Why the Scale Won't Move

So you're eating right but the weight won't move...

This situation is not uncommon and often leads to frustration and giving up. Here are a few reasons this may happen:

1. Unrealistic expectations. You had a salad for lunch everyday this week and you hop on the scale to notice that not only did you NOT lose weight, you may have gained a pound! The problem probably lies in two places - what you ate the rest of the day and what you DRANK the rest of the day. All too often we want to pat ourselves on the back for getting in what we believe to be a healthy meal once or twice a day and are shocked when the scale doesn't move because we've conveniently forgotten about the other meals and snacks. If you put a creamy dressing on the salad and drink a bottle of 100% fruit juice with it, you've negated any calorie deficit you were trying to achieve.

Remedy: Use a food log and BE HONEST. This is the only way to monitor what you eat and make changes that you may not be aware of. People who use a food log regularly and honestly are 50% more likely to reach their weight goals. 

 2. Your portions are out of control. You may be confusing portion control and servings. A portion is the amount of food you put on your plate. A serving is a specific amount of food defined by common measurements, such as cups or tablespoons. Just because it's "healthy" doesn't mean you can eat as much of it as you want without the appropriate consequences. Raw vegetables (without added dressing or fat) is the only exception to this rule. If you are eating lots of cooked vegetables, but you're boiling them to mush or adding too much fat to them, you are working against yourself. Additionally, the portion sizes at most restaurants are sometimes twice as large as they should be. So even if you only eat what is given to you, you may be overeating.

Remedy: Use the following as a portion guide:

• Meat - the size of the palm of your hand 
(not including your fingers)
• Veggies - (as fresh as possible) - the size of 2 fists
• Fruit - the size of a baseball
• Starchy Carb - the size of the palm of your hand (not including your fingers)

If these sizes seem really small to you, you are likely eating too much at one time.

 3. You may not be eating as healthy as you think. Things like 100% fruit juice, wheat bread and bran muffins make people feel as if they are making healthy choices when they are not as good as they sound. When you choose a "light" variety of a food item, what you are usually getting is an exchange of fat for sugar or other waist-expanding additives.

Remedy: Learning how to decipher nutrition labels will help you make better decisions. An alternative is to only eat things that are or were once living. This will ensure that you cut out all processed foods. Eat fruit instead of drinking the juice. 

What eating or portion control issues do you have? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.