Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight On a Low Carb Diet

It is a scientific fact that low carbohydrate diets are very effective, But as any other diet, people sometimes stop losing weight before they reach their target.Here are some reasons why you are not losing weight on a low-carb diet.

1. You’re Losing Fat, You Just Don’t Know It
Weight loss isn’t a linear process.If you weigh yourself every single day, there will be days where the scale goes down and other days where it goes up. This doesn’t mean that the diet is not working.
Some people lose a lot of weight in the first week, but it is mostly water weight. Weight loss will slow down significantly after that initial phase and of course, losing weight is not the same as losing fat.
It is possible, especially if you are new to weight lifting, that you are gaining muscle while losing fat.To assure that you’re losing, use something other than the scale like a measuring tape to measure your waist circumference and have your body fat percentage measured from time to time.
Also see how your clothes fit, if you are looking thinner, then you are losing fat no matter what the scale shows.

2. You’re Not Cutting Enough Carbohydrates
Some people can be more carb sensitive than others. If you’re on a low-carb diet and your weight loss stops, then you might want to cut back on carbs even further.
Try to go under 50 grams of carbs per day which you have to eliminate most of the fruits from your diet, if that doesn’t work either, try to go under 20 grams for a while eating only protein, healthy fats and green leafy vegetables.

3. You Are Stressed All The Time
Unfortunately, Eating healthy and exercising might not be enough. We need to make sure that our bodies are functioning properly and that our hormones are balanced.
Being stressed all the time can cause elevation of  the stress hormones like cortsiol which can increase your hunger and cravings for unhealthy foods.
Try deep breathing exercises and meditation if you want to cut back on stress. In addition, try to cut back on distractions like Facebook and social media, read more books instead.

4. You Are Having Too Many Nuts
Nuts are very high in fat; almonds for example have about 70% of calories as fat and very easy to overeat on.
We can eat large amounts of them without feeling full due to their crunchiness and high energy density. We can consume a bag of nuts without feeling satisfied, even though that one bag can contain more calories than a meal..
If you are having nuts or nut butter as a snack everyday then chances are that you are eating way too many calories.

5. You Are Not Sleeping Enough
Sleep is very important on our health in general and studies show that a lack of sleep is related to obesity and weight gain because not sleeping enough can make us feel hungry and it will also make us feel tired and less motivated to eat healthy and exercise.
If you are right on track but still not getting proper sleep, then you won’t see the results that you are expecting.

6. You’re Eating Too Much Dairy
Dairy products can cause some problems to some people; despite being low in carbs they are still pretty high in protein which similar to carbs, can increase insulin levels, which drives energy into storage.
The chemical composition of the amino acids in dairy protein can cause spiking in insulin level. In fact, dairy proteins can spike insulin as much as white bread. So, consuming dairy often and spiking insulin can be unfavorable to the metabolic adaptation that needs to take place in order to obtain the full benefits of low-carb diets.
In order to get better results, cut back on milk, cheese, yogurt and cream.

7. You’re Not Exercising Right Or At All
You should never exercise with the goal of burning calories because the calories burnt during exercise are insignificant and they can easily be negated by eating a few extra bites at the next meal.
However, exercise is significant for both mental and physical health and in the long run, can help you lose weight by increasing your muscle mass, improving your metabolic health and making you feel awesome.
But it is also important to do the right type of exercise and not to overdo it.

8.You’re Eating Too Many Sweeteners
Even though sweeteners have no calories, they might affect your appetite levels.
Studies show that artificial sweeteners can affect your appetite, either negatively or positively, in some cases making people eat more overall calories.
Additionally, consumption of artificial sweeteners is associated with weight gain in the long term. Which probably depends on the individual, but if you’re eating a lot of sweeteners and aren’t losing weight then you may want to cut them down.

9. You Might Have a Medical Condition Getting in Your Way
There are some medications that are known to cause weight gain. You can check if there is a “weight gain” on the list of side effects on your medications. If so, you can ask your doctor to prescribe you another drug that doesn’t cause weight gain if possible.
If you’re doing everything right and still aren’t getting results, then perhaps you have some underlying medical problems such as hypothyroidism. In such case, make an appointment with your doctor and explain that you’re not losing weight and need to check if you have any medical problems.

10. You’re Cheating Too Often
Some people are able to control themselves and have cheat meals from now and then but some people who are more prone to food addiction, having cheat meals can ruin their weight loss process.
If you’re having small cheats here and there or eating junk food the entire day, then it can easily ruin your progress.
Having more than 1 to 2 cheat meals per week or one cheat day is going to be too much.
If you can’t control yourself around unhealthy foods then completely removing the junk food from your life is probably the best idea.

11. You’re Eating Too Many Calories
One of the main reasons low-carb diets are so effective is that they reduce appetite and make people eat less.
If you’re not losing weight but are doing all the right things, then try counting calories for a while and aim for a deficit of 500 calories per day, which should make you lose 0.5 kg per week.

12. You Don’t Have Realistic Expectations
Weight loss takes time, it is a marathon, not a sprint and losing 0.5-1 kilos per week is a realistic goal.
Some people will lose weight faster while others won’t. But it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone can look like a fitness model. Eventually, you will reach a healthy weight, which may be above what you really hoped for.

13. You’ve Been Cutting For Too Long
Being on a calorie deficit for too long it’s not always a good idea.
If you are dieting for many months your metabolic rate might slow down. So try to take a two month period where you aim to maintain your weight and gain a bit of muscle and of course, this doesn’t mean eating bad foods, just more of the healthy ones.When these two months are over, you can start dieting again.

Christelle Bedrossian
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Beirut, Lebanon