It can be extremely frustrating trying to follow all the right rules but not losing a single pound. Yet you have friends who barely make any dietary or exercise changes and they seem to lose weight with hardly any effort at all! It can be enough to make you want to give up altogether.
However, you should not lose hope. Sometimes there may be a reason behind why you’re not losing weight. Here are some of the most common reasons why the scale won’t budge.
Age
As we get older our metabolisms aren’t what they used to be. Something as simple as walking around the block could burn hundreds of calories, whereas when you’re 40, running for an hour barely has an effect.
Unfortunately, that’s just the way our bodies work. The older we get the harder it is to burn stubborn fat. However, don’t lose hope. Stay motivated and stay persistent and slowly but surely you’ll start to see the weight disappear if you’re also following a healthy diet.
Lack Of Accountability
Sometimes we can’t understand why we’re not losing weight when in reality we’re not actually being accountable for our behavior. Are you actually tracking how much you’re exercising and eating? Are you keeping a strict food diary that calculates exactly how much you’re eating and its calorie content?
You might be surprised to find that once you start staying accountable for your diet and exercise you might not be as responsible as you think you are. Keeping track of how much you move and what you eat can be a big reality check for many people.
Lack of Protein
Sometimes the number of calories you’re eating alone is not enough to determine whether you’re going to lose weight or not. In addition to calories, you should also be tracking your macronutrients. You should be eating plenty of protein which can help boost your muscle mass, and ultimately curb your cravings.
When we only fill up on carbohydrates and fats, we often get hungrier faster. However, protein can curb our appetites for much longer periods of time.
Lack of Sleep
Believe it or not, sleep helps you with more than just battling bags under your eyes. Studies show that the amount of sleep you get is directly linked to your weight. The less you sleep the more susceptible you are to weight gain. Not only does a lack of sleep make you feel groggier, it can also cause you to eat more.
When you’re tired, your body instinctively reaches for energy which is food. However, sometimes even though you might be convinced that you’re hungry you’re actually tired. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night and you may just find that your weight loss routine starts kicking in.
