Losing weight can be a time-consuming and challenging process. Most of the time, it requires that one is patient, committed, and, of course, using the proper techniques to lose weight.
It can be very stressful and upsetting when you cannot lose weight despite putting in your best efforts. You might be working out frequently, limiting carb intake, watching your calorie intake, and adopting other healthy changes, but you are still not losing weight as expected. Chances are, you are not doing some things right, or the methods you are using to lose weight are not working for you.
Here are five surprising reasons why you may not be losing weight.
Sleep Deprivation
Lack of sleep may be a reason you are not losing weight. The majority of the people don't receive 7-9 hours of sleep as recommended.
Lack of getting enough sleep makes you feel foggy-headed and tired the next day, and for your body to compensate for your lack of energy, your body craves food, particularly sugar. It is also hard to eat healthily and respond to your hunger cues.
Therefore, you must get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Also, it would be best if you tried eating a few hours before bed and having a regular bedtime routine.
Inadequate Water Consumption
Water makes up approximately 60% of your body weight and is the most cost-effective appetite inhibitor. Drinking a cup of water before each meal and snack may be the key to shedding the stubborn few pounds.
Water aids in absorption and digestion and removes harmful toxins from the body, and it keeps you hydrated. All these functions don't run well if you don't drink enough water, and thus, it can be why you are gaining weight.
To lose weight, you must have optimal metabolism, excretion, digestion, and cell function, which becomes challenging if you drink inadequate water. Therefore, you should ensure to drink enough water throughout the day, and also you can try other nutritious fluids such as jeera water, coconut water, and lime water. You should consider drinking 1 to 2 liters of water per day to lower body weight, appetite, and BMI.
Failure to Vary Workouts
Repeating the same workout every day and eating the same foods may be why you are not losing weight. While habits and routines can help you attain your goals, employing the same technique can make losing weight difficult.
When you do an exercise repeatedly, it becomes more accessible, which means you lose fewer calories. However, trying different workout routines such as taking walks, leisurely jogging one day, and making interval sprints the next day ensures that your calorie burn remains constant and keeps your body engaged.
It would help if you also considered signing up for online personal training programs since they customize a training program, ensuring you don't repeat the same routine. Also, eating the same foods can become tedious and lead to reverting to unhealthy foods. So, you should try and mix up different foods to include a range of foods.
Stress
Stress may also be another reason why you are not losing weight. According to experts, people with a more significant level of the stress hormone cortisol are more prone to have more belly fat and be overweight.
Uncontrolled stress can cause you to consume more food and rely on comfort food, especially foods rich in sugar or refined carbs. Stress can also lower your metabolism, causing you to burn fewer calories. Thus, it's essential to keep any stress at bay, whether financial, personal, or work-related. You can also try meditating, yoga, or breathing exercises.
Genetics
Depending on your physiology, you may gain and lose weight more quickly than others. Some bodies have faster metabolisms and are naturally more muscular than others, and others store more fat and burn calories slowly. Everyone's genetics, personalities, and metabolic rates differ, all of which may influence weight-loss efforts, but that doesn't mean that you are doomed.
However, if your body tends to struggle to lose fat, you might need to work a bit harder to get rid of it. It would be best to reduce your calorie intake while keeping a closer check on your weight. Just be sure to avoid overexerting yourself. Take small, gradual steps to ensure that you’re losing weight in a healthy way.
If you've been attempting to lose weight with no success, you should consider consulting a doctor. You may be suffering from an underlying disease that prevents you from losing weight. However, it would help if you also kept in mind that your body may be at its ideal weight, and it may be unhealthy and unreasonable to lose more. Nevertheless, do your own research and talk to your doctor about ways that you can improve and maintain your health.
