I’ve come across two types of people: those who can lose weight fairly easily and those who can’t lose weight no matter what they do. If you’re trying to figure out why losing weight is so hard for you, you are not alone. There are many people who struggle with losing weight (and keeping it off).
That’s because you have to address two things to lose weight: whatever caused your weight gain and what’s keeping it on today. We are quick to jump to cutting calories, but that only works if calories caused your weight gain in the first place. If you’re on the Keto diet, it will only help you keep weight off if low fat, low protein, and high carbs all caused your weight gain.
However, there are a lot of agitators that may have instigated and continue to instigate your weight gain. This may shock you, but your weight gain may not have all that much to do with the amount of calories or the ratio of macronutrients (AKA fat, protein, carbs) you’re eating. It may be that you’re really stressed out or not getting enough sleep.
Here is a quick list of your possible weight agitators:
- Mindset
- Stress
- Over-stimulation
- Diet
- Toxins
- Sleep
- Physical Activity
- Yoga, Meditation, and Prayer
- Relationships
- Discipline
The biggest hurdle with figuring out what’s causing you to keep weight on is that everything is connected. What I mean by this is that everything you put in your body (intentionally or unintentionally), your mental health, and your spiritual health all affect your body in some way. From the food you eat or medications you take to the stress you put your body through or healthiness of your relationships, your body is constantly responding to whatever you come into contact with.
What’s even more complicated is that your body is uniquely designed. That means what affects your weight won’t necessarily affect someone else’s. (We’ll get more into that at the end.)
Let’s break down those possible agitators of your weight…
Mindset
One of my favorite stories to hear is of couples who try to get pregnant for years, finally adopt a baby, and shortly after that they get pregnant. I love this story because it shows that you can put an incredible stress on your body when you try to force your expectations on it. It’s not until you let go that your body will be free to do what it’s designed to do naturally.
So, the first step to start losing weight is to let go of your expectations. Let go of what you think you should look like. Let go of what size you think you should be.
Your body has a unique design, which means you have your own healthy look. Maybe the reason why you can’t keep weight off is that the picture of what you want to achieve is based on someone else’s body instead of yours.
Bottom line: stop chasing after someone else’s healthy look and start figuring out your own.
One more thing about your mindset…
When you stumbled across this article, were you looking for everything you’re doing wrong? If so, then that may be another reason why losing weight is so hard. Try focusing on everything you’re doing well right now and strive to add to that list.
I know that is a very slight change. But, that negative mindset (AKA focusing on all the wrong things you’re doing) may lead you into an “I can’t do anything right” mindset. So,
shift your focus on the things you’re doing right to remove a lot of that pressure you’re putting on yourself to lose weight.
Let’s get practical… Take a blank piece of paper and fold it in half. On one side write down everything you’re doing well right now with your weight. On the other half write down everything you know you need to do better at.
Fold the paper on the crease you made and place it where everything you’re doing right is on top. You’re only allowed to look at what you need to get better at when you’re adding to the list or choosing one to work on getting better at.
Stress
I cannot stress how much stress can prevent your body from doing what it needs to do. Your body shifts focus from regular, healthy functions to fight-or-flight when you’re under stress. That means your body focuses on conserving calories instead of maintaining a healthy weight.
If you want more details on how stress affects your body, check out this article.
Bottom line: everyday stress can be really bad for your health, so stress management is critical for weight loss.
Over-stimulation
Another possible reason you can’t lose weight no matter what you do is that you are over-stimulating your mind and body. What I mean by that is your mind and body need time to focus on taking care of you. But it can’t do that if you’re keeping it busy with a million other things.
There are many things your body does to take care of itself. Breathing and pumping your heart are the obvious ones. Your body also has to get oxygen to every cell in your body, provide nutrients and energy to every organ to carry out their specific functions, gather and get rid of waste that your body makes before it causes damage, and so much more.
Your body has a lot to do and can only focus on a handful of things at a time. So, when you over-stimulate your body by constantly eating, drinking caffeine, or scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, when will your body have the time and energy to focus on your weight?
There’s a good reason why relaxation and sleep are essential…
They give your body and mind time to rest so that your body can focus on healing from over-stimulation. When your body is able to rest, it can focus on removing toxins, repairing damaged tissue, boosting your immune system, among other things.
They give your body and mind time to rest so that your body can focus on healing from over-stimulation. When your body is able to rest, it can focus on removing toxins, repairing damaged tissue, boosting your immune system, among other things.
This may be surprising to you, but your weight is affected by all of these things. Your weight is affected by your immune system, your digestive system, your body’s ability to detox, your hormones. All of it.
Bottom line: if you want to lose weight, you need to take time to de-stimulate by resting (and fasting).
Diet
As you probably already know, your diet is vital in losing weight. However, you may be surprised to know that it’s less about the number of calories you’re eating and more about what you’re eating. If you find that you can’t lose weight no matter what you do, then you are most likely not giving your body what it needs to keep you healthy.
When you eat food, your body breaks down the food for its nutrients. Nutrients are needed to complete many different functions in your body. So, if you don’t have all the nutrients for a specific function, then your body won’t be able to complete the function.
Functions your body needs to do include protecting you from infections, storing memories, removing waste, digesting food, making energy, growing your hair or nails, moisturizing your skin, getting oxygen to your cells, and breaking down toxins. This doesn’t even cover half of everything your body needs to do. (AKA your body does a lot of stuff.)
What makes this complicated is that each function needs different amounts and types of nutrients to complete it.
So, if you aren’t eating food that has the nutrients you need, areas of your body could be suffering right now. And if one area suffers, other areas suffer too because everything is connected.
This is why when you take pain medications you get constipated, or when you injur your knee your hip hurts. Every part of your body relies on all the other parts to be in harmony. If your body is not in harmony, you are damaging your body.
That’s why it is absolutely vital that you provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
Unfortunately, processed foods strip most natural nutrients from the foods. Once the processed foods are stripped, man-made nutrients are added back in them. And man-made nutrients are just not the same as natural nutrients.
Before you jump on the food industry for this, the reason why foods are processed is so you can have the convenience of buying them at the grocery store. Ideally, everyone would be able to grow their own food, but that just isn’t realistic.
So, you have two choices… You can pay more for fresh food that has the nutrients your body needs. Or, you can buy processed foods that are cheaper and last longer that don’t have the nutrients your body needs.
Bottom line: if losing weight is hard for you, then shift your focus from calories to nutrients. Start trying to figure out what foods your body actually needs (hint, hint: fresh fruits and vegetables) and ditch those low-nutrient, cheap processed foods. They aren’t what your body needs.
Toxins
We talked about your intentional diet, but now we have to talk about your unintentional diet. An unintentional diet is anything that you use on a regular basis with man-made ingredients that are getting inside your body. This can be anything from the chemicals in your cleaning supplies to the artificial fragrances of the candles you’re burning.
Unfortunately, we come into contact with a whole lot of man-made ingredients. And the truth is our bodies are not designed to handle these man-made ingredients. That’s why a lot of health problems are resolved when exposure to man-made ingredients is limited.
More and more research is coming out to show how our immune systems are attacked by man-made ingredients.
If you don’t know what man-made ingredients are, they are made by man instead of by nature. For example, here is a list of synthetic fragrances and their potential harm.
If you don’t know what man-made ingredients are, they are made by man instead of by nature. For example, here is a list of synthetic fragrances and their potential harm.
Bottom line: man-made ingredients are not designed for our bodies, which may be what’s keeping you from losing weight. Now, I know it’s not possible to remove every man-made ingredient from your life. So, switch out processed foods and chemical-based cleaners for fresh fruit and vegetables and natural cleaners where you can.
Sleep
As we talked about with over-stimulation, sleep is essential to losing weight. Once your body has the nutrients it needs to complete its functions, you must give your body time to do its job. The best time for your body to do its job is when you’re asleep.
When you’re awake, you are always doing something, whether that’s moving, thinking, eating, or stressing out. Because your body is focused on what you’re doing right now, it’s not as focusing on its other to-dos. This is important because some of those other functions it can’t focus on are related to your weight.
Bottom line: prioritize your sleep to give your body time to do its job, including managing your weight.
If you are getting sleep but don’t feel rested when you wake up, then check out these 6 healthy sleeping habits.
Physical Activity
Exercise doesn’t just keep your heart healthy and get you fit, it also helps you detox. When you sweat during exercise, toxins (like we talked about above) are pushed out into your sweat. Your liver is mainly in charge of detoxification, so sweating helps your liver get more toxins out.
Exercise also helps push blood and oxygen to your cells. This may be why you feel more energized, are in a better mood, have a better memory and learning ability, and are able to relax more easily after exercising. It’s like every part of your body gets better at doing its job when you exercise.
Bottom line: your body needs physical activity for at least 150 minutes every week. If you can’t seem to fit exercise in, here are 10 ways to sneak it in without compromising your rest, sleep, or to-dos.
Yoga, Meditation, and Prayer
We’re very aware of how our health is mentally and physically affected here in the States. But, very rarely do we think about how our health is spiritually affected. Meditation, prayer, and yoga are all ways we can work on our spiritual health.
First, let’s talk about some growing concerns with yoga. More and more research is showing that yoga may actually be dangerous. Side effects of yoga have been noted as muscle injury, muscle pain in back and/or arms, and anxiety.
Also, more and more cases of psychosis are being seen with a type of yoga called kundalini. After reviewing the research, the best way to use yoga is for the stretches. Anything beyond that (AKA awakening of energies or transcending self) is showing to be very dangerous.
Bottom line: please think twice before you schedule your next yoga class. The stretches in yoga can be fantastic for your health. But anything more than that can cause serious side effects.
As for meditation, the relaxation of meditation is great for your health.
Meditation helps you slow down and relax your body. Relaxing your body is a good way to fight stress and tension in your body. Less stress and tension means your body can better focus on doing its job.
But, meditation also has its dangers. Just as with yoga, meditation is used to transcend self, which may lead to major psychological side effects. (Do yourself a favor and skip out on meditation or yoga retreats.)
Bottom line: The relaxation and calmness that comes from meditation are great, but anything beyond that can lead to serious side effects.
As for prayer, prayer lessens stress and tension in your body.
There have been many studies done on prayer that show its ability to increase people’s moods and quality of life. However, if you’re only interested in prayer because you want your prayers answered, then you are missing the point.
If you decide to give praying a try, be aware that praying does not necessarily mean your prayers will be answered. It’s less about getting what you want out of it and more about getting strength, hope, and stability when life gets crazy.
Bottom line: prayer helps release tension and stress in your body, as long as it’s done for the right reason.
Relationships
You were made to have good, healthy relationships. If you’re isolating yourself or have bad relationships, you’re putting stress on your body. And you already know that stress blocks your body from doing its job.
When you’re in a healthy relationship, you and the other person build each other up. That is not something you can find outside of relationships. You also get strength to keep going when times are hard when you have healthy relationships.
Bottom line: if losing weight is hard, how are your relationships? If you have unhealthy relationships, they may be keeping you from a healthy weight. Here’s an article about support and accountability if you need to revamp your relationships.
Discipline
Have you ever wondered why kids thrive under structure and discipline? I’ve been watching SuperNanny recently, and it’s crazy what structure and order can do! And it’s not just kids that thrive from structure, but adults do as well.
The reason why is because your body craves consistency. If things are constantly changing in your environment, your body has to take the time to adjust to it. If your environment is constant, your body doesn’t have to adjust every time, so it can focus on doing its job. This is where discipline and self-control are essential.
Bottom line: if you want to make some of the healthy changes in this article, you’ll need to start practicing discipline. A good place to start is by creating a schedule for your days and following it. Once you get used to the schedule, you can easily work on these agitators one at a time.
So, why can’t you lose weight no matter what you do?
There are a lot of reasons why you can’t lose weight no matter what you do. This article only covers a few.
My intent in having so many reasons in one article is not to overwhelm you. I want you to see that every part of your body is connected with the other. You cannot affect one area without affecting the other.
If losing weight is hard for you…
Pick one agitator mentioned above that you know you need to change right now. Focus on changing one thing at a time. Here’s a guide to help you make these healthy lifestyle changes.
If this is all overwhelming and you need help, the best thing you can do is to see an Integrative and Functional Dietitian or Doctor. Make sure whoever you see practices Integrative and Functional Medicine (IFM). Those who do not practice IFM may not understand how the body is interconnected.
If you are on a tight budget and can’t afford to see a Dietitian or Doctor, I’m in the process of creating a membership site just for you.