1. You're not tracking what you eat
It’s no secret that tracking what you eat naturally takes a certain type of personality and/or level of dedication. One that many of us don’t have, but if you want to continue your fat loss journey it is essential. Feeling like you’re eating less is nowhere near effective as actually eating less…I know I sound like captain obvious here, but think about it. Total weight is an accumulation of calories in and calories out over time. So if you feel like you’ve been eating light for an extended period of time and you put yourself in a 300 calorie caloric deficit every day for 5 days (1500 calories) and then you go and have a 2,000 calorie meal at a restaurant on day 6 in addition to your baseline consumption, you just came out net 500 calories for the week. Total weight loss= 0 pounds.
A 1992 study on obese subjects who were attempting to follow a 1200 calorie diet sought to investigate whether a low basal metabolic rate or under reporting eating was the cause of no weight being lost (1). What they found is that the metabolic rate and energy expenditure of the subjects was within 5% of predictive values meaning that their energy expenditure wasn’t the cause. What they also found is that the group that reported a history of resistance to diet underreported food intake by -16% and over reported energy expenditure by +75%. Yet this group historically blamed their genetics and metabolic rate as the cause of their inability to lose weight.
2. You're approaching your cardio wrong
There are many different ways to approach cardio: from steady state walking on a treadmill or stair master to high intensity exercise with sprints or short rest periods. No matter what you choose, my primary rule of thumb is that whatever gets you moving and makes you happy…do it. Second to that, the cardio you choose should be based on your goals. Third, be realistic about your expectations with your cardio sessions. If you don’t take these three things into account, you’re simply doing it wrong.
a. The most effective form of cardio is consistent cardio. You can never out run or out walk a high calorie meal. A one-hour walk will burn about 2 calories for every pound of bodyweight. So a 200-pound man will burn roughly 400 calories after walking for one hour. According to nutritiondata.com, 2 slices of domino’s pizza (large) is 544 calories. This means a couple of slices of pizza at the office or at a party would negate your one-hour walk and put you in a 144 calorie surplus (assuming the rest of your eating for the day was the same). The key in this case is: if you find something you like to do that you can do consistently; do that, because sporadic cardio for weight loss won’t be as effective.
b. Your goals are important, especially since slow, steady state cardio can interfere with gains in strength and muscle mass. So if you want to lose body fat but your shape is important to you, take into consideration the physique of a sprinter vs a marathon runner. Both engage in cardio and have low percentages of body-fat, however one has greater aesthetic appeal vs the other. Plus, high intensity exercise requires less time, and your body continues to have an elevated metabolic rate even after exercise.
c. Being realistic about your goals touches upon point number one again, you shouldn’t be doing cardio to outrun a bad diet. You should be aiming for caloric deficit and using your cardio sessions to help achieve this.
3. You've hit a plateau
This has happened to all of us, we start a new diet and it seems like every week the pounds just start flying off. Then before we know it we have to fight tooth and nail just to lose a single pound. There are a lot of reasons for this, many in the fitness industry will blame it on a slower metabolism as a result of eating fewer calories over time. While there is some truth to this, a study from 1990 on obese individuals showed that once metabolism began to slow down due to lowered calorie intake, they were able to regain their pre-diet resting metabolic rate “when exercise of sufficient frequency, intensity and duration is undertaken while dieting” (2).
So when it comes to your metabolism ‘slowing down’ as you diet, there is more truth to a lower caloric expenditure over time due to weighing less than there is a damaged metabolism. As you weigh less, you burn less calories at rest and during exercise. The best way to respond to this is to revisit your diet and exercise program calorie targets as your weight changes. Or, pre-plan a ramp up in physical activity with caloric restriction over time to support continued progress. Another method of ensuring a healthy metabolic rate is to support or gain lean mass as it supports metabolic control.
4. You’re not getting enough sleep
Not getting enough sleep poses a two-fold issue when it comes to calorie control and fat loss. The first is with calorie intake: In a 2013 study researches reduced sleep by 2/3rds for just 8 days and found an increase of 559 calories average per day across subjects (3). There was no change in energy expenditure or the hormones controlling appetite (leptin and ghrelin) leading the change in calories open to speculation. But one obvious point is that more time awake means more food you’re going to want by the end of the day. 559 calories per day means about 6 days before you gain a pound of fat.
5. You need to make your own food
When it comes to eating out, preparation is key. A simple cup of rice can have hundreds of calories hidden in it if it is prepared with butter or oil. In addition, the calories typically listed in food products have a 10% allowable deviation and the calories you listed on restaurant menus are not monitored by any governing body at all. So you are at the mercy of the hands that prepared it in terms of caloric intake. If you plan to track what you eat, the best way to ensure accuracy is to prepare it yourself. At least for extended periods of time in between cheat meals. When it comes to cheat meals, the purpose should be for maintaining your social life, your sanity, jump starting your metabolism and helping to rev up your energy levels to continue another week of reaching your goals. But don’t allow cheat meals to become cheat days, or to occur so frequently that they halt your fat loss goals.
1. Lichtman SW, et al. Discrepancy between self-reported and actual caloric intake and exercise in obese subjects. N Engl J Med. 1992 Dec 31;327(27):1893-8
2. Mole, PA. Impact of energy intake and exercise on resting metabolic rate. Sports Med. 1990 Aug;10(2):72-87.
3. Andrew D. Calvin, et al. Effects of Experimental Sleep Restriction on Caloric Intake and Activity Energy Expenditure. Chest. 2013 Jul; 144(1): 79–86.