If you’ve been trying to lose weight for a while, but despite your best efforts, things don’t seem to be going your way and your weight loss has stalled, there may be obstacles in your way that you might not even be aware of.
First things first; this thing’s a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s only through wholesome, holistic change that weight management goals are hit. But if your diet has been nutritious, your exercise regular and your mindset focused, and you still haven’t hit those targets, then perhaps the problem is hidden. If that sounds like it might be the case, get to the root of the problem with these 6 reasons you might not be losing weight as effectively as you want.
THE SCALES MIGHT JUST NOT BE SHOWING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS
‘It’s not you, it’s them’. If you’ve been doing everything right, but somehow the scales still don’t seem to be moving, it could be that the scales just haven’t caught up with your efforts yet.
It sounds strange, but it’s possible to lose weight and experience a stall on the scale at the same time for a number of reasons, including the fact you are building muscle while losing weight, or that water retention can mask your weight loss.
Healthy weight loss is gradual and steady, and many believe that weigh-ins should only happen weekly or monthly, as an indicator of general progress rather than a definitive assessment. Some experts believe that this should be combined with the occasional, old school use of a tape measure on various parts of the body like the waist, neck, arms and legs so that you can monitor centimetre loss, too. This will give you a greater overall picture of how things are going.
YOU’RE EATING MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE
This may seem like an obvious point, but you’d be surprised at how often this is the cause of a weight loss stall. You see, most of us think we have a good idea of how many calories are in things, but the reality is often much different to our perceptions, especially since we tend to overestimate what represents a healthy portion.
The good news is, if this is the thing that’s stopping you from losing weight, it’s really easy to fix by using a calorie calculator to work out how much food you need, and a food tracker to ensure you are eating the right amount of calories to see a loss while also staying healthy.
Whilst it shouldn’t be used as a standalone method to manage weight, experts including the NHS believe that counting calories as part of an overall regime that includes a balanced diet and plenty of exercise can help keep the process manageable and accountable.
Read: 4 diet adjustments which actually help with weight loss
YOU’RE EATING THE WRONG FOODS
Although it should technically be just as feasible to lose weight eating 1200 calories of junk food as it is to eat 1200 calories of healthy food, that is certainly not the case.
The old saying goes ‘you are what you eat’, not ‘you are how much you eat’, and it’s the contents of your meal as well as its calories that matter. If you eat lots of junk food, it will raise your blood sugar and make it harder for your body to work efficiently, whereas, if you eat a diet based around healthy whole foods, your body will work to the best of its ability, and you will not only lose weight but probably find that you feel far more satiated, too.
Oh, and while we’re on the subject of eating the ‘wrong’ foods, try to stay away from packaged ‘diet’ foods because, although they tend to be low in fat and calories, they are often loaded with sugars which can play havoc on your body and prevent you from meeting your weight loss goals. Instead, it’s best to know exactly what’s going in your diet by cooking your meals from scratch using fresh, ideally local ingredients.
YOU’RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
Getting a good night’s sleep as often as possible is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health – we all know this – but so many people do not make the connection with a lack of, or poor quality, sleep and weight gain.
The fact of the matter is, if you want to lose weight, you need to get between 7 and 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Lack of sleep is the most significant factor in people becoming obese, which isn’t really surprising because when you’re tired, not only are your hormones out of whack, but you tend to be hungrier due to a lack of energy and effective exercise is more difficult.
If you’re struggling to get the requisite Zzzeds, check out these tips on how to sleep through the night without waking.
YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR THYROID
If you’ve been dieting and exercising but you really aren’t seeing the kind of results you would have expected, it may be worth making an appointment with your doctor, especially if you have any of the other symptoms of a hypothyroid disorder.
When your thyroid isn’t working correctly, it can really mess up your metabolism, which means, even if you eat less than usual, it will be harder for your body to do its thing. Once you have been diagnosed and you have the right medication, with the right diet and some exercise, you should start to see some results in the weight loss department.
YOU’RE STRESSED
Studies have shown that stress may be associated with both weight gain and loss. This is due to the fact that stress raises cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol causes the body’s muscles to break down, while also lowering serotonin levels, which makes you hungry, and often gives you sugar cravings, which can be hard to resist.
The good news is that there are online and app-based tools like Headspace that can help you lower your stress levels from the comfort of your own home. Alternatively, speaking to your GP who can suggest other methods of stress management and offer a referral to a dedicated mental health team.
*This article is not intended to replace dietary advice, diagnosis or treatment given by a qualified health professional. Instead, this article only provides information, not advice. For any medical enquiries, always consult your GP first*