5 reasons I'm not losing fat...

As much as we are the biggest bell-ringers for whole foods and clean eating, weight (read: fat) loss comes down to one thing - calories.  Calories are energy.  If you consume more energy than you expend, you will store that energy for use at a later time (body fat).  Sounds easy enough, right?  So why is it so hard for people to lose weight?

1.  Fad diets
It's human nature to look for something bigger, faster, stronger, etc.  The diet industry are masters of marketing and if they can convince you to hand over a few of your hard earned bills to gain an edge on your problem, they do it and we happily comply. 

2.  Your "cheat day" is blowing you out of the water.
How many times have I heard, "I went to my favorite Mexican place on Saturday.  I stuck the rest of the week.  100% perfect.  You mean to tell me that I can't go out one night a week?!"  Yes and no.  To lose a pound of fat, you must create a deficit of 3,500 calories.  So, let's assume you are successfully creating a deficit of 500 calories every day of the week.  That would show a 1 pound net loss for the week.  Congratulations!  Now, what happens if on Saturday of that same week you didn't create a 500 calorie deficit?  Maybe even a surplus?  The scale at the end of the week will show less than a pound or maybe even more.

3. Lots of things can affect the scale
Water retention, not being hydrated enough, menstrual cycles, stress, and sleep are just a FEW of the daily things that can affect the numbers on the scale.  Being consistent in weighing and using other metrics though your health journey such as strength and measurements such as your hips, naval, and bust are great indicators of fat loss. 

4. The scale isn't moving
Taking measurements such as your hips, naval, and bust are key to a fat loss journey.  As you start to burn fat and build lean muscle mass, the scale may not drop as quickly as you'd like.  Keep in mind, muscle is dense and doesn't take up as much room as fat.  Keeping measurements will show progress when the scale doesn't move as fast as you would like. 

5. I can't seem to keep my calories down!
 Take a look at your fat intake.  For each gram of fat you eat, you take in 9 calories as opposed to a protein (4) or a carbohydrate (4).   Keeping a diet high in fiber and protein will help keep this curve down.