Episode 206: Why the Scale Isn’t Moving: 5 Hidden Weight Loss Blockers You Need to Know

[00:00:00] Welcome back to the Back on Track Achieving Healthy Weight Loss, where I help you get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. I'm your host, Dr. Alicia Shelly. So let's get started.

[00:00:27] Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered why isn't anything changing? You've cut back on sweets, you started moving more, you even maybe skipped a few meals, but the scale, it does not budge. And worse, you start to think that you're the problem. If that sounds familiar, I want you to know that this is not your fault and you are not alone.

[00:00:57] Welcome to the Back on Track Achieving Healthy Weight Loss podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Alicia Shelly. And today we're unpacking five powerful reasons why you may not be losing weight, even when it feels like you're just doing everything right.

[00:01:16] This episode is not about shame or blame. It's about understanding your body, healing your relationship with weight loss and finally giving yourself the grace you deserve. So let's get to it. Reason number one, your body is stressed and that's blocking your progress. Stress isn't just a mental thing. It's actually a full body experience.

[00:01:41] Have you ever felt more tension in your neck or in your back when you're feeling stressed? And then once you relax, you're like, gosh, I didn't realize that. I'm just holding all this stuff in my neck. So it's not just about just the mental stress, but it could be your whole body. And when you are constantly stressed, your adrenal glands pump out a hormone called cortisol. This hormone tells your body to store fat instead of burn fat.

[00:02:11] And it stores it, where is it? Around the belly. And so you think your body's protecting you from danger, but it can also slow your metabolism and increase your cravings, especially for sugar, sugary, high fat foods. So if you're juggling work, family, finances, and just life in general, your body may be stuck in survival mode, not weight loss mode. So what can you do?

[00:02:38] Well, it's going to be important to practice small stress reducing habits, such as deep breathing. Let's do it right now. Take a deep breath in and out. And you may have to do this multiple times, but sometimes it can kind of help just relax your body, relax your stress. Also taking time to clear your head, doing walks in nature or finding something else that allows you just to clear the thoughts that are going through your mind.

[00:03:06] Also, maybe try doing the five minute meditations. There's so many different apps, like your different watches that will give you that mindful meditation minute. Just remind you to kind of take a moment and be mindful and have those meditations. Also, it's going to be important to prioritize your rest and recovery, making sure you have time for you. I sometimes speak to people who are working seven days out the week and they never have time.

[00:03:34] So it's important that you take that time to have those boundaries so that you can be able to rest and recover and get back to your daily grind. Because this is a weight loss prescription because it's helpful in helping you with losing weight and getting back on track. Now let's look at number two. Poor sleep may be sabotaging your weight loss.

[00:03:56] Sleep deprivation actually disrupts your hunger hormones by number one, decreasing the leptin hormone, which is the hormone that tells you that you're full. And then also it can increase your ghrelin hormone, which tells you you are more hungry. And this imbalance causes you to crave more high calorie foods and zaps your willpower. On top of that, poor sleep affects insulin sensitivity, which makes your body more likely to store fat.

[00:04:25] So what can you do? Well, number one, you want to treat sleep like it's a necessity, like it's a non-negotiable, not a luxury. Set a consistent bedtime that you go to bed regardless of what's happening at that time. Avoid your screens, your cell phone, your laptop, or even your tablet prior to bed because that blue light can actually trigger you, make it like you're not getting a good night's rest or you're not falling asleep because of that.

[00:04:54] Also, you may want to try blackout curtains or white noise machines to kind of help just drown it out so you can relax your mind and be able to fall asleep. Remember, one extra hour of sleep can change your cravings, your energy, and your results. So reason number three may be you're under eating and slowing down your metabolism. This is a common trap. Eat less and lose more, right? Not quite.

[00:05:22] In the diet culture that we live in, people are encouraged to try drastic diets where they're drinking lemonade or they're doing a cabbage soup diet. But and then they're just losing five to 10 pounds. And guess what? You may lose those five to 10 pounds. But when you go back to eating the way you were prior, the weight comes back.

[00:05:45] And when you skip meals or drastically cut calories, you send your body into starvation mode, which slows down your metabolism, holds onto fat, and causes energy crashes, irritability, and binge episodes where you're like, I'm hungry and I got to eat whatever I need to eat right now. So what can you do? Instead of underfeeding your body, nourish it with the balanced meals every three to four hours.

[00:06:13] Make sure it includes your protein, your healthy fats, your complex carbs. This is not about restriction. It's about a sustainable nutrition diet plan that you can maintain, you know, down the line for years to come. Number four, the hidden calories and overestimating exercise. It is so easy to think that I worked out today so I can have a treat. But here's the truth.

[00:06:40] Exercise alone doesn't burn as many calories as we think. And these hidden extras like sauces, like lattes, or even second helpings can quietly undo that progress. So what can you do? Try logging your meals and exercising honestly for a week. Use a tracking app or food journal to spot patterns. Focus on whole foods and be mindful of drinks and portions. And remember, movement is about more than calories. It builds strength.

[00:07:10] It boosts mood. It keeps your heart healthy. And so make sure you are getting that done, but don't use it as an excuse to have a treat. Reason number five, you're not managing emotional eating. Sometimes our weight loss stalls because we're emotionally eating. We're turning to food for comfort, stress relief, boredom, and even celebration.

[00:07:33] And even when you're eating healthy, emotional eating can lead to overeating or causing high calorie foods without even realizing it. Emotions can hijack your hunger signals, make it tough to distinguish physical hunger from emotional cravings. So what can you do? Start by noticing your triggers. When do you reach for food emotionally?

[00:07:58] Try alternative coping strategies like journaling, taking a short walk when you're hungry, calling a friend. Practice some mindfulness or deep breathing when you know you're eating but you're not hungry. Or you know that you want to eat when you're not hungry. Building awareness helps you make cautious choices rather than reacting on autopilot. So let's recap. If you're not losing weight, it does not mean that you're failing.

[00:08:25] It could be due to chronic stress, poor sleep, under eating, hitting calories or overestimating your exercise, or just emotionally eating. Each of these factors can quietly sabotage your progress even when you're giving it your all. But the good news is you're not stuck. With awareness, support, and the right strategies, you can move forward. Thank you again for listening to the Back on Track Achieving Healthy Weight Loss podcast.

[00:08:55] If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a five-star review, and share it with a friend who might need the encouragement. And remember, you are not the problem. You are not broken. You are not lazy, nor are you alone. And your body is not the enemy. With the right tools, you can get back on track. And until next time, stay strong, stay committed, and stay consistent. You've got this.