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25 Common Reasons Why You're Not Losing Weight

Medically Reviewed on 7/7/2022
25 Common Reasons Why You're Not Losing Weight
Weight reduction is not always straightforward, and several circumstances may stop you from losing weight.

Losing body fat and attaining an ideal body weight have several health benefits.

  • Lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels and less stress on the joints, bones, and heart are the advantages.
  • Thus, it is crucial to concentrate on techniques to lose those excess pounds. 
  • However, following proper procedures and carrying out your goals correctly is crucial.

Still, there may be various reasons why you are not achieving the expected outcomes despite your best efforts.

Weight reduction is not always straightforward, and several circumstances may stop you from losing weight. Not reaching your weight reduction target can occur when calorie intake equals or exceeds calorie usage.

Keep a food journal, consume extra protein, practice mindful eating, and conduct strength workouts. Finally, changing your weight and lifestyle needs patience, effort, commitment, and endurance.

If you still do not find any changes in your weight, try other measuring methods, such as calculating fat percentage and measuring your waist and other parts with a measuring tape to look for inch loss.

25 reasons you may not be losing weight

  1. Not drinking enough water: Studies state that drinking enough water regularly can aid in weight loss along with keeping you well hydrated. Filling up on water before a meal promotes portion control, and eating foods high in water, such as fruits and vegetables, can fill you up faster. This makes you eat less. Drinking enough water throughout the day boosts metabolism, prevents binging, and reduces cravings for sugary drinks, such as soda and juice.
  2. You have attained a plateau: You are exercising regularly and eating well, but you find that your weight loss has stopped. Earlier, by reducing calories, you lost weight quickly at first. You could lose some water weight, muscle, and fat. Eventually, you will reach a point where you stop losing weight, this indicates that you have reached a plateau. To restart your weight reduction, you must reduce more calories from your diet and increase your physical activity. Avoid drastically reducing calories. Rather, focus on getting most of your calories from fiber-rich and whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
  3. Your body is under stress: Your body may reduce extra fat when you have a proper balance of exercise-related stress and recovery time. However, not allowing your body enough time to recover could be harmful because you will begin to produce an excessive quantity of cortisol, a stress hormone. When your body is exposed to cortisol for an extended period, it begins to have negative impacts, such as accumulation of stubborn fat in places you do not want, an increase in cholesterol levels, and cause other health issues.
  4. You eliminate entire food groups: If you have been avoiding carbs because you believe they make you fat, you should reconsider. Eliminating an entire macronutrient from your regular diet might leave you feeling starved and tempted to overeat. Instead, choose complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, oats, peas, beans, and wholegrain bread. However, you should avoid simple carbohydrates, such as candy, soda, and sugary treats, and processed meals with added sugar.
  5. You do not realize that you are getting fitter: Naturally, you do not notice changes in scale for several days, if not weeks. However, this does not imply that you are not on the right track. You may not see weight loss on your scale, but you are losing body fat. Weight loss depends on:
    • The food you consume
    • Water retention
    • Building muscle mass
  6. Binge eating: Binge eating is quite common. Binge eating is consuming large amounts of food, generally far more than your body requires. This can be a serious issue for many people who are trying to reduce weight. Furthermore, some people may binge on processed meals, while others may binge on items that are nutritious foods, such as dark chocolate, almonds, and cheese. However, if you overload yourself with food regularly, it will ruin your weight loss efforts.
  7. Exercising on an empty stomach: Studies suggest that when you exercise on an empty stomach, the calories burnt come from muscle but not from fat. Fueling up your body will help you minimize muscle loss and give you more energy to push yourself through your workout.
  8. Medical conditions:
    • The thyroid gland affects your metabolism. An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) will reduce your metabolism and increase fat stores in the body.
    • Insulin resistance is a condition where insulin receptors in cells can become desensitized, and they do not recognize insulin or use glucose. During starvation, the cells inhibit the release of fat and store calories. Carbohydrate-rich diets, particularly simple carbs, worsen the disease.
  9. Not eating enough protein:
    • Protein is the most important nutrient to lose weight. A diet consisting of 25 to 30 percent can increase your metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day, causing you to burn more calories each day. It can help curb cravings and snacking. This is made possible in part by the influence of protein on appetite-regulating hormones, such as ghrelin and others.
    • If you have breakfast, be sure you get enough protein. Studies report that eating a high-protein breakfast reduces hunger and cravings throughout the day. A high protein intake help prevent a slowed metabolism, which is a typical side effect of weight reduction, and future weight gain.
  10. Not aware of your calorie intake:
    • You must be mindful of your diet. Most individuals have no idea how much they consume in a day.
    • According to research, keeping a food diary may help you track your calorie intake and with weight loss. People who keep food diaries or photograph their meals regularly lose more weight than others who do not.
  11. Eating too many calories:
    • If you are consuming far too many calories, you may struggle to lose weight. Studies state that people tend to underestimate their calorie consumption. If you find it difficult to lose weight, consider weighing your meals and tracking your daily calorie consumption for some time.
    • Tracking your nutrition will help you achieve your nutritional targets, such as consuming 30 percent of your calories from protein.
  12. Avoiding strength training: One of the most crucial things you can do to lose weight is to engage in some type of resistance exercise, such as weightlifting. Weight training prevents injury by strengthening the joints and improving muscle mass and metabolic rate. Lifting weights can help prevent your metabolism from slowing down and keep your body and muscles toned.
  13. Drinking too much alcohol: Wine, beer, or mixed drinks contain more calories and contribute excess calories to your daily intake. If you regularly consume three or more drinks per day, you are more likely to gain weight, regardless of the type of alcohol used. If you enjoy alcohol but want to lose weight, consume it in moderation. You may try mixing spirits, such as vodka with a zero-calorie drink.
  14. Certain daily medications: Some medications used to treat medical conditions may cause weight gain. Steroids may alter your metabolism and make you feel hungry, causing you to overeat and accumulate abdominal fat. Antihistamines used to treat allergies may promote weight gain. They reduce the amount of a chemical your body produces to control your hunger, causing you to eat more.
  15. Sitting all day long: When you spend most of your time sitting, your body may lose its capacity to detect when you have eaten too much, causing you to overeat and gain weight. Even little exercise breaks throughout the day might help you maintain your health. Get up and take three 10-minute walks during meetings or your favorite television shows.
  16. Starving yourself for longer hours: It may not be a good idea to schedule your meals too far apart or starve for an extended period. Following a strict diet regimen, such as restricting calorie intake or excessive dieting, may slow down your metabolism, and you may not be able to burn off all the calories by your next meal. Starvation may cause you to overeat sometimes. Both conditions can increase calorie storage, leading to weight gain. Meet your daily calorie intake as small servings at regular intervals.
  17. Improper sleep pattern:
    • Disrupting your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) may contribute to weight gain. This is commonly seen among people who work night shifts. Continuous shuffling between night and day shifts may even worsen your regular, healthy sleep-wake cycle. Studies report that individuals with a stable or less variation in their sleep habits were more likely to succeed in their weight loss attempts.
    • Good sleep is one of the most important variables in your mental and physical health and weight. According to research, one of the most important risk factors for obesity is a lack of sleep. Adults and children who sleep poorly are 55 to 89 percent more likely to develop obesity.
  18. You were traumatized: There is a link between abuse and weight gain. If you have had a history of sexual abuse, it may lead to weight gain. Studies report that individuals who have been sexually abused, especially at a young age could be prone to weight gain. Seek the help of a qualified psychiatrist to get over the trauma and progress on your fitness journey.
  19. Not eating right while doing intermittent fasting: Intermittent fasting is not always a miraculous weight-loss strategy. You must be conscious of what you are putting into your body. If you are not losing weight with intermittent fasting, you may still be eating too many calories.
  20. Consuming excess junk food: If you believe you have a junk food addiction, modifying your diet or eating less may appear to be difficult. If you have been losing weight for several months and have attained your target, you should take a break. During this phase, you must avoid fried, sugary, and high-calorie foods. Instead, try increasing your daily calorie intake by a few hundred calories, practice lifting weights to develop muscle, and sleep more.
  21. Having unrealistic expectations:
    • Weight reduction is typically a gradual process. Many people lose their tolerance before they achieve their goals. Although it is common to lose weight fast at first, a few people can continue to lose weight at a pace of more than one to two pounds per week.
    • If you have already dropped weight but the scale does not show further changes, consider shifting your focus to total body fat and muscle mass and improving your stamina and flexibility rather than just focusing on weight.
  22. Skipping breakfast: Skipping breakfast may appear to be a fantastic method to reduce calories, but your body may store fat because it believes it is starving. Individuals who eat breakfast routinely lose more weight, so eat breakfast every morning to kick-start your metabolism. Incorporate protein and fiber to offer yourself long-lasting energy and satisfaction.
  23. Overindulgence in low-calorie food: Going for meals with a lower calorie count may be misleading. Such foods are sometimes loaded with extra salt, sugar, or chemical additions to compensate for the elements that were eliminated or reduced. These light versions are less nutritious and taste lighter, tempting you to consume more. You will almost certainly consume more calories with so-called low-calorie food than a regular-sized amount of a healthy option.
  24. Eating wrong food post-workout: A post-workout snack should always be limited to a snack. Unless it is dinner, your post-workout meal should be about 150 calories. Various healthful foods, such as trail mix, can be rich in calories. Mindlessly munching straight from the bag without a proper measure of the serving can increase calories.
  25. Wearing clothes that are too big: Loose clothing is comfortable, but it conceals the body and allows you to forget about your appearance, which may undermine your exercise drive. Instead, choose garments with a more fitting silhouette to help you feel more confident about your physique. Start the day in your gym clothes to motivate you to do something physical.

QUESTION

Weight loss occurs in the belly before anywhere else. See Answer
Medically Reviewed on 7/7/2022
References
Image Source: iStock image

Lafayette General Medical Center. 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight with Diet and Exercise. https://ochsnerlg.org/about-us/news/10-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight-diet-and-exercise

Denver Health Medical Plan. 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight. https://www.denverhealthmedicalplan.org/blog/10-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight

WebMD. Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight. https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-not-losing-weight
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