Working Out But Not Losing Weight? Here's The #1 Fat Loss Mistake To Avoid

In a calorie deficit and working out but not losing weight?

Wait, what...it's worse, you're dieting and working out but not losing weight or inches?

I feel your pain but Luckily for you, you've come to the right place.

Today, I'm going to reveal the number 1 fat loss mistake that keeps most people frustrated and stuck on the weight loss hamster wheel.

Don't worry though, this won't be boring,  because I'm going to take you through the natural process that many of our members go through before signing up for one of our Elite Proven Process Programs.

Hopefully, this will make this article far more relatable for you.

Here's exactly what we'll cover...

It's Time To Drop Some Weight!

This is step numero uno in the weight loss process.

It starts with that look in the mirror  and the response in your head...

"Dang, I know that's not me?"

Or...

You notice that feeling of uncomfortable back fat when you sit down on the couch and you say to yourself...

"Okay, it's time to do something about this weight, boss."

Or perhaps...

It's that conversation with your doctor about your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol etc. and you realize...

"Alright, I need to take my health a bit more seriously."

Whatever it is for you, it's the moment that makes you decide to

• take control of your health
• build your physique
• and seek out the best advice for weight loss that you can

But..

If you're like most people you naturally believe you already know exactly what to do, which may or may not be true.

Working Out But Not Losing Weight: Can't I Just Move More And Eat Less?

By now, your motivation to put a plan in action to lose weight, build muscle, and improve your health is at an all time high.

You do your research and discover weight loss at its most basic level comes down to

"Calories in versus calories out."

Sounds about right, plus You hear it all the time, and that's exactly where you start.

Smart move!

So, you put together a week worth of workouts,  schedule in cardio, and add in a meal plan to fast track your results.

And voila!

After week one your down 3 pounds, By the end of week 4 your down 8-10 lbs total and feeling great.

But then, for some strange reason, what you've been doing the previous 4 weeks no longer seems to move the needle on the scale.

If this scenario sounds familiar, you're not alone and it's common, But it does make you scratch your head and think how am I working out but not losing weight?

Well, the simple answer is...it's not your fault...but you have to dive deeper.

There are four strategies that you may not have factored into your initial "calories in versus calories out"  weight loss equation and we'll break them down in the next section.

The Four Fat Loss Strategies You May Forget To Account For When Losing Weight

Yes, calories in versus calories out is the true 70/30 (yup, that 80/20 rule is played out)

But it's not the best way to play the weight loss game, especially if you're a beginner.

Why?

Because it's akin to playing checkers when you need to play chess.

If chess is not your thing, don't worry it's not mine either, so this section will be a simple overview of four strategies for weight loss you can easily digest.

1. Strength Training + Cardio + Diet:

The most effective weight loss programs contain the following  3 powerful components.

Strength training: This provides progressive improvements in several crucial health and fitness categories unmatched by other forms of exercise including improving body composition,  lean body mass, and decreases in visceral fat, which is an important risk factor for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and chronic systemic inflammation[36].

Cardio or Aerobic Activity:  When done long term, cardio has a beneficial effect on your body's systemic blood pressure [1,2]. cardio may also improve your blood sugar and insulin sensitivity and may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, even if you're at high risk. lastly, cardio is the great accelerant to strip excess body fat.

Diet Strategy: Calorie restriction proportioned among the 3 macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) for 3-6 months can have anti-aging effects. Plus, When properly structured, your diet strategy will account for 70% of your results.

While this potent strategy is highly effective, it can seem daunting to master, especially for a beginner.

However, it's best to stagger these components together until they seamlessly fit into your lifestyle for the best long term results.

Dieting and working out but not losing weight or inches? here's why:

My best advice for weight loss in this case is the following.

First, Strength training works on  a stress-recovery-adapt model. meaning you expose your muscle to a training stress, your muscle recovers, and increases in performance the next time out.

This process creates microtears in muscle which are filled with fluid to aid in recovery which can contribute to your scale not budging.

Second, if your 30 minute walk or your 10 minute jog is no longer producing results, i'll explain why.

Walking and jogging are classified as low intensity steady states of cardio and while they're effective, convenient, and low impact, your body adapts to them  quickly.

This requires you to increase the time, distance, duration, or intensity for continued weight loss results.

Third, if you structured your initial diet properly and recently stopped losing weight, you'll want to avoid them temptation to adjust your diet.

Most times you need to be patient, allow your body to adjust to the newer changes, continue with your strength and possibly adjust your cardio regimen to get your fat loss back on track.

2. Cardio + Diet:

The second strategy to incorporate is cardiovascular training with a well structured diet.

Make no bones about it, this  approach can work well but at some point adding strength training should strongly be considered for two reasons:

A) Muscle loss: aerobic training relies on recruiting low threshold motor units that if overused overtime can lead to decreases in muscle mass and strength.

B) Frailty: decreases in muscle mass and subsequent bone strength can increase the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, but  mechanical loads that induce high-strain rates induce adaptive bone remodeling in a dose dependent fashion.

Dieting and working out but not losing weight or inches?:  My best advice for weight loss if you're using this approach and you're not losing weight,  is to increase your cardio intensity or duration for continued fat loss results.

3. Diet:

The third strategy of diet alone, is not my favorite but it is the 70/30 that drives the majority of your results, plus it forces you to  develop a singular focus, which is great.

The main drawback with this  approach is that you have very little wiggle room for error.

If you stumble with a handful of chips or have a weak moment and give in to a late night craving (and you will), you risk minimizing your results, which can lead to frustration and eventually reverting back to your old ways.

Dieting and working out but not losing weight or inches: my best advice for weight loss if you honestly believe you've been strict on your diet and your not losing weight, is to re-adjust your diet or add in strength training or cardio.

4. Strength Training + Cardio:

Depending on how much weight you need to lose, strength training + cardio can be great way to  ease yourself into a better physique.

Dieting and working out but not losing weight or inches?: My best advice for weight loss IF you're using this approach and you're not losing weight, is to dial in your diet strategy.

Your best bet for doing this, is to find out how many calories you average daily by recalling your last 3 days of eating.

If you can't do that, then track your total calories for one day and go from there.

 The #1 Fat Loss Mistake To Avoid

Alright ladies and gents, the four strategies have been revealed, you now have a good idea of why you're in a calorie deficit and working out but not losing weight and what you can do to fix it.

Before I let you go though, let's talk about the #1 fat loss mistake we often see so you can avoid it as you start your health and physique journey.

Don't worry I'm not going to drag it out on you, it's undereating!

And if you stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense.

When you transition from eating fast food, snacks, and take-out to eating real food made from fresh ingredients, you go from...

High calorie low density food

To

Low calorie high density food

Which makes you feel fuller sooner. besides, have you ever tried to eat 2,400 calories of real food? if you have you know it's not an easy task and it takes some getting used to.

Lastly, you have to take into account which one of the four strategies you're currently using, because you could be creating too large of a calorie deficit, which is often the case, and it's why I believe this is the #1 fat loss mistake to avoid.

Working Out But Not Losing Weight: Wrap Up

Oooweee, that was a lot to unpack.

But if you came here wondering "why am I in a calorie deficit and working out but not losing weight?" and you gained clarity, then it was all worth it.

And hey, be sure to drop a comment and let us know what you think!

If you need a proven process  to help you bust up your weight loss plateau, tap the image below to take our free health and physique quiz to find the best diet and training program for you.

Alright, I'm signing out until next time...

The juice is worth the squeeze.

Joe G - Your Elite Health And Physique Leader