Stuck with weight loss?
Stuck with weight that you can’t shift? Tried every diet, but nothing seems to work for you?
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, weight loss can be difficult. If you are finding that diets that used to work for you are not making a difference, then maybe it is time for a change.
In my clinic, I talk to people all the time who say that their willpower is weak, or that cravings can get the better of them. The way I look at it is that there is more to weight loss and appetite regulation that willpower alone. If you are craving sugary stuff and never seem to feel full, then there might be something lacking in your diet - something that you need to add into, rather than cut back on.
Here are five possible reasons why it is getting harder to lose weight.
Are you grazing?
Snacks between meals can soon add up, even if they are healthy, or low calorie, these little morsels can still contribute to weight gain. Ideally eat three decent meals a day and eat enough to keep you going without needing to snack in between meals. If you get hungry between meals, think about why? Did you eat enough at your last meal? Did you have enough fibre to keep you feeling full? Did you include a decent portion of protein to help keep you going?
Hidden sugars
If you do your best to load your trolley with healthy foods, you may be surprised to hear that some of these foods could be part of the problem. ‘Healthy’ cereal like All Bran and Branflakes are loaded with sugar, ‘Slim’ breads can be high Gi, triggering a spike in blood sugar and fat storage, and ‘skinny’ bars are often a marketing ploy to get you to buy something that makes you crave more.
Take a closer look at your labels. Choose foods with as few ingredients as possible and put it back oil the shelf if it read like a chemical experiment! Check the sugar content and aim for 5g per 100g or less. You may be in for a few surprises.
Give yourself a break
Give yourself a break of at least 12 hours overnight to rest and digest. Aim to eat within a 10-12 hour window. For example if your first meal of the day is at 8.30am, then stop eating at 6.30pm. You can modify the times to suit you. Don’t fast for too long though, or it will counterbalance the positive effects and can slow your metabolism, A 12-14 hour fast is sufficient to get weight moving for most people.
Rethink your drinks
Step away from the fruit juice, cordials and diet drinks. These drinks are often the root of weight gain for many people.
A glass of fruit juice is sugar by any other name and often a glass of OJ has as much sugar as a glass of fizzy pop. Low calorie and diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners that have been shown to contribute to weight gain in numerous studies. It is also thought that aspartame and other sweeteners affect the balance of healthy, probiotic bacteria in our gut microbiome, and some of these are important for healthy metabolism, appetite control and weight management.
Keep an eye on your alcohol intake too, as this can be adding to the calorie load.
Weekend treats
Are you ‘good’ all week and let it all go at the weekend? If you treat yourself to a bit of overindulgence at the weekend, maybe starting on Thursday evening with a glass of wine and a few nibbles, then this could be part of the reason why weight is not shifting. Take an honest look at what you are eating at the weekends and see how you might shift things a little. Cut back on the booze, choose healthier snacks like olives, nuts, houmous and carrot sticks instead of crisps, have one or two small treats rather than a family sized bag - you know the sort of thing.
Keeping a food diary over a week or so can help reveal where you can make a few little adjustments to get things moving.
My upcoming webinar on Healthy Weight Loss is on Tuesday 16 May.