5 Reasons Why You May Not Be Dropping The Pounds

Losing weight is already difficult enough as it is. It can be increasingly more frustrating when you are seemingly doing everything right and still can’t manage to lose weight. Often times we are able to lose the weight that we think we should because of simple lifestyle choices. Once we identify what these are and begin to change them, we may be able to turn things around and start shedding those extra pounds. Below, are some common reasons why we are unable to lose weight even when we think that we should.

 

1. Not getting enough rest: Not getting enough rest is one of the biggest reasons that many people gain weight or aren’t able to lose it. When we fail to get at least 7-8 hours a night, our bodies start producing too much cortisol, a hormone that causes weight gain, especially in the abdominal area.

 

Studies have show that females who only sleep 6 hours a day have a 10% greater chance of gaining weight then those who log 8 hours. The group of women who are at the greatest risk of packing on the pounds, are those that get 5 hours or less sleep.

 

In order for your body to work optimally and as it should, you need to go through all of the cycles of sleep. Restorative sleep is absolutely necessary and will help you be able to prevent weight gain or take it off.

 

2. Too Much Alcohol: Some people aren’t able to lose weight because they consume too much alcohol. Alcohol is ok in small amounts. However, binging or consistently drinking a lot of it can cause weight gain.

 

3. Not Lifting Weights: As we get older, our body begins to lose muscle. This makes it much easier to gain weight. When we don’t have a good percentage of lean muscle, then the metabolism does not work as effectively and the body does not burn as many calories or as much fat. You don’t have to become a bodybuilder. If you commit to lifting weights 3-4 times a week for roughly 30-45 minutes, you should see a big improvement in your ability to lose weight.

 

4. Your Goals Are Not High Enough: Studies have shown that people who set high weight loss goals tend to lose more weight then those who settle for losing only a few pounds. Now this is relative. If you only need to lose only 10-15 pounds, then you shouldn’t shoot for more then that. On the other hand, if you need to lose 50 pounds and your goal is to only lose 10 pounds, you likely won’t ever lose all of the weight that you need to.

 

5. You are not consuming enough water: It is very important to drink enough water when you are trying to lose weight. This includes not only actual water but also food that contains water. Foods such fruit, vegetables and soup all into this category. These are types of foods are more filling and act as appetite suppressants. The opposite is true when we eat junk food. Subsequently, we end up eating way too of these harmful foods. Water and water based foods have just the opposite effect. They fill us up more so that we aren’t as hungry and thus won’t eat as much, enabling us to lose weight. 

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