Today I want to share with you something I hear frequently from clients, and something you may have struggled with as well: “I’m eating clean, but I’m still not losing weight.”
Let’s jump right in and discuss a few of the key reasons this may happen:
— You may be eating the right kinds of foods, but not the right amounts. No matter how nutritious your food choices are, if you’re in a calorie surplus (i.e. consuming more calories than you’re burning), weight loss won’t happen.
— You may be snacking more than you think. Your meals may be very much on point, but if you find yourself reaching for unhealthy snacks during the day — or mindlessly munching while watching TV at night — you could be sabotaging all the great food choices you made during the rest of the day. (Sorry, this applies to alcohol, too. A bottle of red wine, while possessing many therapeutic and antioxidant qualities, has 635 calories!)
— You’re probably eating too fast. I’m often guilty as charged here, as well, and I have to really think about and practice the skill of slow eating. You see, when you’re having a meal, your digestive system sends signals to your brain when you’ve had enough food. But if you’re chowing down fast, by the time those signals get to your brain, you’ve already consumed at least a couple hundred calories beyond the point of fullness. We teach our clients to “eat slowly” and “stop when 80% full.” Aside from enjoying and digesting your food better, you’ll avoid blowing through the stop sign and consuming more food than you need.
So how do you know if this applies to you? One easy way is to take inventory of your perceived food choices vs. what (and how much) you’re actually eating is to write it down.
I encourage clients to keep a food diary for at least three typical days before we jump to any conclusions. It should be as complete and accurate as possible, but you don’t have to weigh or measure your food (that’s annoying) – This isn’t rocket science so keep it simple.
Just be as specific as possible and write down ALL the food you eat and what time you ate it (timing is very important also)
You may be surprised by what ends up on the list.
And because you are still reading (and I appreciate you), If you’d like me to take a look at your food diary, just send it to me! I’d be happy to give you some feedback and suggestions to be sure you are on track for success.
