Reasons Why You do not Lose Weight

Alas! The vicious cycle of trying and trying but not losing weight doesn’t end.  And our self esteem goes down with the scale going up. Don’t lose hope, positive thinking works in favour of our body.

If you have exhausted yourself just reading this, you seriously need to lose weight. And if you have been trying and can’t succeed, there can be several reasons for it unknown to you.

Weight gain and obesity are not only caused by a genetic predisposition or dietary and lifestyle behaviours, but are also affected by modern environmental factors. Some reasons why you can’t lose weight are:

Your Hormones are Imbalanced

Hormone conditions such as hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome and insulin resistance can cause weight gain and make it hard to lose weight. Get yourself tested, and make adequate dietary changes to help you with these conditions. You must exclude refined carbohydrates from your diet plan and increase intake of good-quality protein, vegetables, seaweed and essential fatty acids.

You are Always Sitting

Watching celebrities dancing with their real-life partners, doing a sedentary job, and stalking old flames on social networking sites doesn’t leave you with much time to exercise? Uh-oh! It isn’t going to work. Or you intend to work out but are confused about the right type of exercise for weight loss?

In most cases, cardio is the calorie-burning king. Strength training is important, too (for many reasons), such as reducing the amount of muscle loss that occurs during weight loss, but it's typically not a major calorie burner. So if you are relying almost exclusively on strength training as your weight-loss strategy, it could backfire.

You Need More Sleep

Doctors say if you aren't sleeping, your body won't be digesting food normally either. Besides, people suffering from insomnia often snack through the night or drink coffee, which makes the problem worse.

Turn off your phone and laptop at least one hour before going to bed. Focus on good sleep hygiene: get to bed early, make sure your room is dark and cool and avoid all drugs including cigarettes, alcohol and sleeping pills.

You are Depressed

Most people share an emotional relationship with food. So when depressed, they tend to eat more. However, antidepressants can also stimulate the appetite as, when people feel happier, thanks to the medication, they overeat. This makes the problem two-fold.

Make sure you always have healthy snacks, such as fruit, nuts and seeds, on hand to stave off those pangs of hunger. Consult your doctor if you think medications are to be blamed for your weight gain.

You have a Low Resting Metabolic Rate

We all forget that age, sitting at a computer all day, and stress lowers your metabolic rate. Each decade, our metabolic rate drops 10-20 percent, requiring us to eat less and exercise more.

Boost your metabolic rate by engaging in 10 min bursts of activity throughout the day, adding resistance training to your workout and doubling your resting heart rate for 30 minutes at least three times per week.

You don’t have Time to Cook

The combination of busy lifestyles and fast food at our fingertips has resulted in less food preparation in the home. Grabbing breakfast on the go or takeaway for dinner is not good for your waistline.

Whenever you make a meal, make extra and freeze portions for those days you don't have time to cook.
These factors could be making you hit the wall with your weight. Check them, get help and do the needful and shed those stubborn pounds off.

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