Why am I not losing weight even though I’m eating healthy and exercising?

Why Am I Not Losing Weight Even Though I’m Eating Healthy and Exercising?

It’s one of the most common frustrations I hear from our members at Custom Body Fitness in Glenwood Springs and the Roaring Fork Valley:

“I’m eating healthy, I’m exercising… but I’m not losing weight!”

I always sit down with them in their assessment to uncover what’s really happening, because “eating healthy” and “exercising” mean different things to everyone. And often, the reason they’re stuck has nothing to do with laziness or lack of effort.

Let’s break down the truth behind this mystery and how to finally see results that last.

1. Taking psychiatric medications…

…including antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-anxiety, and sleep medications. These drugs can affect metabolism in ways that increase weight gain.

According to research, these medications can slow down burning calories by affecting glucose metabolism, making it easier to gain weight over time. Antidepressants also make individuals feel hungrier, sometimes leading to cravings for junk food.

Many of our members who are not seeing results are in some kind of psychiatric medication and this is the reason why they are able to lose weight even though their 

2. Eating on Autopilot

Have you ever driven home and realized you don’t remember how you got there? That’s your subconscious taking over.

The same thing happens when you eat. Many people snack without even noticing, grabbing a handful here, a bite there even while believing they’re “eating healthy.”

When I start asking the right questions, my members often realize they’re eating more than they thought. That awareness alone can completely shift your results.

3. Thinking You’re Eating Healthy When You’re Not

There’s so much misinformation online that “healthy eating” has lost its meaning.

Some people count calories but ignore food quality. Others cut carbs or fat but still drink alcohol or eat fast food. Processed “low calorie” foods are still loaded with chemicals that disrupt your hormones and metabolism.

At Custom Body Fitness, we teach our members that real food heals, processed food destroys. Eating healthy means eating whole foods, not just counting calories.

4. Exercising… But Not Effectively

Many people think just “showing up” at the gym is enough. But light movements or casual workouts only burn 200 calories or less — barely a dent in a 4,000-calorie day.

A well-designed fitness program should raise your heart rate, build strength, and burn at least 500–600 calories per session.

I have seen some members who come to exercise and they start moving hoping we, as trainers, think they are really putting an effort into their exercise. The calories they burn are minimum. They may burn up to 200 calories in their exercise. If you eat 4,000 calories and you don’t have an active job, you may burn 2,500 calories a day. 

If you exercise that day and burn 200 calories (many people only exercise 3 times a week), you are burning a total of 2,700 calories. That means that you are left with 1,300 calories that add up. For you to gain a pound of fat, you need 3,500 calories. You gain that or even more in a week. 

At Custom Body Fitness, we design every workout to challenge you safely because real results happen outside your comfort zone.

Remember: no exercise can outperform a poor diet. You need both discipline and intensity to see transformation.

🔑 The Real Solution: Awareness, Education, and Effort

Learn about your medication. Do your own research because many doctors fail to tell you all the side effects of such. Most medications contribute to weight gain and if you don’t know that, you may be swimming against current. If possible, with professional help, stop taking all medication. 

Start a journey. Don’t trust your brain in what you are eating. Instead be proactive by writing everything you eat and really find out if you are eating healthy and you are not over eating. This is the best way you will know what goes into your mouth.

Hire a well known professional who knows about diet or read books about eating healthy and make your conclusions. Get into knowing your information, do a dip research, don’t just trust what the doctor or personal trainer tells you to eat. There are many levels of eating healthy and not all diets are for everyone. You need to start by knowing the basics of a healthy eating plan and then know how your body reacts to all foods and improve as you get more knowledgeable. 

Exercise seriously and stop avoiding pain. Real exercise requires that you get out of your comfort zone. You are going to be in pain. If you don’t put the effort into transforming your body when exercising, it will be difficult to lose weight. However, you can lose weight by eating healthy alone. 

Real transformation requires hard work and dancing to your favorite music won’t do it. 

At Custom Body Fitness, our members in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Basalt, Aspen, and New Castle are living proof that you can achieve real weight loss with the right mindset and a plan that fits your life.

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Custom Body Fitness is located in Glenwood Springs CO, Carbondale CO and Basalt - Willits CO