Eating too little calories causes your metabolism to slow down, so even if you are exercising more it means you will burn less calories when you engage in physical activity. This slow metabolism can continue once your diet is over, leading to weight gain once your food intake is increased again. Not eating enough causes your body to think it's in starvation mode, which can elevate blood sugar levels and delay the insulin response, which encourages your body to store the calories you do consume as fat, instead of using them for energy. 

Overtraining 

Excessive exercise, especially when your body is not used to it can actually be harmful to you. Too much exercise can raise our cortisol levels, which causes your body to break down the muscle and makes your body store more fat. It is also detrimental to your immune system and mood, making you more prone to sickness and more irritable.

Stress levels

Stress plays a huge role in whether or not you can lose weight or not. If we have high levels of stress, we have higher levels of cortisol. High cortisol is associated with increased hunger, and can trigger strong cravings for fried, salty, and sweet foods. Cortisol also slows down your metabolism to conserve energy, which is another reason why you might not lose weight by eating less and exercising more. You are stressing out your body, and if you are new to exercise and decide to have intense workouts every day all of a sudden, your body will be in shock, which has negative effects. 

Okay so how can I lose weight with exercise in a Healthy way and have it stay off?

Nourish yourself with food

Focus on nourishing yourself and your body. Once you start incorporating exercise into your weekly routine, you are burning more calories. This means you're going to actually have to start eating more. I know it can be scary, but restricting yourself will only lead to binging, overeating, and excess fat stores because your body's in starvation mode. Eating enough will support a healthy metabolism, enabling you to gain muscle and lose fat while fueling your body enough to feel good the next day, and for the next workout. 

If you don't fuel your body with the proper nourishment, you won’t be able to recover well, which can put lots of stress on your body. 

Be realistic with your Exercise goals 

Another step you can take to exercise in a healthy, balanced way is to take it one step at a time. In reality, if you haven’t worked out a day in your life and suddenly expect to go to the gym for 2 hours every day, it most likely will not work. Instead start slow, “slow and ready wins the race” after all. Make sure your exercise routine can be something you will want to stick to in the long run. “Ask yourself, is this exercise something I enjoy, or do I prefer another physical activity?” “Is this amount of exercise something I can do consistently based on my schedule without burning out?” If you answer no to these questions, you most likely won’t stick it. Setting a realistic goal will not only help you with your weight loss goals, but also help balance your stress levels. If you overtrain, you will just be holding yourself back. Be sure to set a realistic exercise routine that you can see yourself sticking to without burning out. 

Go easy on yourself

With overtraining and restricting your calories, you are not only making it stressful on your body but on your mind as well. This can lead to negative feelings about yourself including depression, anxiety, and self-doubt. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself based on the number on the scale, that is only a very small factor in weight loss. Shift that focus on how good you feel to nourish your body with food, and how energized and strong you feel after exercising instead.