When is a calorie deficit not a calorie deficit?
You might be surprised at how often people say to PTs, I’m barely eating anything and still not losing weight or I’m in a calorie deficit but nothing is happening.
This is when the idea that it must be your metabolism, carbs, the time you’re eating or the lack of random expensive magic juice in your diet that is stopping the weight loss.
Now I’m reality, on the odd week it might simply be water retention, not having a poo recently, your period or hormones affecting your weight.
But if your weight is consistently not coming down week on week even if you are in a calorie deficit here’s the reason for the scale not going down.
You aren’t actually in a calorie deficit.
– Are you actually tracking and if you are are you including EVERYTHING (sauces, coffees, left overs). You need to honest with yourself here.
– Are you consistently in a deficit. If you are Monday to Friday but waaay over calories on the weekend you probably aren’t actually in a real deficit.
– Maybe you are being honest about what you’re eating but overestimating how much your burning each day.
If this is the case you could try dropping your calories by a small amount each day (250 calories to start) and seeing what happens, you might need to drop a bit further but by bit until you start to see movement.
If you are in a calorie deficit consistently you will overtime drop weight so if you aren’t seeing progress you are not in a calorie deficit. Good news here – now you know that’s the issue you can work to change it.