Struggling to lose weight despite JERFing? Read this now.

It’s easy to view weight loss as a simple equation. Eat less, move more – that’s it right?

Well, not exactly. If it were as simple as that for everyone then I would be a very broke nutritionist. Sure, eating too far beyond your energy needs and being a regular couch potato can, and does, contribute to difficulty losing weight (amongst other negative health effects). But what about those of you reading this who eat a whole foods diet, have given up the white stuff (sugar), and are moving your body daily yet the kilos just won’t budge an inch?

Frustrated? I don’t blame you.

Here are the top five reasons why someone who may be “eating right” and exercising isn’t seeing the (low sugar) fruits of their labour pay off…

1. You’re not managing your stress.
   Stress – whether that be emotional, physical, mental or chemical – can contribute to an increase in one of our “stress hormones”, cortisol. Subsequently, this can then contribute to things like insulin resistance, dysregulated blood sugar and storage of fat around the midsection in particular.
2. You’re not sleeping well enough or long enough (or both!).

   This should probably be number one on the list, but it’s so often ignored. Sleep has a HUGE impact on several aspects of your health – from balancing hormones, blood sugar levels and frequency of food cravings to your energy expenditure, energy levels and ability to lose weight. It’s crucial to get 7–9 hours of quality SLEEP each night (not just time spent in bed).

3. You’ve got an undiagnosed thyroid condition.

   Your thyroid is the master dictator or your metabolic rate (how much energy you burn in a day). So, it’s important to ensure it’s working at an optimal level. It is also super important that it gets assessed and tested accurately as these issues are commonly missed due to incomplete testing.

4. You’re overtraining and undereating.
   If you’re kicking your butt in the gym 5–7 days a week and trying to keep your calories below 1200–1500 per day and still wondering why nothing is working… it’s likely due to your body feeling as if it’s under threat and like it needs to hold onto that extra body fat in the case you keep starving it. Put simply, you need to eat adequately to lose weight.
5. You’ve got chronic inflammation that hasn’t been resolved

   Chronic inflammation could be coming from gut issues (parasites, SIBO, IBS, food sensitivities etc), gum disease (best to go and see a holistic dentist), or unresolved viral infections. Chronic inflammation leads to elevated stress hormones and as discussed in the first two points, this can lead to a whole host of issues.

So, if you’re feeling frustrated that all your hard work when it comes to diet and exercise is simply not paying off, then do yourself a favour and start tackling some of the above areas. And, reach out to a qualified practitioner if you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused about which one should be the priority for you.

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