5 reasons why you’re not losing weight – and how to do it better
Losing weight is no secret, but it’s not a sure-fire success either. Many people start out with good motivation, change their diet and exercise – and yet they don’t succeed. Frustration, insecurity and self-doubt then creep in – we see this enormously often in our first appointments. Many of these people are even skeptical that they can continue to lose weight at all. Maybe you feel the same way right now. If so, we want to show you five reasons that are very often the reason why you don’t continue to lose weight and stagnate on the scales – and, above all, what you can actually do to avoid these stumbling blocks.
So what is the real reason why losing weight doesn’t work, even though you are “actually eating healthily” and exercising regularly?
- You eat more than you think
A common mistake when losing weight is misjudging the calories you actually consume. People often eat snacks on the side, use oil generously when cooking or don’t count drinks such as juices and lattes. Even “healthy” foods such as nuts, avocados or muesli bars can quickly contain hundreds of calories. Without realizing it, many people consume so much more energy than they burn – and there is no calorie deficit. If you don’t specifically look at how many calories are contained in certain foods then this is actually quite likely.
And to be honest, and we see this very often, just reading and finding out about certain diets often changes the picture of how much you should actually eat and how much is too much. The problem is that people are often only told what they have to avoid on a specific diet and logically not all foods that contain more calories than you might think can be listed. This usually leads to people thinking that sweetened corn is okay because it wasn’t specifically banned.
What you can do:
Keep a precise food diary for a few weeks – preferably with an app that counts calories. We usually use Yazio or Myfitnesspal for this, but it doesn’t really matter.
Weigh your food, read labels and really be completely honest with yourself. Also pay attention to liquid calories. It sounds tedious, but only those who know what they really eat can optimize sensibly. Over time, you will develop a completely different and much more precise feeling for portion sizes and calorie density. This is incredibly valuable and can already help you enormously to really stick to a deficit. So try to track your diet really precisely and always take a quick look at your statistics at the end of the day to see how much fat, protein and carbohydrates you have consumed.
2. You are exercising – but not effectively
Sport is important for health, performance and body shaping. However, many people overestimate the calorie consumption of their training or design their workout inefficiently. Hours of cardio on the cross trainer actually do less good than you think – especially if your body has become accustomed to it. Strength training without structure, weights that are too light or monotonous repetitions also bring little progress in the long term. You will barely burn 300 kcal per hour in such units. That’s about half of a bar of chocolate. In one hour of training…
What you can do:
Focus on progressive strength training (“progressive overload principle”) with clean technique and continuous increases. Vary the exercises, pay attention to training intensity and avoid too long breaks (often caused by cell phones in the gym). Also, plan your training with structure: a well-thought-out plan with clear goals is much more effective than “Maybe I´ll do shoulders today.”. Sounds almost ridiculous, but this is the way that many people actually approach it.
If you are unsure whether you are training correctly, professional guidance from a personal trainer is an investment that will pay off.
In this case, interval training can also help you to burn more calories in your available training time than before.
3. You unconsciously compensate with food
After a hard workout, many people reward themselves with an extra meal or snack because they believe they have “earned” it. Cravings after exercise are also a common trigger for excessive calorie intake. It can happen that you burn 400 calories with a one-hour workout – and then consume 600 calories with a smoothie and a bar. The bottom line is that there is no deficit, but actually a surplus. Not really optimal.
What’s more, we have to bear in mind that the afterburn effect of your workout will be reduced if you eat a lot of calories in a short space of time. Normally, the body continues to burn a large proportion of its daily calories even after training.
What you can do:
Keep an eye on your energy requirements – and plan your meals carefully. Especially after training, make sure you eat a balanced, nutritious meal that fills you up but doesn’t take you out of your calorie range. Learn to distinguish between real hunger and emotional or “reward” eating. Here too, a structured nutrition plan or coaching can help you develop clear routines.
4. Stress and lack of sleep sabotage your progress
The influence of sleep and stress on body weight is often underestimated. People who are permanently under stress or sleep poorly often have increased cortisol levels – a hormone that can inhibit fat loss and trigger cravings. What happens then should be clear…
At the same time, a lack of sleep leads to increased irritability, reduced willpower and an altered feeling of hunger. The result: more desire for sweets, less energy for exercise and poorer regeneration. A real vicious circle that is best avoided. And that is also possible.
What you can do:
Make sure you have a fixed sleep routine with at least seven hours of sleep per night. Avoid screen time just before going to sleep, make sure you have a quiet, dark place to sleep and cut down on caffeine in the afternoon. These are really simple changes if we’re being honest, aren’t they?
Also try to reduce stress in a targeted way – for example through regular exercise, conscious breaks, breathing exercises or meditation. Your training plan should also be adapted: Too much strain can be counterproductive in stressful phases.
5. You have no plan and no structure
Fifth and finally, one of the most common reasons for lack of success is the lack of a clear plan. Many start with good intentions but don’t follow a concrete system – absolutely classic.
This means that they constantly change their strategy, follow trends or get confused by opinions on the internet. There is a lack of target definition, checkpoints and a long-term perspective. Without a plan, motivation quickly wanes – and setbacks lead to resignation instead of reflection. In the long term, you will certainly not be able to lose weight and maintain a calorie deficit this way.
What you can do:
Set yourself clear, realistic goals and divide them into stages. Document your progress – whether through photos, measurements or performance tests. Plan your week in advance: When will you train? What will you eat? Who supports you has a decisive influence on your consistency. And here comes a key point: with a qualified personal trainer, you not only have a plan, but also continuous support, correction and motivation. Then there really are no more excuses for not sticking to these points and achieving your goals!
Conclusion: Without the right support, the journey is often longer than necessary
Losing weight is feasible – but it requires more than discipline and good intentions. Most people don’t fail due to a lack of willpower, but really quite simply due to a lack of structure, ineffective methods, poor exercise execution or unconscious mistakes. This is exactly where an experienced personal trainer comes in. They will recognize where you stand, work with you to develop an individual training and nutrition plan and help you to stick with it – even when motivation or time are tight.
A coach brings an objective perspective, know-how and structure to your everyday life. This is extremely important and creates the necessary commitment. And, of course, it also ensures that you train efficiently and sustainably without overexerting yourself. You are not only investing in your body, but also in your time – because with the right support, you will not only reach your goal faster, but also maintain it in the long term. After all, that should be your goal – otherwise you could just go on a crash diet or have liposuction.
But if you are serious about losing weight and are wondering why it hasn’t worked so far, then perhaps it’s time to rethink your strategy – and get someone by your side to provide you with targeted support.
If you finally want to reduce your weight further and recognize yourself in one or even more of these mistakes, simply arrange a free and non-binding trial appointment with us. We’ll show you how to organize your diet and training so that the scales finally go down!
