12 Hidden Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight
You feel as if you’ve tried everything and it’s never enough. The weight you’ve tried so hard to lose is as stubborn as it is disheartening. During weight loss efforts there might be seemingly innocent and minute reasons you aren’t losing weight. Picking up on them and shifting small habits around now may alleviate that constant struggle and lead to actual results.
1. Health Issues
Sometimes this is the most obvious and difficult reason to handle for diminished weight loss.
Before taking on any weight loss plan, you should consult your physician and ask for advice. There may be underlying health issues such as hormonal imbalance that affect your thyroid gland. For example, one of the top symptoms of hypothyroidism (under active thyroid gland) is that you have a weight gain or you find it very difficult to lose weight.
2. Sleep Deprivation
I’ve written in the past about the dangers of sleep deprivation, and one of them was weight gain. Fatigue makes people hungrier, and people who don’t sleep enough hours tend to consume hundreds of calories more a day.
Recent studies (both in humans and animals) have linked insufficient sleep and a tendency to gain weight. Sleep duration affects the hunger and satiety, as well as the production of various hormones and affects directly the metabolism of the body. In addition, it was found that people who don’t sleep enough are less active the next day and burn fewer calories. It was found that 8 hours of sleep provide the best metabolism. You can read more in my article about the top 10 factors that affect your metabolic rate which sleeplessness is one of them.
3. Lack of Protein
Proteins do much more for your body than simply building your muscles. When people don’t get enough daily protein they are missing out on other benefits of weight loss. These include an increase in overall energy, preventing excess carbohydrates from being stored as fat, and feeling full for longer periods, which prevents overeating.
Eating more proteins is also one of the 70 habits featured in my e-book 70 Powerful Habits For A Great Health which will guide you how to take positive steps to improve your wellness and overall health.
4. Lack of Water
By now the importance of water in your body should be obvious if you want to lose weight fast.
It fuels and purifies your body and a lack of it could lead to weight gain. A dehydrated body will send signals to the brain that are commonly confused with hunger. Sometimes when you think your body wants a snack it’s really just asking for a glass of water. Also drinking a glass before your meal will help curb your appetite and keep you from excess calories.
5. The Stress Factor
We’re surrounded by the stress of modern life, which just so happens to be causing weight gain.
The body’s hormone response to stress makes cortisol skyrocket. In time, the elevated cortisol can lead to an unnecessary appetite and encourage stress eating for comfort. Try to relax yourself and find time during the day to meditate a bit. That candy-bar craving could just be a result of neglected stress, and the sooner you control it, the more weight you’ll lose. You can find here tips to beat emotional eating as well as simple and effective meditation techniques to reduce stress.
6. Skipping Meals
Skipping meals is commonly associated with binge eating and weight gain. You’ve probably heard countless prompts about the importance of breakfast, simply because they’re all true.
Breakfast is a major source of body-fuel, and without it you’ll be starving yourself and setting up a future binge eating session. When you space your meals evenly throughout the day, you keep a balanced metabolism and consume reasonable amounts. You’ll forget what hunger feels like if you do it right.
7. Eating too Fast
Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to food. The brain takes around 20 minutes to signal fullness, so mindlessly chowing through food at high speeds isn’t smart. Take your time in between bites, drink water, and be patient with each meal – your body will thank you.
8. Overeating Healthy Foods High in Calories
A major problem with healthy foods is that people trust them way too much. Avocados, nuts, and whole grains are great for you in moderation, but still dense in calories. Don’t heap foods onto your plate simply because they are healthy. Moderation is the key, and keep in mind your body’s caloric allowance.
Also some people tend to cut out fats completely thinking it will help weight loss. This dietary trend leads to an increase in sugary carbs, which contribute to fat gain just as much. Utilize healthy fats in moderation as they help maintain a healthy hormone balance and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time like protein.
9. Fitness Balance
An obvious indicator of slow weight loss is a lack of physical activity in general. You might also be affected by too much of one activity type. Too much cardio doesn’t give muscle time to grow. Too much weight lifting doesn’t shred as much calories. Find a healthy balance between the two to build calorie burning muscles and keep fat at bay simultaneously.
10. Portion Control
The amount you eat should be monitored carefully, as after all it’s the essential aspect of weight loss.
Moderation is key here. Too much food leads to excess calories. Too little slows down the metabolism. Use measuring cups and scales if possible and keep a consistent and reasonable routine with each meal. Smaller bowls, plates, and cutlery can often help curb calorie intake.
11. Calories After a Workout
It’s difficult to measure how many calories you’ve burned during exercise, especially with weight lifting.
Many people eat too much after a workout because they overestimate the calories burned and consider it a free pass to pig out. Try using apps or electronic devices for measuring your calorie expenditure during physical activity and don’t over eat afterwards.
12. Give it Time
Real significant weight loss is a gradual and rewarding thing.
Don’t rush your success and give up, as it takes persistence and patience to reach real results. The major issue with lack of weight loss could really be a lack of patience. It takes time for muscles to build correctly, and fat takes time to reduce healthily. If you lose weight too fast, you could be tossing away just as much muscle as you do fat.
You should also take into account the element of muscle gain. When you start eating healthy and working out more, your muscles will grow and add weight. These muscles weigh more than fat and burn more calories as they grow. Perhaps the lack of progress on the scale means you are gaining muscle while the fat melts away and your body is toned and has more definition and shape. Let the way you feel gauge your success instead of blindly following the numbers associated with weight loss.
You can also find how to lose stubborn belly fat for good without counting calories in my ultimate e-book guide Blast Your Belly Fat: