Home » Diet Advice » 10 Reaons You Are Not Losing Weight: Part 2

10 Reaons You Are Not Losing Weight: Part 2

Posted by Caley on August 31st, 2009 at 05:00am

Last week, I started an article on the 10 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight. Even with diet and exercise, you might not be seeing your desired weight loss results on the scale. This article is intended to help you examine some areas you might not thought of for why you are not losing weight as quickly or effectively as you want. Just remember, the scale is not the best judge of overall health, especially as muscle begins to replace fat on your body.

More Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight

Wrong Exercise

Some kinds of exercise, while beneficial, are not huge calorie burners. If you only have a short time to devote to exercise each day, try a more intense cardio workout, such as jogging, swimming or high impact aerobics. Swimming, for example, burns 500-600 calories per hour based on the speed of your laps. Yoga can be a more intense, calorie-burner, but it depends on the type of yoga you are practicing. Gentle hatha yoga burns around 200 calories per hour session, which is equivalent to a leisurely walk. Continuous vinyasa “flow” yoga can burn up to 500 calories per hour session. Bikram yoga, practiced in a hot and humid room to facilitate deep stretch, can burn over 600 calories per hour.

Calorie-Rich Drinks

The number one rule for anyone trying to lose weight is to drink lots of water. Staying hydrated helps you to eat less and flush toxins out of your body. Many times when we feel hungry, we are actually thirsty. Don’t make the mistake of hydrating with sports drinks, fruit juices or soda. Generally, you will consume less calories and gain more fiber by eating fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. For example, a medium sized orange delivers around 40 calories while a glass of OJ (around 250 ml) delivers 115 calories. Those calories can really add up! Read the labels of packaged drinks closely and stick to black coffee or tea in the morning. Just get in the habit of drinking water with your meals. Flavor with a slice of lemon or lime if you need a little flavor and skip the sugar.

Under-Estimation

How accurately do you think you are tracking your calorie intake? Most American underestimate how many calories they consume, many by as much as 25 percent! Cut down on the processed foods in your home, such as bags of chip, which by design encourage you to lose track of calories. Get sauces and salad dressings on the side and only add a tablespoon to your food. Eat out less as restaurant meals are bigger in size and generally contain more butter and oils.

Next week we will be discussing foods that pack a surprisingly calorie punch.