5 Reasons You May Not Be Losing Weight - Even On A Diet

Your intentions are good. You know that if you cut calories and increase exercise, you should be losing weight and working towards a better you. But, it’s not happening. You think you’re trying hard, so why is the scale stuck or very, very slow.

Here are 5 Possible Reasons.

1 - You’re Not Burning The Calories You Think You Are. It’s easy to overestimate the number of calories you’re burning – especially if you aren’t used to exercising. Then, every little bit feels like you’ve done a lot. Some keys to making your exercise more effective include doing weight bearing exercise like running or aerobics – even walking. Monitor your heart rate and keep a journal. With those tools, you can evaluate the intensity of your exercise and if you’re really getting the job done.

2 - You’re Not Sleeping. A Mayo Clinic study showed that tired people consume about 500 more calories in a day. Plus, the hormones that your body produces during good, deep sleep are restorative. When you’re tired, your body is more likely to produce the hungry hormone. Add that you may be staying up later and, thus, snacking more. A regular schedule that includes a good night’s rest should be part of your diet.

3 - You’re Stressed. This is a problem for everyone – and, especially middle-aged women. A study at Rush University Medical Center found that stress can lead to weight gain. Middle-aged women were the most impacted. Stress can alter your sleep pattern and may even increase fat conservation. Many people sooth their emotions with food – it’s an easy thing to do.

4 - You’re Skipping Meals. Giving up breakfast or lunch or both may seem like an easy way to save calories. However, it’s likely to lead to food cravings and over-eating when you finally sit down to eat. Your body works against you too. A Vanderbilt University study showed that after 72 hours of eating inconsistently, your body begins to stop burning calories and start storing fat. After one week, healthy women in the study lost about 16% of their resting energy expenditure – less calories were burned and more fat was stored.

5 - You Don’t Know What You’re Eating Or Drinking. Use a kitchen scale. Measure the food you eat and lean portion sizes. An ounce of cheese is about the same size as two playing dice. Three ounces of meat should be about the size of a deck of cards. What you drink counts, too. Even fruit juice packs about 180 calories; a soda can be 200. Drink sweetened tea and add 150 calories while a sports drink has about 100. Serve yourself these drinks 3 times a day and that’s about 3,500 calories in a week – cut them out and those calories could mean you’ve lost a pound.

Dieting isn’t easy. You get discouraged when you think you’re trying hard but you’re not seeing results. You might want to consider a medical weight loss clinic. They can design a personalized program that includes diet aids to get you off to a fast, encouraging start, plus the support you need to reach your goal.

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