You’re battering gym, your calorie intake is low, you’ve sworn off carbs and processed foods. So WTF? Let me explain.

Many people think that calories in vs calories out is the million dollar secret to fat loss. This is true to some extent, however what you’re not taking into account is:

1)Not all calories are created equally.
Think about it logically. An average twix bar contains approximately 250 calories. Technically, an average male or female could eat 5 of these a day and be in a calorie deficit. But are these calories providing you with the nutrients to fuel your body?

2)You’re nutritionally deficient, which is leading to your body not working efficiently.
If your body is nutrient deficient, it isn’t going to be able to do whatever you need it to do properly….you need your vitamin and mineral needs to be met in order for your body to digest and absorb food, get rid of it, break down fat and toxins, etc etc etc.

3)Your gut bacteria is out of whack.
When your gut bacteria population is made up of more beneficial bacteria than bad, and when these bacterial populations are where they belong (they don’t really belong in the small intestines, they belong in the large intestines), your body is naturally more efficient at using up stored energy, digesting and breaking down foods. When things go wrong however, the opposite happens. I’ve written about natural ways to help your gut out here.
If you have tried this, and it is not working for you, a probiotic specific to your needs may be required. Please seek professional guidance when selecting your probiotic formula/strain.

4)You have some degree of inflammation in the body, making it operate on ‘fight or flight mode’ and therefore it’s not carrying out the other necessary processes properly.
Do not underestimate the effects of stress on your body. Stress is highly inflammatory! I wrote a whole lot about how it affects you here.

5)You have too many foreign bodies & toxins which are confusing the hell out of your hormones and once again, preventing your body from doing things it needs to do. Unnatural substances which the body doesn’t recognise also tend get stored in fat tissue, particularly around the liver (hello big belly).
Kinda self explanatory! The more you burden the liver, the slower things get done, and things can start going awry when they aren’t processed within an appropriate time frame. A mini detox from processed foods, alcohol, sugar and inflammatory substances can go a long way here.

Fortunately, a lot of these issues are fixable and reversible through dietary and lifestyle modifications. Please don’t fad diet or experiment with any drastic workouts as this often backfires and causes even more stubborn fat gain and disease. I’ve got some great resources for you in my blog, just have a look through older posts which address the points above. You’ll be surprised how a simple change can make a big difference!