The Top 5 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight on the Mediterranean Diet (And How to Fix It)
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The Mediterranean diet continues to rank among the top best diets for both weight loss and overall improved health. By including an abundance of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, and whole grains, people often experience increased energy, weight loss, and improvement in overall health.
If you’ve been following the Mediterranean diet for a while now, but haven’t had success losing those extra pounds, you’re in the right place.
In this blog post, I’m sharing the top reasons you aren’t losing weight on the Mediterranean diet AND how to fix it.
I’ll be sharing:
The biggest reasons people don’t successfully lose weight on the Mediterranean diet
How to adjust your diet to ensure you actually lose weight
How to choose the right foods for healthy weight loss
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How You Can Drastically Improve Your Health By Following the Mediterranean Diet
In 2018, I was struggling to make healthy food choices and experienced constant joint pain, brain fog, blood sugar highs and lows, and extreme fatigue every day. These were symptoms that had become a part of my every day and was something that I thought I would always have to live with.
However, I knew there had to be a way for me to feel better, so I started doing research on evidence-based ways of eating that supported long-term health. As one of the healthiest diets in the world, the Mediterranean diet showed up repeatedly in my searches. In 2020, I decided to make the shift toward eating a more Mediterranean-based diet to support my health.
I started applying what I learned by following a Mediterranean-based diet and immediately saw great results!
After implementing a Mediterranean-based diet, I quickly noticed my energy levels drastically improve, I was sleeping SO much better each night, and my skin had become clear and glowing (yay for no more “adult acne!”) and I did all of this in a healthy, balanced way. I was so ecstatic about my results that I put together all my recipes that I had used and developed at this time and started sharing them with others with the hopes that they would feel just as amazing as I was feeling.
Eating a Mediterranean diet restored my physical and mental health.
My goal for you is to experience these same incredible benefits. My 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan is the exact plan I used to improve my health and eat intuitively.
The Top 5 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight on the Mediterranean Diet
Reason #1: You Are Eating Too Many Carbs
The Mediterranean diet encourages the consumption of healthy, whole-grain carbs as part of a well-balanced diet. However, it is easy to overdo it, which will pack on the pounds very quickly! If you are a carb-loving soul and find that your meals often include pasta, beans, or legumes, you may need to take a look at the serving size and adjust it to be just a side dish in your meal, rather than being the main focus.
The solution:
When it comes to weight loss, the amount of carbohydrates, fat, and protein you eat is extremely important. If you are new to counting macros (carbs, fat, and protein), check out my post here on how to calculate your unique carb, fat, and protein needs. If all of that sounds overwhelming, consider checking out my 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan. It includes over 80 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks plus a complete 30-day meal plan.
Reason #2: You Are Eating Too Much Fat (Or Not Enough of the Right Kind)
Healthy fats are a big part of the Mediterranean diet. These fats include olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, seeds, some dairy, and eggs. Eating enough healthy fats each day helps keep you feeling full and satisfied and supports heart and brain health (one of the many benefits of eating the Mediterranean diet.)
When including healthy fats in your diet, it is important to keep in mind that fat is a little higher in calories and can add up very quickly (just 1 tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories.) Too much of a good thing can quickly stall your weight loss progress and cause frustration as you work so hard to lose those extra pounds.
The solution:
Include lots of healthy fats in your diet each day, but keep in mind that it adds up quickly. Consider keeping a food journal to track what you are eating. This is a great way to get an idea of what you are truly eating each day and where you may need to adjust. Check out my post here on how to keep a food log using MyFitness Pal.
Healthy fats = olives & olive oil, avocado & avocado oil, needs, seeds, grass-fed butter, and ghee to name a few!
If the idea of keeping a food log sounds way too complicated, consider following my 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan, which I designed to help you easily keep your fat, protein, and carb count balanced and in check. There’s no need to log your food if you follow the 30-day meal plan, but it certainly doesn’t hurt, either!
Reason #3: You Are Eating Too Much Sugar
The Mediterranean diet is all about balance and includes the consumption of fresh fruits, healthier desserts, and of course wine! There is a social component of the Mediterranean diet as well, which includes eating meals with friends and family, enjoying their company and the good food that has been prepared.
However, it can be easy to overindulge in healthier treats and wine. Being mindful of how much sugar you are eating (even in its healthier forms) is extremely important, especially if you are trying to lose weight.
The solution:
Enjoy healthier forms of sugar in moderation. Just because a delicious berry crumble is considered “approved” on the Mediterranean diet doesn’t mean it should be eaten every evening for dessert. The key to losing weight is finding balance so that you can enjoy this incredibly delicious diet and reap the benefits (including weight loss!) In fact, my 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan includes delicious recipes like Roasted Pears with Honey & Greek Yogurt because you deserve to fully enjoy your food while having massive weight loss success.
Reason #4: You Are Eating Too Many Calories
By now you may be finding a recurring theme in my reason vs. solution format of this post. When it comes to weight loss, you can have too much of a good thing, and when you consider eating too many carbs, too much fat, or too much sugar, it all comes down to eating too many calories. This is what will stall your weight loss.
Weight gain = eating too many carbs, too much fat, too much sugar, and too many calories
The key to losing weight on the Mediterranean diet is finding that perfect balance. When following the Mediterranean diet, it is tempting to justify all that you are eating because all the delicious food is healthy and approved on the diet, but this mindset could be jeopardizing your weight loss success.
Reason #5: You Aren’t Moving Enough Each Day
Notice I didn’t use the word “exercising.” Following the Mediterranean diet is about more than following a delicious meal plan. It also includes socializing with friends and family and moving in a way that you enjoy. It’s true that if you carefully count your calories and macros each day but sit and do absolutely no form of movement, you may lose weight. However, if you are really serious about losing weight and reaping all the benefits of this diet, you have to include movements and “exercises” that you enjoy in your daily routine.
When I lost 20 pounds in just 3 months on the Mediterranean diet (you can read my full story here), you can bet I was not spending hours at the gym each day. Rather, I rediscovered my love for vinyasa yoga (which I did 3 days a week for 1 hour each practice) and incorporated regular movement into my day. At the time, I was working in an office, so I was doing a lot of sitting. To combat the long hours sitting in a chair, I would get up each hour to stretch and walk around the office for a few minutes. On my 15-minute breaks, I would walk around the building. I would also take the stairs rather than the elevator and would park a little further back in the parking lot to increase my walking distance to the office. It’s the little things that add up each day to big success.
Anything that gets you up off the couch or chair and moving is a win. Find the activities that you enjoy and incorporate a little more of it into your day. Other fun activities include hiking, tai chi, golfing, and horseback riding.
Lose Weight Successfully
As you may have already concluded, losing weight on the Mediterranean diet is about much more than just eating the delicious foods included in the diet. There is a lot to consider and be mindful of, especially if you are wanting to lose weight using the Mediterranean diet.
Weight loss success on the Mediterranean diet includes:
A healthy balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and sugar
A healthy social component with friends and family
Incorporating fun movements to keep you active
Start Eating Healthy with the Mediterranean Diet
If the Mediterranean diet is very different from how you have been eating, I HIGHLY recommend you follow a meal plan that has already been designed to help you be successful and quickly see results. The 30-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan I created includes everything you need to get started on the Mediterranean diet. It includes over 80 easy and delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that you can simply follow along to and enjoy all the delicious flavors that come with the Mediterranean diet.
Once I learned how to eat a balanced Mediterranean diet, I quickly saw great results! By having an understanding of what my own body needed each day, I was able to set myself up for success and have maintained this healthy lifestyle for almost 2 years.
I want this for you too! If you are ready to fully benefit from the Mediterranean diet, I urge you to get started with my 30-day meal plan now while it’s the lowest price it will ever be! Click here to get started.
Choosing the right foods makes all the difference in how you feel. Even if you’re not yet ready to go all in, I have something that will help you make a step towards eating healthy and reaping the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet. Download my Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes ebook by using the form below to get instant access to this valuable resource. I have also included a Mediterranean Diet Shopping List to help you get started.
Get Your FREE ebook: Top 10 Must-Try Mediterranean Diet Recipes + Shopping List
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