3 Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight That Have Nothing To Do With Diet And Exercise
Last Updated on 01/01/2022 by Nicky
Has trying to lose weight got you losing your mind? Does it seem like no matter what you try, you can’t lose weight? In this post, I identify some little-discussed barriers that block you from losing weight.
I remember a few years back when I thought I was trying everything possible to lose weight.
And I come to the conclusion that it wasn’t me.
I must have some underlying condition that’s preventing me from losing weight.
Or so I thought.
So I went to a doctor with a list of symptoms to prove to her that something was wrong with me. I was convinced that I had hypothyroidism and I had all the signs to prove it.
Or so I thought.
And this was why I could not lose weight.
Or so I thought.
But that wasn’t true. That was merely the excuse I was making to avoid dealing with the real reasons why I wasn’t losing weight. Turns out I did not have hypothyroidism.
And guess what? I was actually disappointed.
Imagine being disappointed that you don’t have a serious underlying medical condition so that you can use it as an excuse for your inability to lose weight.
Crazy right?
Now it’s possible that you do you have a serious condition that makes it harder to lose weight.
But if you don’t, these three reasons that I’m going to share with you just might be the culprit.
So let’s dive in and explore these reasons.
3 Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Weight
1)You haven’t dealt with the underlying causes of your weight gain
This is something that I’ve mentioned before and I’m going to keep mentioning it because I don’t see a lot of people discussing it.
Most people don’t overeat simply because they like food.
Most people like food but that does not mean that all of those people abuse it.
When you abuse food and overeat it’s usually a symptom of a larger deep or more emotionally painful problem that has not been dealt with.
People can experience traumatic experiences in their lives and the pain can be so soul-crushing that they don’t know what else to do except to turn to food.
They will use food to comfort themselves in an attempt to cope with the heart-wrenching trauma that has turned their lives upside down.
Unfortunately, they more than likely don’t grasp that their newly discovered “love of food” is actually a coping mechanism.
They may not be able to link their overeating and subsequent weight gain to this fresh emotional wound because the hurt is too raw and suffocating for them to make the connection between the two.
But once they do some soul-searching they may eventually uncover the true reason why they started overeating and then begin to get the help that they need to heal from their pain in a healthy way.
You see, food cannot heal you emotionally. Yes food is comforting it’s pleasurable.
It tastes good but it cannot mend broken hearts or repair the damage that’s been done to you in a healthy way.
Food cannot fix what ails you.
We must learn to rely on the Lord and the resources that He has given us in the form of His word, good friends and family, books, therapists, and pastors.
Once we start to really heal, weight loss can become a lot easier because we no longer need to depend on food in order to feel whole.
2) You are sedentary (working out 30 minutes a day and then sitting the rest of the day isn’t going to cut it)
This is another lesson that I had to learn the hard way (is there any other way?).
You see I used to think ok, I can work out for an hour a day and then mostly sit for the rest of the day.
I should still be able to lose weight, right?
I would go to the gym and I would walk/run on the treadmill sometimes for an hour but I didn’t get any other movement or activity throughout the day (or at least not much) nor did I really change my eating habits.
And guess what?
I didn’t really lose weight and I was upset about it and frustrated. How could I walk on the treadmill for that long and not lose weight?
But what I didn’t understand was NEAT.
What is NEAT you ask?
NEAT is non-exercise activity thermogenesis.
Neat is referring to the amount of movement and activity you get throughout the day that is not considered to be exercise.
NEAT includes movement like working in your garden, vacuuming, cleaning your house, running after your children, things like that.
Just those everyday movements that you get during the day where you’re not sitting. Adding more NEAT to your day can have a massive impact on your weight loss.
So if you sit a lot and you’re considered sedentary, working out for one hour a day as noble and wonderful as that is will not be enough activity to put you in a caloric deficit.
What you’ll need to do is start looking for ways to stand up and walk around. Look for ways to move around when you would normally just sit.
You can stand and walk in place when you’re watching TV or when you’re watching YouTube videos or movies.
I know because I am working on a blog I could be sitting all day so I and look for ways that I can get up and move around as I am working. For example, right now I am standing up.
I am walking in place as I am writing this very article just so that I am not sitting for 6 7 8 hours a day.
3) You’re not truly committed (the I’ll start tomorrow syndrome)
This is the old I’ll start my diet tomorrow scam that we tell ourselves. It’s a scam in which I’m well acquainted.
If I’m looking at the coming week and I know that it’s Memorial Day and we’ll be cooking out and throw out a barrage of excuses as to why my diet should begin next week. Well, I’ll have leftovers from the cookout including dessert and there’s just no point in me trying to eat healthy this week so I’ll start next week.
But then next week another excuse will surface and I’ll say well this week I’m going to this event or that event and they’ll be serving food that’s not healthy. I don’t want to deprive myself so I’ll start next week.
Before you know it all the next weeks pile up into the next year.
What I’m learning is that I have to think of ways to navigate all of those different events where unhealthy food will be served.
I have to make a decision that if I want to indulge at a specific event I then need tp eat healthier and cut back at other meals
In other words, I need to make some kind of plan so I’m not sabotaging my weight-loss efforts.
Are you struggling in any of these areas of weight loss?
Did any of these tips resonate with you? Did they get you thinking about your own situation and maybe some things that you haven’t considered before?
I encourage you especially in regards to tip number one to start exploring what it is that’s preventing you from losing weight.
Our bodies truly are temples of the Holy Spirit and we want to be able to treat it as such. And one way we do that is by eating healthy and being at a healthy weight if it all possible.
Please please please understand that I am in no way judging anyone for I cannot. I too struggle with my weight currently and have for many years.
While I have lost 65 pounds, I still have many more to go.
I just wanted to share with you some of the tips that have worked for me and things that I have learned along my weight loss path so far.
I have some weight loss resources then I would love to share with you in my free resource library, including a weight-loss prayer journal that I believe will help you walk with the Lord as you fight this weight loss battle.
You can take a look at it below.
Free Printables To Help You Lose Weight
Jumpstart your weight loss journey with all of the free weight loss and healthy living printables in my free resource library!
Click here to sign up to access the free Healthy Body resource library
Thank you again and I pray that God will continue to bless you toward your weight loss goals.
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