So, you are still counting calories? And you are hitting the gym as well, that too 6 times a week! Absolutely great! But experts would unanimously agree that weight loss is more than just exercise and calorie counting. Also, you can just lose as much weight with exercise, there are so many other do-able things that would improve overall health as well. Dripping with sweat, it’s easy to believe the numbers on treadmill and other cardio machines, and overestimate the amount of calories burnt during exercise. A study says these machines exaggerate calorie burn by as much as 20%! Focussing too much on exercise and ignoring other factors that actually impact the weight will backfire. Also, a lot of celebrities falsely project this notion that you can eat whatever you want, and burn it all away in the gym the next day. Research says we can only burn about 10 to 30% of the total calories consumed each day through exercise. Not at all undermining exercise in improving health and preventing diseases, it has just a marginal effect when there’s considerable amount of weight to shed. Positive changes do take place with exercise, but with regards to weight loss, without a calorie-deficit diet, it would not take you far. Why am I not losing weight with regular exercise is a common question we hear, so here’s a bit of detail:
1. Track Where your Calories Coming From: Even though you might be eating within the calorie limit, do keep a track of the food sources where those calories come from – because food rich in sugar, transfat, are more likely to get stored as fat, especially around the waist. High sugary treats raise inflammation, spike insulin release, and insulin is a hormone that is not just a regular of blood sugar, it also helps convert excess calories into fat, and locks up the existing fat stores as well. Cut down sugar consumption, totally eliminate transfat to see a remarkable difference in just a few days.
2. Manage your Stress Please: Chronic stress is as bad for your physical health as it is for mental health. Stress triggers undesirable effect right down to individual cells. Cortisol, which is a hormone that washes your system, in the event of a stressful situation, increases cravings for unhealthy food and high amount of cortisol can actually mobilize fat from other areas of the body to the belly area! If you are not finding ways to manage stress, becoming a gym rat won’t help. Listening to music, dancing, engaging in hobbies, are some common stress busters most people believe works for them.
3. Poor Sleep Hygiene: Sleep deprivation can totally break your weight loss game, it’s also one of the major reasons behind belly fat. If you are not getting even 7 hours of sleep, all major hormones like cortisol, insulin, leptin, ghrelin, growth hormone, go out of whack, and even with vigorous exercise, losing weight would become an uphill battle.
4. Not Addressing Hormonal Issues: Thyroid, estrogen, insulin, leptin, these are some hormones that can stall fat-burning when they dysfunction. For example, estrogen dominance causes weight gain around the belly, hypothyroidism can increase body weight, insulin resistance would make it extremely difficult to burn fat. It’s important to consult a doctor to address hormonal imbalances and treat them as per their advice first.
5. Not Eating Enough Protein: Increased protein intake helps with muscle building and would amplify your efforts in the gym. That’s not all, protein keeps you full for longer, curbs appetite, burns more calories, and boosts metabolism as well. Need high-protein meal plans to lose weight? Check out the Rati Beauty diet on how to lose without starving or crash dieting, eating nutrient-dense meals including protein.
Summing up, it’s a fact that most people who lost oodles of weight did not do so by relying only on exercise, they first took charge of their diet and eating habits, and also made positive lifestyle changes. Do follow a healthy and nutrient-dense diet like Rati Beauty, exercise consistently, and of course manage stress, without compromising on sleep or peace of mind.
How To Lose Weight without Counting Calories All Day Long
5 Hormones That Make It Harder For Women To Lose Weight