Why Am I Exercising But Not Losing Weight?

When you’re busting a gut in the gym but your weight won’t budge it can be mega frustrating.

I get that this might sound backwards, but exercise doesn’t always equal weight loss.

If your weight loss has stalled, ask yourself the following questions…

First of all, are you really in a calorie deficit? Really? No matter how much you exercise, if you are consuming more caloriesthan you expend, then you are NOT in a calorie deficit. This is why tracking your food intake is key, as it’s a really useful tool to highlight any areas that might be holding you back.

Are you moving less outside the gym? A big driver of weight loss is increasing your NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis). NEAT is any activity that is not formal exercise - basically, get those steps in! Aiming to complete a daily steps target is a great way to ensure you’re consistently keeping your NEAT up.

Are you eating more than you think? Most people will tend to overestimate the amount of calories they burn in their workouts, but then underestimate the amount of calories they consume day to day. ‘I am exercising and burning more calories, so I should be able to eat more’ - however, the extra calories eaten can often totally wipe out the extra caloriesburned, which then negates your weight loss attempts. Again, this is where honest and accurate tracking comes into play!

Final thought - exercise is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to weight loss, but there’s other factors to consider as well. Combining an effective diet and trainingprogramme with increased overall activity levels is always going to be the most effective and sustainable way of losing weight.