Why You Don't Lose Weight

I did a funny post on this at my other blog, Footprints in the Mud, but now I'm going to deal with the real reasons why you might not be losing.

Weighing too often. It's true- you can vary in weight from day to day, depending on how much you drink, the humidity outside, and what you drink on a regular basis. One lady was weighing herself twice a day- she lost two pounds at one weigh-in (the night before), and the next morning she gained four! Here she drank a lot of water and coffee (caffeine can be a factor concerning this). Don't weigh yourself more than once a week, and weigh yourself at the same time every weigh-in. The results will be more consistent.

PMS. Some women bloat and retain a lot of water during this time, and it will show on the scale. Keep this in mind, especially if you've been on target with your diet and exercise regime!

Dehydration. Believe it or not, not getting enough water will make you gain weight through retention. Make sure you drink a lot of water on a regular basis- your body will react by getting rid of excess water when it gets enough regularly.

Weigh-in when you wake up, after a bathroom break. When you first wake up, your body is in elimination mode, so don't weigh yourself until you've gone to the bathroom at least twice. You've held a lot all night, and the first time you go will be getting rid of all that. Usually it takes about a half-hour for you to have to go again, so do your weigh-in after that. You'll be glad you did!

Clothing. Clothing really is a factor when weighing in. Try to wear similar clothing every time, for consistency. Sweat pants in the wintertime will make you weigh more than shorts in the summer, and weigh your footwear separately so you don't have to take your shoes off every time you weigh in. My sneakers weigh a pound and a half, so I know exactly what to deduct from the scale since I weigh myself at the gym and can't take off my shoes.

Gaining muscle. It's true- muscle does weigh more than fat. If you've gained and remained the same weight, but did everything right, you might have gained muscle! If you can, take a picture of yourself front, back and side views once a month so you can see that changes. Or you can take a tape measure and write down the measurements of your arms, legs, waist, hips and belly, then measure again when you hit a plateau. This will keep you from getting discouraged if you don't see results on the scale.

Food Allergies. Sometimes we follow a plan made for us, but it still doesn;t work. Maybe there's something in the diet itself you're reacting to, if on a small scale. For instance, I don't have Celiac disease, but I found I lost energy whenever I had something with wheat flour in it. So when I dropped that out of my diet, I started feeling better and lost more weight! Drop one thing out of your diet at a time for a week, and see if you react differently. If you don't react, put it back in and take something else out. You might be surprised by what you're sensitive to!

I hope some of these tips help you to stay with your weight-loss plans! May God Bless you, and have a great week!