3 min
If you don’t have a sound training program and a consistent nutrition plan, it is very hard to lose weight.
I’m here to tell you that hormones, special genetics, or metabolism myths play little to no factor in your weight loss. Your lifestyle, specifically how you move and eat, plays the largest role in your body composition.
The combination of sedentary jobs, ultra-processed foods, and inactive lifestyles has created the perfect storm for “sneaky” fat gain. In this post, I’ll break down why you aren’t losing weight and what you can do about it.
Think back to your teenage years…
You were probably playing sports, walking around campus, staying active without even thinking about it. I remember growing up, I would walk a couple of miles back and forth on my high school campus, play sports after school, and volunteer at various clubs, where I’d also be moving my body.
Movement was a quintessential part of my lifestyle, as it was for most of our childhoods!
Fast forward to adulthood, and most people spend 8–12 hours per day sitting at a desk, in a car, or on the couch.
The result? Muscle atrophy, weaker cardiovascular health, and fewer calories burned each day.
When you move less, your body burns fewer calories. And when you stop lifting weights or doing resistance training, your muscles start to shrink. Less muscle means a slower metabolism — so your body burns even fewer calories throughout the day.
Without regular exercise, your body has no reason to maintain or build muscle mass. Over time, this makes it harder to lose fat and even easier to gain it.
The good news is that you can do something about it. The solution is to make fitness a part of your lifestyle.
Even if you train hard, your nutrition can easily nullify your progress.
The modern Western diet is full of ultra-processed foods, refined carbs, and liquid calories.
It’s not uncommon to eat a full day’s worth of calories from a singular meal out of the house.
To lose weight, you must eat less than you burn. That doesn’t mean starving yourself. For most people, you can make three simple cuts before altering your diet:
These weekly habits make it nearly impossible to stay in a calorie deficit.
Start small. Cut back on alcohol and limit dining out to once a week.
Say no to sodas, candies, cereals, and processed breads.
After you’ve made those cuts, focus on a high-protein diet of meats, eggs, greek yogurt, along with fruits and vegetables.
You will feel less bloated, have more energy, and reach your weight loss goals faster.
Sitting for 8–12 hours straight tells your body to shut down calorie burning. If you are sitting down all day, you’re barely burning any calories. Pair that with some mindless eating at your desk, lunch with coworkers, skipping the gym again, and all of a sudden you’re 10 pounds heavier than you were 3 months ago.
If your job requires long hours at a desk, drink water consistently throughout the day.
Aim for about 6–8 ounces every hour. This not only helps your energy levels but also gives you a reason to stand up, stretch, and take quick walks. Sometimes you have no choice but to sit at work.
In that case, do the best you can to get up and walk around every hour and don’t forget your workout before or after your work day.
I promise you with absolute certainty that the reason for your weight loss is not tied to hormones, genetics, or the moon phases. It is diet, lifestyle, and exercise habits.
If you want to improve your body composition, start here:
You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to try. Not sure where to start still? Book a chat with us here.
Chat with a coach to learn more about what program will fit your lifestyle and your goals.
