Your nutrition is on point. But the scale won’t budge. What the heck is going on?
It’s super disappointing when you can’t get that scale to move. Especially when it seems you’re doing everything right. But know there’s hope.
A small issue can be to blame. And once you fix that, you might finally reap the benefits of all your hard work. So let’s investigate why that scale won’t budge. And what you can do to get it really moving!
Here are some of the most common reasons you’ve hit a diet plateau. And this knowledge will help guide you what to do next.
You may need a probiotic
If you’ve had a junk food diet for years, you likely have a bacterial imbalance in your gut. Even if you don’t experience any stomach discomfort. And emerging research shows that fat storage may be exacerbated by a bacterial imbalance. Eating a healthy diet along with supplementing with a probiotic (beneficial bacteria) may help you if you’re stuck in fat storing mode.
Check out some of my favorite probiotic supplements here!
You have a hidden food sensitivity
Even if you’ve been tested negative for food allergies, you might be dealing with a food sensitivity. A food sensitivity is different from an allergy, but can still have a negative effect.
A food sensitivity usually takes longer for symptoms to appear. Thank 24 to 72 hours from the time a food is eaten. And food sensitivities won’t show up on a blood test. But they can lead to inflammation, and therefore weight gain.
Learn more about food sensitivities. And review an exercise you can do at home to help identify if you might be reacting negatively to a food.
You’re destroying your fitness efforts
Diet plus exercise is a winning combination. But if you’ve upped your gym game and the scale won’t budge, you may want to look back at your diet.
Have you been giving yourself food rewards for working so hard at the gym? Becoming more lenient with your diet is not the answer. So remember to keep following your eating plan while following through with your exercise goals.
You’re stressed all the time
Back in the old days, stress usually meant your life was in danger. So your stress response is designed specifically to get you through those rare life threatening moments. But what happens when everyday stresses of modern life constantly trigger a life or death response?
The stress hormone cortisol helps the body stay in fat storing mode. This i part of the fight or flight response. So if you’ve been ignoring your stress levels, and the scale won’t budge, now you’ve got your needed motivation to relax. Try yoga, meditation, or my 5-minute emotional detox.
You have an all or nothing attitude
Let’s say you eat strictly while at home. But the second you go out of town, you let go of restrictions. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas. But that doesn’t count when it comes to diet.
The answer is to never look at diet as all or nothing. Health is a lifestyle choice, not a temporary plan you go on or off. That means there are always room for treats. But that’s not an excuse to lose control
Learn to treat yourself in other ways besides food. And at the same time, stop looking at things as all or nothing. An attitude of moderation is the best long-term strategy.
You’re eating way more sugar than you think.
If you’re positive you’re doing everything well, and the scale won’t budge, it’s time to do some investigating. And don’t be shocked if the culprit is hidden sugar.
Let’s say you’re putting an extra couple of coffee creamers in your morning beverage. That seems innocent enough. But all that sugar adds up. And you don’t get a free pass if you’re using a creamer with artificial sweeteners. Many studies suggest fake sweeteners contribute to weight gain too.
(Want a better-for-you coffee creamer? Check these out!)
So if you’ve hit a brick wall with your weight loss, start looking at your diet like a detective. You might be shocked with what you find.
6 reasons the scale won’t budge
You’re not a lost cause. So don’t give up on yourself if the scale won’t budge. There is hope.
Nutrition and exercise are essential to weight loss. But they don’t tell the entire story. Sometimes you need to look deeper.
So start looking at the entire picture of your health. As I mentioned, things that have nothing to do with calories can make your body go into fat storing mode. So if you’re stuck, this means it’s time to look deeper. The scale will eventually move. You just haven’t YET hit the root of the problem. Keep investigating and you’ll get there!
With so many food options out there, especially during the holidays, it’s difficult to stay on track losing weight. Your post is a great read on why most people don’t lose weight
This is such a good reminder for people who are trying to lose weight. We have to go back and evaluate if we’re doing something wrong that’s affecting our weight loss.
This is such a great reminder to those struggling with weight loss while dieting etc. There are some things that hold us back and sometimes we are blind to it. I know I need to start some probiotics, but it’s a matter of actually doing it.
These are all really good reasons that the scale may not be moving down. I know that I’ve fallen victim to eating more than I think I am. This is why when I’m really serious about losing weight I keep a food diary.
I am definitely struggling with my eating, doing a 90 day challenge and sabotaging my efforts with eggnog. It’s hard to stay on top of everything.
Taking care of your gut is really important not only is it really important but it reflects of your weight, mood and so much more. I take probiotic foods on the daily, like kimchi, fermented veggies, kraut and fermented yogurt.
It’s amazing how all the sugar adds up. I’m always shocked when I read the labels and see sugar in the ingredients on something that should have zero sugar.
This is such an eye opener . I always struggle maintaining the weight I want to have. I have always heard of probiotic but just never give importance to it. Thanks for sharing this information. I need to get back in gear.
you don’t understand how badly I need this! I always looking for tips to help me out!
I definitely have an all or none attitude and it doesn’t help me very much. I know that logically that small changes will still help but I still don’t do it.
I am a terrible dieter. I get really into it for a few weeks then fall off the wagon. I have decided to try it slower this time around and just focus more on being healthier instead of losing weight.
I concur everything you said. The older you get, the harder it is too. I suggest who ever is reading this to START NOW!!! Great article here!
Nutrition is everything when it comes to fitness although so many times we think exercise is everything. I don’t trust the scale because sometimes it won’t badge but one may be losing fat and the clothes may be fitting looser. Diet plan is a must check when the scale just won’t shift.
I know this is a very frustrating part. I have been dieting for a while now, and am often stuck at the same weight position, don’t know what I am doing wrong.
Not seeing the scale move can be frustrating. I tend to go by how my clothes fit and my measurements since muscle weighs more than fat I know that I can be toning up without the scale going down.
I’m pretty sure stress is behind most of my weight fluctuations. I definitely need to get a grip on everything that makes me feel overwhelmed and make a better effort to get adequate sleep each night.
This is great info! I may need to check out some probiotics because my scale does NOT want to budge!!
This is wonderful advice! I have noticed that reducing my carb intake has helped me out majorly with my weight loss goals.
Good tips, Erica. I hate to see people (me included) with the all or nothing attitude. With the cold weather in Pittsburgh lately, it has been hard for my fitibit to hit that 10K steps every day. But I keep doing everything I can do to get as many steps as I can. At least it is something–just giving up on the day isn’t an option.