Ask the expert: why am I not losing weight?

I am 35 and overweight. My doctor has told me that I need to lose at least 25kg. Following her advice, I’ve been consuming only 1,200 to 1,500 calories every day for the past two months. However, I have dropped hardly any weight. What am I doing wrong?

I believe counting calories is an outdated concept. Instead, you have to monitor the nutrients that are loaded in every meal instead of the calories. In simple terms, 100 calories of almonds will be digested very differently by your body compared to, say, 100 calories in a bar of chocolate. In addition to what you consume, hydration, the type of exercises you do and your sleep patterns can also affect weight loss.

I suggest that instead of counting calories, go heavy on fat-burning nutrients like lean protein and healthy fats that are found in fish, avocados and coconuts, among others, and go easy on fat-storing nutrients like refined carbohydrates found in breads, pasta and cereals.

I always encourage my clients to set an exercise or fitness goal for every month. This really helps take the focus on to fitness rather than weight loss. It also makes you mentally stronger and takes the pressure off of focusing on numbers, grams and calories.

When you reach your fitness goal you will not only be closer to having the body shape and clothing size you want, but you will also have gained flexibility and confidence.

If you are strength training, please do not focus on the numbers on your scale. You could be gaining muscle, which is a good thing. Why not consult a qualified trainer to work out a programme for you?