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7 Reasons Why You May Not Be Losing Weight
There is nothing more frustrating than not seeing results on the scales. It can be incredibly demotivating and deflating. There are many reasons why this may be happening, or why your results have plateaued. Some things you can fix, and others may be beyond your control.
Here are 7 reasons why you may not be losing weight.
1) Hidden Calories
Calories can be hidden in the foods and drinks you eat without you realizing. This can include spreads, dressings, drinks and overestimating portion sizes of certain foods. Hidden calories can push you over your total energy needs for the day, which can affect your calorie deficit, which is one piece of the puzzle when it comes weight loss.
2) Stress
When you are stressed, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol. And as a result of this your body releases glucose into your bloodstream. Evolutionarily speaking, this is to help you escape and avoid threatening situation.
Unfortunately our bodies can be too good at this, and this stress response can come from everyday stressors. And if this energy isn't used it can be stored as fat instead. Stress also contributes to your eating behaviors. Some people overeat when stressed, seek high calorie sweet foods, and others may skip meals altogether. Either way, weight gain is often the result.
3) Sleep
Not getting a full night sleep on a regular basis can affect your body’s ability to rest, repair and build muscle. Bing tired from lack of quality sleep can lead to a lack of energy to do quality exercise, or a decrease in incidental exercise you do.
4) Yo-Yo Dieting
The number of times you have lost weight and put it back on again over the years directly relates to your body’s ability to lose weight in future attempts. Avoid the damage done through crash diets but losing weight in a safe and sustainable way, to avoid the yo-yo affect on your body.
5) Medications & Hormones
Medications can cause weight gain or prevent you from losing weight. In fact, most medications have ‘may cause weight gain’ side-effects. Hormone levels play a large role also, and there are things you can do to stabilize your hormones.
But ultimately, your weight gain or lack of results due to medication or hormones isn’t your fault right? So stick to your plan, keep working towards your goals and don’t be so hard on yourself! Focus on what you are doing (getting fitter, stronger, more energy..) instead of just looking at the number on the scales.
6) What your weight is made up of.
Your weight on the scales is made up of many different things - fat, muscle, water, blood, organs etc. So while the scales might not show a decrease in weight, you may in fact have increased some of these other things. Especially if you are someone who hasn't exercised very much, a lot of your initial weight gain may be due to building much needed muscle and tissue.
7) You are focusing on your weight.
Sounds a bit backwards right? Always thinking and worrying about your weight can be extremely demotivating. Not to mention the negative effects on your mental health. Instead, choose something more positive to gauge your success on. Are you getting fitter? Are you getting stronger? Do you have more energy? Do you clothes feel looser? And the more you answer yes to these questions, the more motivated you will be and the more enjoyable your journey will be.