What could be the reason why someone doesn't lose fat despite working out a lot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a 27 yr old woman on Instagram who makes videos and posts pictures of her working out with weights and her health food dinners which are small but she is still chubby. She's been doing this 2 yrs now but has stayed the same.

My ex wife who was 50 pounds overweight (obese) would work out regularly for 30-60 min a day and never lost any weight because she had no self control when it came to food cravings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What everyone else said; she is eating too much. Fat is lost in the kitchen and you can not out train a bad diet.

If she is just a little chubby and not significantly overweight then maybe she is fine with that and not trying to be super cut. Being cut/having a low enough bodyfat percentage to see muscle requires pretty strict diet and not everyone is willing to give up all that it requires.

Not really. It does require some form of disciplined eating but not starving. Just need to eat a balanced diet in a calorie deficit.

Second is most people tend to do too much cardio which burns muscle along with fat. Which may cause weight loss, but it doesn't change the shape of your body. The only way to look cut is through lifting heavy in combination with the right nutrition so you retain muscle mass while burning fat. Thats what gives people the athletic look.

Spot on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PCOS, thyroid problems, on antidepressants. Could be a number of reasons.

I have all three and I am lucky if I can lose on pound a month on a restricted diet. When I exercise I am ravenous.

Have a friend who never exercises and gorges herself when she goes out to eat; at home, she eats junk and preprocessed food almost exclusively. She is as thin as a rail.

+2 to skinny fat. It’s super unhealthy - even less healthy than the obese people who eat well and exercise regularly. But they get to skate on the scorn because 1) their fat is basically invisible and 2) people just hate fat people so they don’t care about skinny fat people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What everyone else said; she is eating too much. Fat is lost in the kitchen and you can not out train a bad diet.

If she is just a little chubby and not significantly overweight then maybe she is fine with that and not trying to be super cut. Being cut/having a low enough bodyfat percentage to see muscle requires pretty strict diet and not everyone is willing to give up all that it requires.

Not really. It does require some form of disciplined eating but not starving. Just need to eat a balanced diet in a calorie deficit.

Second is most people tend to do too much cardio which burns muscle along with fat. Which may cause weight loss, but it doesn't change the shape of your body. The only way to look cut is through lifting heavy in combination with the right nutrition so you retain muscle mass while burning fat. Thats what gives people the athletic look.

It requires discipline that is not very compatible with everyday living. Actor David Bautista is ripped and in phenomenal shape but he says he doesn’t want to do it anymore. He complains that it’s extremely difficult to enjoy life.

Not true either. If we're talking fitness competition levels of body fat that's a different story. But for the average person, eating in a modest calorie deficit is not difficult. Does it require some discipline - yes. Will you be hungry sometimes - yes. But doesn't require being miserable or giving up carbs or never having any treats. People fail when they try to over-restrict. Consistency is what get results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What everyone else said; she is eating too much. Fat is lost in the kitchen and you can not out train a bad diet.

If she is just a little chubby and not significantly overweight then maybe she is fine with that and not trying to be super cut. Being cut/having a low enough bodyfat percentage to see muscle requires pretty strict diet and not everyone is willing to give up all that it requires.

Some of it is just genetics. I started working out with my spouse a few years ago, and quickly put on muscle and lost BF. I look strong enough that strangers comment on it. My only diet change was consuming a bit less beer. My spouse did not have the same response to exercise, even though we were doing similar things.

[Anonymous]

Slow metabolism, thyroid condition or PCOS, or other medical condition, high carbs, body makeup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I really think once you get significantly overweight, it is really hard to lose fat. As in, you need a super large deficit for a loong time plus heavy weight training to not lose lean muscle. 99% of people just don't have the time and discipline for the gym time and diet this requires.

I say this as someone who has been a regular at the gym several days a week for years. I see the same people there year after year, and yep, they are all still overweight and look the same.

Imagine what they'd look like if they didn't work out!

With all the weight lifting, they are stronger, less likely to fall and break a bone and have more muscle mass that burns calories faster than fat. Please don't discourage regular weight training. There is more to good health than being svelte.

+1.

What a disappointing post from the poster. Kudos to those for working out!