I am eating less and moving more but why isn't the scale moving?

If you want to lose weight, all you need to do is eat less and move more, right? This over simplified advice has been floating around for a long time yet more people are overweight or obese than ever before. This is because this advice is extremely hard to adhere to.

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Here is what I see happen when people try this approach: my client will decide to lose weight so the first thing they do is start exercising by spending an hour doing cardio at the gym. All of this extra cardio makes them super hungry so they eat more than before (even though they are trying so hard to eat less). Or maybe they decide to start by eating less so they portion out small portions of their favorite foods (pasta, bagels, chips, and crackers are still the stars of the show but they are just trying to eat less of them). This works for a couple of days but then they find themselves polishing off an entire bag of chips after a stressful day at work. Or maybe they make a “healthy” salad with lettuce, a couple of chopped veggies, croutons, and tons of dressing. Well, this does not fill them up so they find themselves eating chicken nuggets off of their kid’s plate.

Sound familiar? This is so common and it makes women feel like there is something wrong with them when they can’t lose weight. I am here to tell you there is nothing wrong with you and you absolutely can lose weight. It is just going to require you to think about it differently.

Instead of eating less and moving more, try these things:

Work on healing your gut. Gut health is responsible for all aspects of your health. Learn more about healing your gut here!
Eat more protein! Aim to get 100 to 150 grams of protein a day. If you are consuming this much protein, it is going to help keep you full which will keep you full and help prevent you from snacking.
Replace your cardio with strength training. I love to run and walk for the mental health and cardiovascular benefits but when it comes to changing body composition, strength training is your friend. Try to get at least 30 minutes of strength training three times a week.
Cut way back on the processed foods (chips, crackers, pretzels, basically anything that comes in a package). These foods are designed to make you overeat them. If they come into my house, I know I won’t be able to say no to them. Try to limit how often you bring these foods into your house.