If you’re eating healthy and exercising, but you’re still not seeing the number on the scale drop, it can be frustrating.
But simple changes, from making sure you’re eating enough protein to avoiding sugary drinks, can help you lose weight.
Here, dietitian Dr. Duane Mellor reveals some of the barriers that can keep you from shedding those pounds.
It can be frustrating when your weight loss plateaus, but simple switches can help you lose weight and make sure you’re eating enough at mealtimes is one of them, according to dietitians
You are not eating enough protein
Just focusing on cutting back on food can hinder your weight loss.
Because getting enough protein is key to shifting the scale.
That’s because eating enough foods high in macronutrients — such as chicken, fish, and chickpeas — can help keep portion sizes in check.
‘Not eating enough protein can affect how filling your meals are,’ says Dr Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian at Aston University in Birmingham.
Making sure you keep foods high in protein such as lean meats, beans, peas and lentils, especially along with fiber, can help you feel full longer.
Dr. Mellor added, “While there’s less of a link between eating more filling meals and weight maintenance, being part of a healthy eating plan can help you feel more in control of your food choices and better able to maintain your weight.” ‘
High-protein foods are more filling and satisfying than foods with a lower macronutrient content. This means eating enough chicken, fish, and chickpeas will help you keep your portions in check
But it’s not just the amount of meat and lentils you eat that you should keep an eye on, the quality is also important.
Dr. Mellor explains that ultra-processed foods, such as takeout, microwavable meals, and fruit-flavored yogurt, are “easier to digest and get the calories out.”
He adds that these foods are “highly desirable and less able to make you feel full.”
So, eating these items can make it harder to resist snacking between meals and lose weight successfully.
Your diet is too strict
It may seem logical to assume that a rigid meal plan is the key to weight loss.
But experts say cutting your calorie intake too much can be a bigger struggle to shed the pounds.
One reason for this is that you are not eating enough, which can make you feel too tired to exercise.
Dr. Mellor said, “It’s thought that reducing the amount you eat and your caloric intake too much can reduce the amount of involuntary activity, which could mean weight loss may slow down a bit.”
By consuming too few calories, dieters also lose more muscle than fat.
To lose weight safely and sustainably, the NHS recommends cutting back 500 calories a day – to about 1,500 for women and 2,000 for men – to lose 1 pound (0.45 kg) a week.
Experts say if you cut your calorie intake too much, you could have trouble shedding the pounds. One reason for this is that you are not eating enough, which can make you feel too tired to exercise
Some crash diets advocate eating just 800 calories a day, which experts warn usually makes people gain weight in the long run.
However, there are some exceptions.
Dr. Mellor said: ‘For some people with type 2 diabetes who want to try to put their diabetes into remission, a low-energy diet under medical supervision may be an effective treatment option.’
Earlier this year, the NHS unveiled plans to roll out a soup and shake diet, with type 2 diabetes patients consuming 800 calories a day for up to five months. Test results showed it put patients in remission for at least five years.
But cutting calories only moderately is a more sustainable way to lose weight, according to Dr. Mellor.
He said, “The key is not to be too hard on how you change your diet as this can be difficult to follow and try to be as active as possible to maintain the vital lean tissue and muscle in your body.”
You drink your calories
While dieters may exercise rigorously and eat healthily, their progress can be held back if they drink too many sugary drinks.
They can also cause major sugar crashes — which can cause hunger pangs even after recent eating.
Dr. Mellor said: ‘It is not necessarily the amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that can affect weight loss, ultimately it is the dietary pattern that enables a person to eat healthily and reduce their energy intake in a sustainable and affordable way.
“However, if you have sugary drinks, because we’re not very good at recognizing energy coming from drinks as food, they can cause us to expend more energy.”
He recommends switching to water or unsweetened beverages to regulate energy intake.
Dr. Mellor emphasizes that making long-term changes that are manageable is the best way to manage your weight.
He said: ‘If anyone is trying to manage their weight, it’s important to look at a healthy diet that you can enjoy in the long run.
“It’s a good idea not to focus on weight and think about how we’re trying to improve our health, where weight changes are more of a side effect for people with a higher weight than the main and only goal.”