Why Can't I Lose Weight?
Do you feel like you’ve tried everything, and that scale just won’t budge? Or you’ve been successful losing weight, only to gain it all back… and then some? You’ve followed the diets promised to work- low carb, Paleo, gluten free, Whole 30, intermittent fasting, keto, vegan, Atkins. The list could literally go on for most of this page. It seems like every week there is a new diet promising to solve all your problems.
Most often diets come with a beginning and an end, restrictions, feelings of guilt when you “cheat”, elimination of foods that then instills fear of those particular foods. According to this review, most diets are only effective for 3-6 months and within one year of losing weight, 80% of people will regain the weight back.
Don’t worry, you’re not doomed. If you are looking to lose weight for whatever the reason, I’m here to tell you that it is possible. I’m also here to tell you that it's also ok to live a healthy, nourishing, and empowering lifestyle without focusing on the number on the scale too, but that post is for another day!
So, what would most Dietitian’s agree upon that is missing from diets?
Sustainability
Empowerment
Education
Flexibility
Individualized recommendations
SMART action goals
& Most importantly learning how to be consistent with the other lifestyle factors that are not only important for losing weight and keeping it off but are important for overall health.
A healthy lifestyle involves multiple factors in addition to nutrition, like hydration, physical activity, sleep, stress management, fulfillment. It’s these ingredients that make the recipe for weight loss and keeping it off. Often clients say to me, “I’ve done the diets, I’ve done the exercise, and nothing works!” So, we take a step back and look at the entire picture. Are you actually in a calorie deficit? Are you getting enough sleep? Is your body under a constant state of stress and anxiety? Do you have a healthy relationship with food, or have you restricted and dieted for so long that you have “cheat days” or binge when no one is around? Are you only doing cardio for your exercise? Is your body ready for weight loss?
l Help people take control of their health by:
Providing individualized recommendations
Teaching you how to create realistic and attainable action goals
Fostering a positive environment to heal your relationship with food
Educating and empowering you to navigate nutrition. Working on stress management and healthy sleeping habits. Making sure your body is ready for weight loss. Embracing movement that is impactful for weight loss & functionality
It’s important to understand that many factors are important to weight loss and taking control of your health. It’s a journey; small changes can amount to big results.
Remember, even if we all ate and exercised the same way, we would all still look different because every body is different!
Julie Sokalski, RD, LDN, CPT
Owner of Compleat Wellness Studio, LLC.