Losing weight is hard. Even when you start strong, your progress may eventually slow, and you are unsure why. There are so many factors that contribute to your success, and there may be some things you do daily that can be hindering your progress. Here are five reasons why you are not losing weight.
Do You Drink Your Calories?
There are so many non-water beverages that contain more sugar than we think. Sugar contributes to weight gain, and even healthy drinks like vitamin-enfused water contain high amounts of sugar. Because these are in liquid form, we don’t usually get full off of them or compensate for the calories. Try removing some of these from your diet and replacing them with naturally flavored water or unsweetened tea to see how your body responds.
In addition, adding water overall can affect weight loss. A study found that those who drank 17 oz of water 30 minutes before meals lost 44% more weight. In addition, water increases the number of calories burned by 24-30% over a 1.5-hour period. Try drinking a glass of water before or with your meals to increase the rate of digestion and promote fullness. This will reduce bloating and prevent you from overeating.
Too Much Stress
When we stress, our bodies produce cortisol. This hormone is responsible for fat storage and insulin resistance. This is fine for a temporary occurrence because your body is in survival mode, but chronically it can keep your weight high.
In addition, stress may lead to poor eating—excess energy leads to eating emotionally, and overeating. You may crave sugary high-fat foods or neglect eating altogether. Try to locate the sources of your stress and develop coping mechanisms.
Are you getting sleep?
Chronic lack of sleep causes cortisol to be released. As we learned above, it is associated with fat storage. During deep sleep, the body has its most significant fat-burning spike, and a recent study found that people with poor sleep have a 55-85% risk of becoming obese.
In addition, poor sleep is linked to a slower metabolism and a lack of motivation to participate in healthy habits. Most adults should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep.
Too Much Diet Food Consumption
No, we are not talking about plain vegetables and whole foods. These are all boxed items found in the store labeled “reduced-fat” and “sugar-free.” Processed diet foods contain various forms of MSG, and based on research, it can promote obesity by spiking insulin levels. In addition, artificial sugars may increase your cravings for natural sugar, causing you to gain weight if you indulge. It is best to stick to whole foods to improve your health and regulate your appetite. If you do have these types of foods, try to limit them. Overall, say no to empty calories!
Are You Exercising Effectively?
One of the things recommended when working on weight loss is resistance training. Resistance training can help increase your metabolism. In addition, cardio can help or hurt your progress. You want to keep cardio at around 5 hours a week and mix up the sessions. Sprinting helps shed fat, especially when weight loss has reached a plateau.
A caution, doing too much cardio can set you back because your body sees exercise as a form of stress. Cortisol is released and breaks down energy stores for immediate use when this happens. Doing too much cardio can deplete glycogen stores (sugar), and you can crave more carbs and store fat in the long term.
The Takeaway
These are just some factors that can impact your weight loss goals. Try to be mindful of them before you get frustrated and give up. Take a deep breath and restructure your path to complete your goals.
