10 (Very) Common Reasons Why You Are Not Losing Weight

At first, weight falls off easily. We all know the drill. We start a new diet or workout routine and the pounds start to slide away. Then, they suddenly stop and that number on the scale refuses to budge.

Here are 10 reasons why your weight loss may have hit a stand still:

1. You’re not keeping track of what you’re eating.

Being aware of what you are putting into your body is pretty important for weight loss. If you aren’t writing it down, it can be hard to really know how much you’ve consumed. Studies have found that people who keep food diaries or take pictures of their meals, consistently lose more weight than those who don’t.

2. You’re not eating whole foods.

The quality of the food you eat is just as important as the quantity. Eating healthy foods as close to their natural configuration as possible is the way to go. Remember, many foods packaged as health foods are loaded with extra things you don’t want to be eating. Stick to single ingredient foods whenever possible. For a whole food diet that’s easy to follow, check out the BodyRock Meal Plan!

3. You’re not lifting weights.

One of the best things you can do for yourself when trying to lose weight is resistance training. Lifting weights can help you maintain muscle mass while keeping your metabolism primed. Muscle is very active metabolically so the more you have on your body, the more calories you will burn — even hours after your workout.

4. You’re still drinking sugar.

Sometimes, these sugar traps can be hard to spot. It isn’t just in soda. Are you drinking vitamin water or fruit juices? Be careful as many of these commercial products contain added sugar and your brain is unable to compensate for this calorie influx.

5. You’re not sleeping well.

A good night’s sleep is essential to weight loss. Adults and children with poor sleep have a 55% and 89% greater risk of becoming obese, respectively. Lack of sleep causes trouble with your metabolism and makes your hunger hormones go wonky.

 

6. You’re not drinking water.

Water is great for weight loss. One 12-week study found that people who drank half a litre of water 30 minutes before a meal lost 44% more weight! Also, dehydration can present as hunger prompting you to possibly overeat. So when you get a little hungry feeling, try a glass of water first.

7. You’re drinking too much alcohol.

The jury is out on drinking booze and weight loss but one thing is sure, alcoholic beverages can be a calorie trap. Alcohol itself accounts for 7 calories per gram. That’s pretty high. You don’t have to take a pass completely but moderation would be beneficial.

8. You’ve been starving yourself for too long.

“Dieting” for too long can be a bad thing. If you’ve been trying for months and have hit a plateau, it may be time for a rest. Increase your calorie intake by a few hundred a day, lift weights with a goal of building strength and try to maintain your current weight for a month or two. Then try to lose weight again.

9. You’re too focused on ‘dieting.’

Dieting pretty much never works over a long-term period. In fact, studies have found that people who ‘diet’ gain more weight. Instead of trying to stick to a ‘diet,’ make it a goal to be healthier. Just nourish your body instead of depriving it. If you are eating the way you should and being active when you can, weight loss will happen.

10. You’re expectations are unrealistic.

Healthy weight loss is not a rapid process. It can be fast at first but very few people are able to lose more than 1-2 pounds a week. And although this is a hard one to swallow, not everyone can look like a fitness model. If you’ve lost weight, be proud of yourself and how you look now. Your body will eventually reach a healthy ‘set point’ where it is comfortable and trying to push yourself past that may be impossible. Accept your body as your body, don’t compare to others.

For other reasons why you stopped losing weight, go here.

Have you hit a weight loss plateau? What got you beyond the plateau? Tell us!

Source: Authority Nutrition

 

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