47 Factors That May Be Preventing You From Losing Fat

September 19, 2012 by 22 Comments
Working out too much might be preventing fat loss!

Working out too much might be preventing fat loss!

There is not one single thing that is preventing you from losing the fat you want to lose. And there never will be. Failing to lose weight will always be a result of a number of factors.

You may tell me that it’s as easy as burning more calories than you consume. Thus, eat less and move more.

My reply?

Have fun starving!

The following are 47 different factors that may be preventing you from losing fat. There are thousands out there but these are what came to my mind first. I’d love for you to add to this list by leaving a comment below.

  1. Eating too little
  2. Eating too much
  3. Excessive stress
  4. Excessive cortisol production
  5. Lack of sleep
  6. Excessive rancid omega 6 fatty acid consumption
  7. Too little sunlight
  8. Too little activity
  9. Too much activity
  10. Too much coffee
  11. Being too attached to your material things
  12. Not spending enough time outdoors
  13. Lack of saturated fat intake
  14. The act of counting calories
  15. Mindless eating
  16. Poor digestion
  17. Constantly wishing to lose weight
  18. Not engaging in any strength barring exercises
  19. Dining out too often (rancid omega 6 heaven!)
  20. Being anti-social because you are so conscious of your weight
  21. Reading too much while taking no action
  22. Deficiency of vitamins and minerals
  23. Low consumption of probiotic foods
  24. Consuming too much insoluble fiber (veggie skins and grains)
  25. Spending too much time on your computer, iPad or iPhone (or similar devices)
  26. Spending too much time watching television
  27. Not being able to calm and relax yourself
  28. Living in constant fear
  29. Worrying about every little thing
  30. Limiting salt intake
  31. Not drinking enough water
  32. Drinking too much water
  33. Eating too low carb
  34. Attempting to be perfect with your diet (there is no such thing)
  35. Copying exactly what someone else is doing
  36. Losing the ability to listen to your own body
  37. Eating based on your emotions
  38. Treating nuts and seeds as more than a condiment
  39. Thinking plant form ALA is doing you much good
  40. Avoiding fruit even though you digest it perfectly fine
  41. Avoiding white potatoes but instead eating tons of sweet potatoes
  42. Thinking too much about the destination rather than enjoying the entire journey
  43. Not going cold turkey into a strict 30 day protocol
  44. Avoiding baby steps that will allow you to build better habits
  45. Drinking too much alcohol (or any at all for that matter)
  46. You are at your ideal weight but just want to be skinny
  47. Your hormones are way out of wack

I’ll expand on this in the future. If you have any questions or anything to add then please leave a comment below.

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About Toad

Is my name Todd or Toad? I'm a world traveler seeking true wellness. I'm not a fan of labels but the following describe me best: minimalist, foodie, entrepreneur, adventurer, writer, cook.

  • Sheron

    WOW, that is quite a list. I didn’t know that you can drink too much water. How do you know when it is too much? Could you please give an example of excessive rancid omega 6 fatty acid? Thank you for your wonderful, informative posts.

    • Max Gazzara

      Eating foods cooked in vegetable oils, or junk food with vegetable oils or trans fat can contribute to excess rancid omega 6.

      • Sheron

        Thank you!

  • Sarabhina

    What natural remedies can you do when it is hormones and (hypo)thyroid???

  • April

    Hi, I was wondering how eating too many vegetable skins / insoluble fiber foods can prevent weight loss? Thanks!

  • http://www.facebook.com/athomthom Amanda Thompson Thomas

    I’m curious about #43?

    • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

      All factors are not for all individuals. If you are trying to lose fat but are in a slump then perhaps a few of these factors may be preventing you from losing fat. Some people are best at going cold turkey. If this is them then they need to not take baby steps. They need to dive in and be strict for 30 days. This will get them started and they will never look back. But, again, this is not the case with all individuals. Some are best at taking baby steps such as removing soda pop, then bread, etc.

      Does this make sense?

  • Sue

    I”m a 46yo female who has been paleo for 2 yrs…feel great but haven’t a lost a thing and still carrying 30 extra lbs…aware of all these things…. wish I knew what the answer was….

    • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

      I would first start with stress. Are you stressed out on a daily basis? If so, what from? What can you do to manage your stress effectively? I’d personally start with taking more walks if you don’t currently walk much. Walk and do nothing else (no phone, etc.).

    • t

      How about the fact that you may be consuming more calories than you burn? The paleo thing is cool and all, but if you’re consuming more calories of paleo food than you burn, you’re gonna put on weight.

      • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

        Right, no one can deny that law. BUT, that does not mean that if you eat more food that you will still burn the same amount of calories. Hormones control how many calories you burn. You can boost your metabolism in many ways and thus consume way more calories yet still lose weight.

        When you severely limit your caloric intake then your body goes into starvation mode and thus burns less calories than it normally would.

  • http://gigieatscelebrities.com/ GiGi Eats Celebrities

    PROBIOTICS are KEY! :)

    • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

      Do you take a supplement or do you eat probiotic rich foods?

      • http://gigieatscelebrities.com/ GiGi Eats Celebrities

        BOTH! :) I love saurekraut… but cannot eat too much cabbage – thanks to my lovely stomach issues… so I take lots of probiotics and digestive enzymes too!

  • Stephanie Flagg Hanley

    I’d add a 4a) Too /little/ cortisol production. The first stage of adrenal fatigue/burnout is low cortisol production which also means low hormone production and disrupted thyroid function.

    • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

      Indeed. I feel this is the case with everything – we need that balance!

  • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

    Very well said! That is exactly the approach that we all need to take with any disease that we have. As of August 6 I am allergic to the cold! It’s real – just google Cold Urticaria. Sleep is HUGE and it seems as if a lot of Paleo folks skip on sleep to do a very stressful crossfit workout…
    Exercise is great but if you are exercising at the expense of sleep then you have your priorities backwards. The key is to just move as much as you can during the day. Only do crossfit or something else if you feel awesome enough to do it and if you are well rested!

  • Elizagrok

    I’m curious about #41. About 2 weeks ago I forced myself to get used to the taste of sweet potatoes (which I used to hate. They’re better with a lot of cajun seasoning) and replace my white potatoes because I know sweet potatoes have a lot more nutrients than white potatoes. I eat about 1-1.5 throughout the week. Why do you say not to avoid white potatoes?

    • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

      White potatoes are just as nutrient dense as sweet potatoes, if not more. I’ve believed this for years and Mat Lalonde confirmed it this years ancestral health symposium. They are both great – both have different nutrients. But there is no reason to avoid peeled white potatoes unless you are allergic or have a chronic inflammatory condition.

      • Elizabeth Grok

        Oh I love Mat Lalonde. I can’t find enough of him speaking honestly. I want to hear that 6-hour lecture so bad.
        Thanks for the info. I will start mixing it up again with my potatoes :)

        • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

          6 hour lecture by Mat LaLonde? He did one?

  • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

    Nice. I’ll be watching both and purchasing the full lecture later when I have the $99.