, the more precise the balance needs to be between the quantities of protein, carbohydrate and fat you are eating. A simple thing such as having too much carbohydrate in the morning or too little fat can prevent fat loss. The best way to identify your nutrient balance is to have a nutrient analysis completed by a professional. Generally speaking, a good balance for fat loss is 40 per cent energy from carbohydrates, 30 per cent from protein, and 30 per cent from good fats. This regime is more sustainable than strict plans such as the Atkins diet (10 per cent carbohydrate, 50 per cent fat, and 30 to 40 per cent protein).

What time do you eat?

The ability to burn fat depends on what different fuels the body has available to it. Within a mixed meal of carbohydrate, protein and fat, the body will always utilise the carbohydrate before the fat. This is merely an evolutionary adaptation for humans to store extra fat for times of famine. What this means in terms of fat loss, even if you eat a very low-fat nutritionally balanced diet, is that if you eat the bulk of your kilojoules in the second half of the day, you are unlikely to burn body fat. This is because the body will spend its time digesting the carbohydrate and protein content of your food and is unlikely to get to the fat stores before you eat again the next day. For this reason, a key step in fat loss is to shift your food intake forward. Aim for a carbohydrate-protein breakfast, morning tea and lunch, and then taper off the carbs and stick to meat and vegetables for dinner. Rewarding yourself with chocolates, biscuits or lollies late at night is not a good idea as it is likely to prevent fat stores being broken down.

Have you had your hormones checked?

Medically, there are not many conditions that directly impact on weight status, but insulin resistance is one of them. Insulin resistance is a state in which the body has trouble processing carbohydrate-based foods because the hormone secreted by the body to break these foods down, insulin, is not working properly. Symptoms of insulin resistance include an inability to lose body fat despite following a strict diet and exercise program, skin pigmentation, fatigue, bloating and a family history of infertility or type 2 diabetes. Talk to your GP if you have any of these symptoms and are having a significant amount of trouble losing body fat.
 

Food tip

If you are serious about weight loss, it may be time to have a cupboard clean out. Throw away anything you know should not be there and do a fresh shop this week.