5 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

If weight loss is a goal for you right now, but it keeps alluding you, it may be that there are some reasons why it's not going to plan.

Today we talk to 3x Olympian, Body Transformation expert and founder of Roar Fitness, Sarah Lindsay who will help us understand why we may not be losing weight and the most common mistakes people are making with their food and fitness in their journey to shed the pounds.

// Goals matter

For true weight loss, the sad truth is that goals matter. It’s the ‘why’ that keeps us consistent and on track, so without a goal, we can very easily lose our way. Just going to the gym randomly isn’t enough. We need to keep track of everything we do to understand when we are gaining the results we want.

So, if you want to get a faster run time or get to a particular body weight, get goal-setting and put a plan in place. It is really helpful to have a personal trainer to support you on that journey and keep you accountable to your goals.

// Ditch the weighing scales

Your body is more than the number on the scales, especially as you get older. What’s more helpful is tracking your body mass index, assessing your percentage of body fat and muscle mass, rather than just the weight on the scales.

Ideally, you want to have a healthy body fat percentage (this will vary by your gender and age) and a strong percentage of muscle mass which is increasingly important as you age as the more muscle we have, the more easily we burn fat.

// Lift weights

Ok, so cardio is important for our heart health, but for us to truly burn fat and build muscle, we have to also do some weight training. Muscle burns fat, so it’s an easy equation and to strengthen your bone density, which declines with age, you must do resistance training to avoid those brittle bones. Getting great toned abs, legs and arms will not come from endless hours on the cardio machines.

// Food matters

No matter how many hours you spend in the gym, you cannot out-train that bad diet. It’s extremely helpful to have nutrition coaching like we offer at ROAR to really support your training journey as the two things go hand in hand. If you’re not used to training, you’ll also notice a spike in your appetite, so eating the right things at the right time to fuel your exercise is crucial.

// Binging doesn’t work

Whether it’s food or exercise, the key is consistency. Don’t think that four hours on a Saturday will be better than half an hour a day four or five times a week if that’s all you can spare. Even a walk with your friends or family for half an hour to combine some quality time with your movement will make a big difference over time.

Little and often is far better than burning yourself out through guilt and will get you better results over time. The same goes for food. Just because you were ‘good’ during the week, don’t ruin it with a binge at the weekend, which can ruin all your hard work.