Have you ever tried to lose weight? Did you run into some challenges?
If you’re watching this I imagine that the answer is yes and it was probably those challenges that kept you from reaching your goal.
In my 16+ years of helping people lose weight, and going through the process myself more than once, I’ve found that most of those challenges are unnecessary.
So what I want to talk about with you right now is what those challenges are and how to avoid them.
1. You’re not following the 4 hard rules of nutrition.
Number 1 on my list of the 5 reasons that you’re not losing weight is: you’re not following the 4 hard rules of nutrition.
At The Fix Gym we have 4 hard rules when it comes to nutrition:
Everything that you eat must be:
1. Delicious
2. Satisfying
3. Fast
4. Easy
I’ll bet you thought I was going to talk about calories or something like that, right?
No, the most important part of any worthwhile nutrition program is that you enjoy it and our 4 hard rules for nutrition are the ways that we’ve found lead to enjoyment.
Why is enjoyment so important? Great question.
The reason is if you enjoy your nutrition program you have a better chance of sticking to it then if your diet is making you feel hungry and deprived.
That’s why following the 4 hard rules of nutrition and making sure everything that you eat is delicious, satisfying, fast and easy is crucial and why breaking one or more of the 4 hard rules is probably one of the reasons that you’re not losing weight.
2. You’re working out too hard.
Number 2 on my list of the 5 reasons that you’re not losing weight and how to fix them is you’re working out too hard.
I’m going to let you in on a little-known secret; no pain no gain is a lie.
But it is a persistent lie and when most people exercise, it’s with that philosophy in mind.
Which results in them working out way too hard too soon, and then being too sore to even think about exercise, making it very hard to motivate yourself to want to workout again.
At The Fix Gym we tell our clients “Just showing up is the win”. Because it is.
Not only do you not have to push as hard as you can when you exercise, I don’t think you should.
Mostly because you don’t have to push that hard to get results, but also because being that sore all the time makes your program hard to enjoy.
Why is enjoying your training program so important? Great question.
The reason is if you enjoy your exercise program, you have a better chance of sticking to it.
Are you starting to see a pattern here?
And that’s why working out too hard is number 2 on my list of the 5 reasons that you’re not losing weight and how to fix them.
3. You think hunger, sacrifice, and deprivation are required (When they’re actually red flags).
Number 3 on my list of the 5 reasons that you’re not losing weight and how to fix them is you think hunger, sacrifice, and deprivation are required when they’re actually red flags.
If you’re hungry or you feel deprived on your nutrition program those are not feelings that you should try to willpower your way through. Those are red flags that your program is broken.
You do not have to be hungry to lose weight.
You do not have to sacrifice enjoying what you eat to lose weight.
If you have to use willpower to keep on plan there’s something wrong with the plan.
Willpower is not a tool for weight loss. It’s a warning that you’re not enjoying your program.
Why is enjoying your program so important? That’s a great question that keeps coming up.
The reason is if you enjoy your program, you have a better chance of sticking to it.
Which is why avoiding hunger, sacrifice, and deprivation is number 3 on my list of the 5 reasons that you’re not losing weight and how to fix them.
4. You’re measuring your results on a scale (and nothing else).
Number 4 on my list of the 5 reasons that you’re not losing weight is you’re measuring your weight loss results on a scale and nothing else.
Throw your scale away. Right now. I mean it.
Pause this video, go find that dusty thing wherever it’s hiding, pick it up one last time and throw it in the trash.
Because not only is it useless when it comes to measuring the results of a weight loss program, but in many cases it’s one of the reasons for program breakdown.
Imagine you start a new fitness program and after a couple weeks of really trying you step on the scale and it says that you gained a pound.
I don’t know about you but I would be tempted to chuck my program and order a pizza.
But what the scale is not telling you is you lost fat and that extra pound of scale weight is muscle.
Getting lean means losing the right kind of weight, your body fat, which means you need to measure your body fat to make sure that you’re getting results.
And results are a great motivator.
When you start to see your body fat percentage shrink it adds another level of enjoyment on your program.
Why is enjoying your program so important?
The reason is if you enjoy your program, you have a better chance of sticking to it.
Yes, I know saying that over and over again is obnoxious but repetition is how we humans absorb information and I really want you to take this to heart.
Which is why using a scale to measure your weight loss results is number 4 on my list of the 5 reasons that you’re not losing weight and how to fix them.
5. Your program is too hard to stick to.
Let me ask you a question.
Do you have to force yourself to do the things that you like to do?
Of course not. As humans we almost can’t resist doing the things that we like to do.
So I think we can we agree that enjoyment=consistency.
And in the end, it’s sticking with your program or not that will determine if you reach your goals or not.
Ultimately, the reason that you’re not losing weight is because you’re not enjoying your program which makes it hard to stick to, and eventually impossible to stick to.
Your plan breaks down and you end up gaining back all of the weight that you lost. Then you try the same thing again with the same results. And again. And again.
The Fix to breaking out of that loop is to make enjoying your program the top priority.
Just find a way to enjoy your program and you will be amazed at the results.
