Losing weight may sound as simple as eating less, eating healthier, and work out more. Many people are doing everything right but still fail to shed those pounds. How can this be? What are so many people doing wrong? Well, I will help you to go down to the root of your weight loss plateau and put you back on track.
10 Hidden Reasons Why You’re Failing To Lose Weight
1. You are still eating too many calories
This one is obvious. If your intake of calories is greater than the ones you burn, you’ll gain weight. So if you are not losing weight you may simply be consuming too many calories. Go through your cupboards a read food labels. Seek for hidden sugars or foods you think are healthy but aren’t (here’s a list).
2. You are eating not enough calories
I can hear you shouting “Seriously?” right now…. But I’m not joking. When you don’t eat enough calories your body goes into a starvation mode and slows down your metabolism (or fat-burning mechanism) to hold on to its most precious energy fuel, fat. Your body needs vitamins, mineral, and healthy fats to function properly.
3. Low-calorie, fat-free or low-fat foods
Those words are smart marketing strategies from the food and diet industry. They trick us into believing those foods are healthy and will help us to lose weight. But actually, those foods are sabotaging your weight loss efforts. I’ve written an article for answers.com that explains why you should avoid fat-free or low-fat foods and opt for nutrient-dense foods instead.
4. Blood sugar imbalances
Carbs are converted to glucose, which raises your blood sugar level. When there are too much blood sugars flooding your body, the excess that is not used for energy is stored as fat. Balancing blood sugar levels is super important for regulating your hormones, maintaining a healthy metabolism and losing weight. So watch your carb intake!
5. Refined carbohydrates
Simple, refined carbs like white flour and sugar break down more easily than complex carbs like vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains. They cause blood sugar spikes and induce sugar cravings. So reduce your simple carb intake and opt for complex carbs and plant-based proteins and healthy fats instead. Proteins help to stabilize blood sugar levels and help to get rid of excess fat.
Scroll down and discover more reasons why you might be failing to lose weight
6. Hormonal conditions and sleep deprivation
Certain hormone imbalances like hypothyroidism, overproduction of cortisol (due to chronic stress), estrogen or testosterone imbalances, insulin resistance, or polycystic ovarian syndrome can make it very difficult to lose weight. If you think hormones may be sabotaging your weight loss, ask your doctor about it and get your levels checked.
Sleep deprivation can slow down metabolism and affects leptin and ghrelin levels. Leptin is the messenger who tells your body to stop eating and ghrelin stimulates hunger. Having imbalances in these hormones can make losing weight very difficult.
7. You’re not eating enough healthy fats
We all have been told for years that fat is the culprit of gaining weight. But since the introduction of fat-free products obesity rates have been on the rise. So make sure to provide your body with the healthy fats it needs to help you feel full and keep your metabolism working properly. Healthy fats include seeds, nuts, fish, avocados, coconut oil, ghee, and olive oil.
ALSO READ: Healthy Fats You Should Be Consuming
8. Not eating enough fiber-rich foods
Fiber-rich foods require more energy to break down and they fill you up which helps to curb cravings. Fiber-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, whole unprocessed grains, beans, legumes and raw unsalted nuts.
9. Skipping meals
Studies show that people who eat breakfast burn more calories and are able to lose weight and keep it off more easily. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, is often associated with binge eating and weight gain. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day to fuel your body, so again your body will go into starvation mode when skipping meals.
10. Too many toxins or acids are entering your body
We’ve talked about toxins and the importance of alkalizing your body before. These days there are simply too many toxins and acids entering our body through the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink… Our natural filtering systems (kidneys and liver) can’t keep up and your body creates fat cells to tuck those harmful compounds safely away. So actually fat is saving your life, but not helping you to lose weight.
CLICK HERE to access a 10-day whole food detox program to give your body a good cleanse and boost weight loss efforts.
As you can see there are a few things that may be sabotaging your efforts to lose weight. Give it time. People who lose weight gradually and make permanent healthy lifestyle changes are more likely to successfully lose weight and keep it off. So be patient.
Thanks for reading. I hope this information was helpful. Until next time!
Amy Goodrich
Crazy cat lady, life and food lover, certified biologist, and holistic health coach.
After reading this article, I come know about some unique points about not losing weight. I think the most shocking one for me is “To eat less calories” as many experts suggest to eat low calories food to lose weight but you are saying right opposite.
It is true you need to eat less calories to lose weight, but some people exaggerate and go under the 1000 calories (or less) a day. When this happens your body thinks it is starving and will slow down metabolism and hold on to its fat reserves. And that’s why people on those diets lose weight fast in the first 1-2 weeks and then come to a plateau where they are not able to lose more pounds. Your body needs it micro and macronutrients to function properly…