I know most of you are already hard working, disciplined people who make sure to get your workouts in and stick with a pretty healthy diet.  But when it comes to knocking off that last 5-20 pounds, it’s like nothing gives.

Well, I hear your pain.  Despite being active in sports and dance since I was 3 years old, I was def a fat kid growing up.  I weighed 106 pounds in 3^rd grade…yeah it’s true.  I also struggled with my weight throughout middle school.  In high school I discovered Slim Fast and dropped about 15 pounds, but then after college I “fluffed up” again after I quit playing basketball.  Now, I’ve finally gotten to a place where I’ve figured out my body enough to really be able to drop weight and keep it off.

Even though I worked out a lot and ate relatively healthy, I identified 5 key reasons why I wasn’t losing weight.  See if any of these habits apply to you…

1. I tried to be perfect – I have a super Type A (slightly neurotic) personality and would get really pumped up about a new diet plan or workout regimen.  However, if I slipped up even once, I’d beat myself up and end up quitting the plan altogether.  Now, I’ve learned to be nicer to myself.  Look, there will always be good days and bad days, but weight management is all about balance.  If I smash a burger and fries at lunch, that’s cool.  It just means I’ll have a small side salad for dinner followed by an extra 30 minutes of cardio.  Don’t take everything so seriously!  Just keep a mental note of what you are consuming and make sure that you always match your intake with calorie burn.
2. I needed a reality check – They ONLY way I’m truly able to manage my weight is by weighing myself on a DAILY basis – yes daily!  Sometimes, you just need to see the numbers on the scale to give you a reality check.  If you actually see that you have gained 5 pounds, you will be more mindful of what you eat.  I challenge you to go to Wal-Mart, by a digital scale and weigh yourself every morning.  You will thank me later 🙂
3. I ate too much – Even though I ate healthy food, I ate too much of it.  Therefore, it was really hard to burn more calories than I consumed, which is the ONLY way to legitimately lose weight.  You’ve heard it before, “eat until you’re satisfied, not until you’re full.”  Well it’s true – portion control is just as, if not more, important than food choice.
4. I ate too late – Unless you are doing a hardcore cardio workout at 8:00pm, your body really doesn’t need that much fuel late at night.  Try to eat most of your calories early in the day so that you have all day to burn them off!  Think about it this way, everything you eat in the evening just kind of sits on you…not cute.  One of my favorite quotes is, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.”
5. I didn’t drink enough water – So check this, most of the time you think you are “hungry” you are really “thirsty” due to dehydration.  Many of us get tricked into eating when our bodies really want WATER!  Your metabolism slows down when you are dehydrated.  Also dehydration makes you feel lethargic so you crave sugar and other simple carbs that make you fat.  Drink up, water is your weight loss friend!