You’re putting in the work, but you’re not seeing the results. As weeks go by, people telling you that, “it just takes time”. And that can only make it more frustrating.
We take a look at some of the most common reasons stubborn body fat just won’t go away, and how you can make it go away beyond diet and exercise.
What’s Keeping Me From Losing Fat?
1. Over-Eating
It’s easy to do, even if you’re doing your best to eat well. Especially if you aren’t eating homecooked meals. When you eat out, you’re not in the driver seat. You can’t control what goes into your food, or what size the portions are.
Even “healthy” foods like salads and veggies can easily become big calorie sources. Cooking them in butter or using a heavy dressing turns a light snack into a calorie-dense meal.
Portion control is another challenge — you may not feel satisfied even when you’ve had enough. Your body is used to eating more, so it can take a while to adjust.
Finally, we often overestimate our calorie use.
The basic principle of most weight loss programs is to use more calories than you consume, so overestimating directly leads to overeating.
A good solution for all of these challenges is measurement. A wearable tracker (like FitBit), can help you get a more accurate picture of your daily calorie use. Combine this with home-cooked meals and you can have greater control over the number of calories you consume.
Using a food scale, and measuring ingredients instead of eyeballing them can also significantly improve accuracy.
2. Stress
Losing weight can be stressful when you just can’t seem to shed those pounds.
Unfortunately, that stress only compounds the challenge. Cortisol, “the stress hormone,” can have a direct impact on your body fat. When your body is stressed it releases cortisol which stimulates fat, insulin release, and decreases muscle mass.
The decrease in muscle mass results in your body burning fewer calories. Insulin release coupled with a spiked metabolism increases appetite and causes cravings for unhealthy foods.
Stress can be managed, even in a fast-paced lifestyle. In Hacking Science for a Flatter Stomach, we discuss the benefits of meditation for reducing stress. A few other simple stress-reducing suggestions include:
- Exercise
- Reduce Caffeine
- Make Time for Friends & Family
- Avoid Procrastination
- Listen to Soothing Music & Sounds
- Spend Time in Nature
3. Sleep
Are you getting enough sleep? If you’re like 1 in 3 Canadians, you aren’t.
Sleep is an important regulator for fat loss. It controls several of the functions we need to shed weight effectively.
Similar to stress, a lack of sleep leads to insulin sensitivity and increased cortisol production. It negatively impacts our metabolisms and primes our bodies to store more fat.
The issues with lack of sleep compound with the ways we deal with them. The tired feelings often mean consuming more caffeine, further spiking cortisol production. As well, our cravings for unhealthy foods rise, making us eat more and eat worse.
The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends:
- 7-9 hours of sleep per night for ages 18-64
- 7-8 hours of sleep per night for ages 65+
Speed Up Weight Loss & Get Rid of Stubborn Fat
Even with healthy habits and a great routine, weight loss always seems slow. Especially where we want to lose it most, like muffin tops, double chins, and love handles. When you want to really improve your weight loss results, it’s time to look to CoolSculpting.
CoolSculpting works, using cooling technology to kill targeted fat cells even where it’s hardest to lose. It’s a non-invasive, outpatient treatment that allows your body to remove fat cells naturally.
Chins, abs, arms and thighs are only a few examples of where you can melt away that stubborn fat with CoolSculpting technology.
Book CoolSculpting in Newmarket
If you’re looking to lose body fat, CoolSculpting is one of the best non-surgical options available. Our team of surgeons offer consultations to help you decide if CoolSculpting is right for you, and set realistic expectations for your results.