4 Reasons Why You Can’t Lose the Last 5-10 Pounds
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Are you frustrated by the elusive nature of those last 5-10 pounds on your weight loss journey?
Join us in this episode of Embrace Your Real as we uncover the mysteries behind those last 5-10 pounds that seem so stubborn to shed. From metabolic adaptations to hormonal shifts, we explore the physiological factors hindering your weight loss journey. Tune in as we address common challenges and misconceptions that may be hindering your progress and learn practical strategies to overcome them and achieve your body goals with confidence and clarity.
What I discuss:
Metabolic Adaptation
Hormonal Shifts
You’re overeating without realizing it.
You may not actually have 5-10 pounds to lose.
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey there, beautiful human you're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I get you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get it. Let's go. [00:00:27][21.0]
[00:00:27] Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. Four reasons why you can't lose those last 5 to 10 pounds. So when you start your fitness journey, sometimes it feels like you're seeing results super fast. Like the progress can be super addicting. They call it newbie gains. Or you know when you're muscle building and newbie gains, meaning that you're building the body that you want. You're losing fat, you're building muscle, you feel good. But those last like 5 to 10 pounds for some reason. For a lot of people, it feels like it's impossible for them to get them off right. This is a common struggle. And so that's why in today's episode of embrace IRL, I kind of want to explain a few different things that could be happening inside of your body that might be preventing the weight loss, and kind of what you can do about it. Before we dive in, though, I wanted to share this review. It comes from charity Nicole, 1981. She gave a five star review and said, love, love, love. I just recently discovered this podcast thanks to a friend recommendation and I can't get enough. And I've listened to several episodes. So much truth, caring and wisdom. Thanks, Julie. Well, thank you so much. I'm so grateful that this podcast is helping you and also so thankful for your friends. [00:01:35][67.8]
[00:01:35] So tell your friend thank you if your friend is tuning in. I don't know her name, but thanks so much for sharing this podcast with a friend. I always ask you guys to do that and so thank you! It really does mean so much when you guys do share this podcast with a friend, with a family member, a coworker, someone in your life that you feel like would benefit from it. So thank you in advance for doing that. And thank you for taking time out of your day to send in a review. Okay, so let's dive into the four reasons why you can't seem to lose those last 5 to 10 pounds. Number one metabolic adaptation. So if you are someone who is reaching weight loss through caloric restriction alone, shedding those last 5 to 10 pounds, that might feel like an uphill battle. And there is actually scientific kind of reasoning behind that. Your body is very smart, God's design is impeccable, and so when you restrict calories, it actually adapts by slowing down your metabolism, aka metabolic adaptation. So kind of think of it like this. Your body knows it's only getting x amount of calories in each day, so it's going to make sure that it only burns x amount of calories each day to kind of match what it's getting right. It's not going to continue burning more calories than it's getting in. So essentially your body hits the brakes on the calorie burning. And guess what? This actually can translate to a lower resting metabolic rate. And this means that you're burning fewer calories even at rest. This can also affect kind of how many calories you're burning during exercises as well. Suddenly, you know, those workouts that used to result in a significant calorie burn might not be as effective. [00:03:10][95.0]
[00:03:11] So the moral of the story is that by continuing to cut calories, to continuing to see results, that's actually likely not going to be the answer long term, because it's just going to really slow your metabolism down for lack of a better term, more and more and more. So you're like, okay, great. You just kind of gave me like doomsday. No, like, what do I do about it? Well, you need to kind of work through. I've talked about this tons and tons on the podcast because it's so important, and I don't think that I can ever overstate it. But there are four phases of macro counting. There's body fat loss, reverse diet, muscle building, and maintenance. It's important that you don't just stay in one phase unless it's a maintenance phase, which I've mentioned before. You can really stand maintenance phase for however long you want, right? Maintenance phase is maintenance phase, but it is great to kind of cycle through these phases of macro counting because your metabolism is adaptable. But when when I say your metabolism is adaptable, it can adapt in one of two ways. It can either adapt and slow down, or it can adapt and become more efficient. And kind of by doing so, by working through these four phases of macro counting, you essentially outsmart your body and actually can increase your metabolic rate in the process, which is pretty cool. We talk about the four phases of macro counting a lot in my macro counting online academy, so be sure to kind of check that out. That's going to be definitely a great tool for you. I also have talked about multiple different episodes on, you know, the four different phases of macro counting. I've gone through each phase in depth, so just kind of scroll back through some episodes I think you'll really find helpful. [00:04:44][93.0]
[00:04:45] But overall this course, the macro counting made simple online Academy. This is going to really show you how to adjust your macros. You know, it's going to give you a guideline in terms of how long you should stay in each phase and whatnot. So I will link that in the show notes so you can easily go check that out. But super important that you remember that you should not just be staying in one phase, like you should not be staying in a body fat loss phase for an extended extended period of time. Because our bodies, I guess, like I mentioned earlier, they're impeccable. God's design is impeccable. And so as a result, our metabolisms can get smart and they start to adapt to hormonal shifts. Right. Another significant challenge in losing the, you know, the. His last 5 or 10 pounds is really dealing with increased hunger and appetite. And here's why. Your body produces more ghrelin again, the hunger hormone when you're in a caloric deficit. And this means that your body has heightened feelings of hunger. And this is due to two main reasons. The first reason is that when you consume fewer calories than you burn, your body is essentially in starvation mode. Ghrelin increases this, you know, to stimulate your appetite, to drive you to eat more. Trying to help you to restore energy balance a.k.a. trying to get you to eat more food because your body believes that you need more food. It's essentially trying to trick you. And the second reason is that leptin signals this feeling of full. So in a caloric deficit, leptin tends to decrease. And this decrease can also indirectly lead to an increased ghrelin production. So your body does this for the same reason I just mentioned. [00:06:20][95.2]
[00:06:20] So kind of how and what can you do to kind of combat these hormonal shifts? The good news is that it is possible to combat them. First, you really have to focus by incorporating more protein and fiber into your meals, right? These nutrients are known for their satiating properties, so helping you keep feeling fuller longer and helping you to curb your cravings over time. And secondly, prioritizing good sleep. This is so, so important. And yes, sleep is going to directly help you to regulate those hormones. And this is why when I talk about health and fitness, I always say, this is such a it's a harmony of multiple different things that, you know, not everything's always going to be in balance, but there are so many different factors to your health and fitness journey. Just besides, you know, your nutrition and your workouts, there's also sleep. There's also chronic stress, or there's also all of these other things. There's water intake, fiber intake, all of those things that are really going to ensure that you are feeling optimal or you're not feeling optimal, which can be inaccurate. It can maybe sound overwhelming because there's so many factors, but it can also be encouraging to know that there are other things that you can focus on because maybe you're like, hey Julie, I am super consistent with my nutrition. I'm super consistent with my workouts, but I'm still not seeing results. The good news is, there are other things that you can be focusing on or asking yourself, like, are you drinking enough water? Are you really staying in a state of balance and low stress? Or are you chronically stressed? How's your sleep doing? All of those things. They all play a role and an important role at that. [00:07:58][97.9]
[00:07:59] And so kind of going back to really regulating your hormones, that's going to be so beneficial to help you reach your goals. And one more thing that we need to discuss, because it's important, is that not all calorie deficits are created equal. Something that's super important to know is that calorie deficits are not meant to be lived in, which is what I was talking about earlier. Right? You're not meant to live in this constant state of a body fat loss phase. That's why I always recommend people go through the four phases of macro counting, at the very least one time. But you know, for me, I've personally, for example, I've reversed I did four times in my journey. So there really is no limit, I would say to how many times you do it, especially just recognizing that this is a lifelong journey. But when you stay in a caloric deficit too long, this is where the issues start to arise. You'll actually see way better results, and you'll likely lose that, you know, 5 to 10 pounds that you have left if you cycle through those four phases of macro counting. And like I mentioned, there are that's just there's more than just a body fat loss phase. There's body fat loss, there's reverse dieting, there's muscle gain, muscle building, muscle gain and maintenance mode. All of those four phases work together, and obviously you can't do them all at once. And this is why I always tell people that this is a lifelong journey. Don't think that results are going to happen overnight. They won't. But the good news is that when you actually reach the results that you're looking for, they're also going to stay because they're sustainable. Number three, you're overeating without realizing it. [00:09:33][93.8]
[00:09:33] So you could be eating healthy. You could be eating all the quote right. Or organic foods, grass fed, gluten free, vegan, keto, whatever it is, you could be eating all this foods, but that doesn't actually matter at the end of the day. Like, yes, those things are good. I'm not going to, you know, I'm not going to downplay and say those things are bad. No, but it doesn't matter if you are eating right. What matters is the amount of how much you are eating. Because at the end of the day, if you are overconsuming calories, you're not going to lose those last 5 to 10 pounds that you want to lose. Also, a lot of us don't realize the extra additional calories that we're consuming throughout the day, whether that be from extra cream in the coffee, a handful of chips in the pantry 3 or 4 times a day. You know, the second little serving of dinner, whatever it is, all of those little things tend to add up. And this, technically speaking, is called calorie underestimation. And. Essentially a few ways that you can underestimate calories is number one. Portion sizes are larger than you realize. Research has actually shown how common it is for people to underestimate portion sizes, especially when they're served in larger portions. They believe that they're eating, you know, a standard or a recommended portion, when in reality they're actually consuming significantly more than what's recommended. Another place people don't realize that they're consuming calories is in their drinks. Drinks. So so under estimated, in my opinion, especially people who just have no concept on calories, including sugary drinks, alcoholic beverages, seemingly innocent drinks. You know, there's so many of these gut friendly drinks, kombucha, all of those things. [00:11:10][97.3]
[00:11:11] I'm not saying any of these things are bad. I'm just saying that, you know, you could be suckered into being like, oh, this is good for my gut health. And yeah, it might be good for your gut health, but you just have to recognize and factor those calories, those protein, carbs and fats that are in the drinks. And oftentimes it's typically just carbs that are in the drinks. You have to factor that into your daily allotment of protein, carbs and fats. And another kind of underestimation is condiments. Oh my goodness. Condiments especially dressing. So people could say, you know, I got a really healthy salad. I get a salad every day. Whether you know, you're getting it from sprouts or getting it at a cafeteria, or you're getting it from a grocery store or from a local, you know, organic place. Okay. That's amazing. I'm not saying that the salad itself is bad, but just recognize that maybe the dressing that you're putting in that alone could have 3 to 400 calories in it just for the dressing. And so just recognizing those things is so important. And then another thing that I have found, you know, so many women and this is myself included prior to being educated about this is just, you know, accidentally eating too much simply from mindless eating, like, you're not paying attention at all to your you're distracted whether you're on your phone, you're talking with your kids, you're watching a movie, whatever it is, if you do this, you know, 3 or 4 times a day and maybe it's 2 to 300 calories each time, that adds up over time. It's those hidden calories. It's those calories that, you know, we don't even realize that are hiding in our foods like condiments, sauces, dressings, drinks, all the things that I just mentioned. [00:12:44][93.2]
[00:12:45] All of those things can add up. So you're like, okay, what? You're just telling me all these things that are negative, what do we do about it? The most important thing is, and I will preach this till the end of time. You have to be educated on how much your body needs through utilizing the 12 macro counting protein, carbs and fats. How much does your body need based on where you're at and what your goals are? How much does your body need in this season of life? And then recognize what is in the foods that you're consuming on a daily basis, and kind of matching what you're eating on a daily basis to what you should be consuming in terms of protein, carbs, and fats. Right. And just recognizing that, because macro counting is really going to allow you to see where your calories are coming to pay attention to where all of those calories are coming, and to really help you better optimally fuel your body. And as to what you're putting in your mouth on a daily basis. And I always tell people this like macro counting doesn't have to be a forever thing. I am in a phase of life right now while I'm pregnant right now. So I have previously macro counted for, you know, seven plus years, and then I've been in maintenance mode for about four years, and I know about how much I'm getting on a day to day basis. And that has simply just come because I was super consistent about educating myself about foods, about how to properly fuel my body, how much to properly fuel my body, and as a result, now that I'm in this phase of pregnancy where, you know, I definitely don't have a body fat loss goal, I am really trying to optimally nourish my body. [00:14:20][95.4]
[00:14:21] It has been super helpful for me, especially because I'm really trying to prioritize overall calories, making sure I'm getting enough calories, and prioritizing protein as I'm growing this baby. But because I have that education, it is stuck with me forever. And so, you know, people are asking me, why are you macro counting while pregnant? No, I'm not macro counting while pregnant. But the beautiful thing about macro counting is it is educated me to be able to intuitively eat truly like, intuitively eat by knowing around how much I'm consuming on a day to day basis. Number four, you may not actually have 5 to 10 pounds to lose, right? Most often than not, the reason why women can't lose the 5 to 10 pounds is because they're they have these unrealistic expectations. They're trying to force their bodies into being something that they're not. They think they have to lose X amount of weight. And a lot of this is based on just like previous, you know, I weighed X amount before my kids or I weighed X amount in this year. And so I think that I should be this I, you know, I felt my best at that weight, but they are not realizing that. Maybe they've built extra muscle. They're not realizing that their body composition has changed a lot. And so they're saying that they they need to lose these 5 to 10 pounds, but in actuality, their body composition has completely changed. And so that's why, you know, I will preach it to them, blue in the face that you do not need a scale to monitor your progress. There are so many other ways to monitor your progress. And I'll tell you, man, I am so much happier for me personally, just weighing more and enjoying my life so much more than when I was at my skinny or or my lightest. [00:15:59][98.3]
[00:16:00] And that was. That just comes from me fully recognizing that my body composition has changed. I built more muscle and I just feel better when I am at just my, you know what my body is created to be at. And so not forcing your body to be something that it's not supposed to. So that's definitely something to take into consideration when you're on this journey. And I just want to make sure that you have realistic expectations for yourself and personally. What I've learned is whatever my body is after nourishing my body with what it needs and honoring my body with movement consistently, that's exactly where my body supposed to be at right now, man, I'll tell you, especially being, again, just being in this, this phase right now where I'm pregnant, like it's one of those phases where I'm optimally fueling my body to the best of my ability. And I also am giving myself grace like I'm growing a frickin human in my body. And so just recognizing that and appreciating my body and celebrating my body for everything that it is, instead of looking at my body in disbelief or disdain because that's not going to do anything. It's not going to do anything for your mindset. It's definitely not going to do anything for your body, because your body and your mind are so interconnected. And so just remember that you are in control of how you speak to your body. You're in control of how you think about your body and whatever your body is after nourishing your body with what it needs and honoring your body with movement daily. In this season of life, that's exactly where your body is supposed to be and let it be enough. So there you have it. [00:17:29][89.4]
[00:17:29] Those are maybe the four reasons why you can't lose the last, you know, 5 to 10 pounds. Let me quickly recap what I talked about in today's episode. Number one metabolic adaptation. Number two, hormonal shifts. Number three, you're overeating without realizing it. Number four, you may not actually have those 5 to 10 pounds to lose. So a couple of things that I mentioned in today's episode are the macro counting it simple online Academy. That's definitely going to be a great guide. That program for you is going to kind of take away the all the complexities of macro counting. Maybe it's super confusing for you. You've maybe tried to Google it before, you've tried to YouTube it and you're just finding all this conflicting information. It's going to take all information and try to simplify it to the best of our ability so that we don't we don't want you to feel overwhelmed. We want you to feel empowered, and we want you to feel educate in in that realm. Because like I said, it is one of the most important things that I've done in my journey is to educate myself on how to properly fuel my body, how to properly move my body, and as a result, I've been able to have sustainable results long term. And I want that for you. And so that's why we created this program for you. So be sure to check that out. I will link it in the show notes below. Or you can simply just go to macro counting made simple.com. That's macro counting made simple.com. Again, I hope you found this episode helpful. I would love to hear your moments. I would love for you to share it out with a friend. You can also screenshot this and post it up on your Instagram story. But that is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so dang much, I mean it, I'll take you in the next one. [00:19:04][9.9]
[00:19:04]All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter. Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace it real because you're worth it. [00:20:12]