Do you know that almost 40% of Americans struggle with their weight?
Battling weight loss can be daunting for many. And there could be a number of factors why you can’t lose weight.
Wouldn’t you say that your weight loss journey would look a lot different if you knew what is stopping you from getting rid of the unwanted pounds?
Read on to find out what could be the possible reasons why you aren’t losing weight.
Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Weight
Have you ever asked yourself this question: Why can’t I lose weight? You may follow the latest diet, count the calories, eat healthy foods, and exercise at the gym regularly. Yet, the scale won’t move.
There may be many internal or external elements that influence the way your body converses food into energy, burns and stores fat, or produces hormones. And all those factors could potentially lead to your weight struggles. So, what could be the cause?
Here are 8 possible reasons you can’t lose weight:
1. It’s Your Metabolism
Your metabolism decides how quickly your body burns calories. The slower the metabolism, the slower the calory burn. If your body cannot keep up with the conversion, you may experience weight gain.
It is important to note that your metabolism slows down with age. Every decade your metabolism slows down by 2-8%. Certain hormonal changes, such as low estrogen levels during menopause, can also affect your body’s ability to lose weight.
Although you can’t change the clock, you can look at ways to boost your metabolism.
2. You Still Consume Hidden Sugar
Popular weight loss advice is to remove carbohydrates from your diet if you want to lose weight. Sugars, starches, or dietary fiber fall into this category. You may not realize that although you have removed pasta from your diet, you still consume carbohydrates.
Fruit juices or flavored waters contain high amounts of sugars, and this could be a reason why you can’t lose weight.
3. You Overeat
Eating more than your body needs, unnecessarily big portion sizes, binge eating, or skipping meals are all ways you may overeat. And overeating is not only limited to processed foods. You can still overeat foods that are labeled ‘healthy’.
There could be many hidden reasons why you eat more than your body requires. Discovering the underlying causes can help with your weight loss.
4. You Are Under Stress
Stress can drastically impact your weight and can be a possible reason why you can’t lose it. When you are under a lot of stress, two primary stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol are produced.
Adrenaline requires fast energy conversion, making you reach for foods high in carbohydrates (AKA sugars). Cortisol, on the other hand, signals your body to store fat, making it almost impossible for you to lose weight.
Other elements such as stress eating can also play a role here.
To reduce stress, try diaphragmatic breathing, meditation, or body movements such as yoga or Tai Chi.
5. You Don’t Eat Mindfully
Mindful eating is an ancient concept, but recently it has become a popular weight loss advice. The primary aim of mindful eating is to take control of your eating habits such as focusing on what you eat, chewing your food for longer, or listening to your body for signals that you have eaten enough.
This way you can enjoy your food and be present. You will take longer to eat which means that you will eat less preventing overeating. And slower eating will support your digestion.
Are you eating mindfully? Are you savoring each bite? If not, mindless eating can be one of the reasons why you aren’t losing weight.
6. You’re Dieting
We all got that fortune cookie: that diet makes us lose weight. However, it is not always that straightforward. Going on a diet may initially help with losing the unwanted pounds, but studies show that sooner or later you will gain those pounds again.
Most diet programs are based on excluding certain food groups which can lead to the formation of unhealthy eating habits. Your mood may be low too if you restrict yourself with what you can or cannot eat.
More supportive tips for losing weight are adopting a positive mindset around food and body image, eating nourishing foods, and exercising.
7. You Don't Eat Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason. When you skip breakfast, you may find yourself feeling hungrier later, overeating at lunch, or snacking on foods that are high in processed fats or carbohydrates.
Breakfast is also an opportunity to consume more proteins. Eating proteins can boost metabolism, reduce consumption of unwanted calories and satisfy your hunger for longer. In addition, proteins help with regulating one of the appetite hormones – ghrelin.
8. Other Underlying Health Issues
Sometimes losing weight is not as simple as eating healthy, exercising regularly, reducing stress, or sleeping more. You may suffer from a medical condition that not only makes it harder for you to lose weight, but also contributes to you gaining extra weight.
Some of the common health conditions that can stop you from losing weight are sleep apnea, hypothyroidism (also called overactive thyroid), heart disease, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Taking certain medication or suffering from mood disorders can alter your success with losing weight too. Some medications may change your metabolism, influence your appetite hormones, or make you feel tired.
Supplements for Weight Loss
There may be many internal and external reasons why you can’t lose weight. Slow metabolism, overeating, or constant dieting can all cause your body to keep the weight on. Building healthy habits around mindful eating or reducing stress can make a difference in your weight loss journey.
And if you are ready to start, why not check out our supplements for weight loss today.