Along your weight loss journey, you may discover that despite following all the required steps such as sticking to a weight loss plan, cutting down on sugary foods, eating less, and exercising.
You may find that you are still unable to be losing weight. It is always a dilemma that might leave you confused, frustrated, and even heartbroken. I have faced it on several occasions, and I have asked myself this question before.
God, why am I not losing weight? Most of the time, it led to my emotional breakdown. This hindered my progress and contributed to being trapped in a weight loss rat race -not a good experience at all.
If you are in this scenario like I was, don’t worry because you are not alone. According to this report, many people end up in such a situation- no matter how they try, they can’t just seem to achieve weight loss success.
I have good news. I once struggled with this issue. I had to do a lot of research which turned out to be a success.
This comprehensive study led to so many discoveries regarding weight loss. I am here to share the secrets. Once you understand the various principles behind weight loss, you will approach it from a more different perspective, increasing your chances of success. You will never fail to lose weight!
1. Diets are Standardized
To begin with, you will need to understand that most diets are often standardized. This means that they do not focus on individual metabolisms or, say, someone’s physiology. Therefore, different results may be yielded by different people despite using the same product.
In such cases, it is recommended that you turn to your dietician for further help. They will guide you before picking the correct package, which will likely suit your metabolism. Qualified dieticians can be sort via the internet or physically visiting them in your area.
2. Lack of support
Another reason for failure in your weight loss journey could be the lack of support from people around you. You need to understand that despite weight loss is more of a personal thing; it requires a lot of support from those that surround you. The people around you should understand your weight loss goals well and probably help you wherever possible.
In addition to that, they should not expose you to tempting situations by offering you seemingly ‘unhealthy’ foods, like fizzy drinks and high calorific foods, frequently. You need to understand that exposure/eating unhealthy foods will slow down your weight loss journey.
The people around you should not be discouraging you from taking healthy steps such as exercising and generally following a healthy lifestyle. If you need further help, psychotherapists around your area or online would be glad to offer you that much-needed support.
3. Inability to stick to your weight loss plan: ending up not losing weight
Lacking consistency in sticking to your plan could lead you to failure in losing weight. Therefore, discover what works for you and stick to it.
There are many benefits of you achieving weight loss success.
Therefore, always adhere to plans that seem to work out best for you. You may need to consider seeking professional advice and guidance before making great changes to your lifestyle with diets and exercises, especially if you are on certain medications or recently had an injury/accident.
4. You are increasing in muscle mass.
If you are training hard and have gained weight, then there is a possibility that you are gaining muscle mass. You need to understand that muscle mass is much more dense than fat. Furthermore, muscle, by its design, is denser and more fibrous in nature. Because it supports and moves your entire body, since dense muscle tissue takes up less space than fat, it is possible you may weigh a bit more.
Furthermore, what happens is that when a new exercise plan puts stress on your muscle fibers. In due course, this will cause small micro-tears and some inflammation. Your body, therefore, responds to the micro-tears and inflammation in ways that may cause temporary water weight gain.
Consequently, that water will add a small amount of weight to your body. This may be the reason you may gain some weight.
Therefore, before you embark on any exercise plan, you need to seek professional advice from physical therapists or athletic trainers. These people may further provide you with the required guidelines regarding nutrition and lay down the entire exercise plan and the ideal exercises you should be engaging in.
5. You are on your menses, Pregnant, or have reached Menopause (women)
During this time of the month, a woman’s weight fluctuates. This is due to changes in her hormones. Scientifically, ovulation and periods often cause fluid retention in a woman’s body. As a result, this can cause rapid changing levels in estrogen and progesterone.
This may contribute to weight gain. Therefore, weight gained or lost during this time is not a true indication of the actual weight. Just never mind it that much. Usually, it is a temporal thing.
Lose 62 lbs in weeks with this simple water hack. Click here!
In addition, women tend to add weight when they are pregnant. Usually, weight gained during this time is due to the weight of the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta, and an increase in blood supply within the body. Also, women tend to eat more during this period to support the developing baby in the uterus. So most women gain weight during pregnancy. During this period, you may find that losing weight becomes harder as the fetus grows.
WARNING!!! Weight loss when you are pregnant should be closely supervised by qualified medical personnel.
Furthermore, during MenopauseMenopause, there is an indication of weight fluctuations also. This is because a decrease in estrogen (the hormone responsible for menstruation and ovulation) can cause women in MenopauseMenopause to experience weight gain around the abdominal region and hips.
In addition, women diagnosed with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) may experience weight gain. As you age, your metabolism slows down, and you burn fewer calories. Additionally, it is a common thing that happens to most women going through MenopauseMenopause to often experience weight gain.
6. Food or fluid intake
What you eat or drink has a bearing on your weight before hitting the scale. High sodium diets, for example, could just render the scales to record an increase in weight due to fluid retention within your body. As a result, eating more food will show an increase in how much you weigh.
7. Your clothes are heavy
Putting on heavy boots or coats could lead you to weigh extra kilos. The best recommendation is to put on your lightest clothes before you hit the scale. If possible, hit it naked ‘if in a private situation’ this way, you get more accurate results.
8. Certain medications may cause you failure in losing weight
Medications in steroid hormones class, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and birth control pills may increase your weight. You should report immediately to your physician if you notice any unintentional weight gain if you are taking any such medication.
9. Not getting enough sleep could lead to your failure in losing weight.
When you don’t get enough sleep (above 5-6 hours), your body can crave junk food rather than the healthy meals you had planned. Research shows that in such circumstances lacking enough sleep increases the likelihood of you gaining weight. Therefore, having fewer sleep hours could greatly contribute to your failure in losing weight over time
10. Stress is a major factor contributing to failure in losing weight
Cortisol, the hormone released when you’re stressed, may lead your body to hold on to more fat, especially belly fat.
Stressed individuals may also turn to unhealthy foods for comfort. In addition, stressed people might just resort not to stick to their weight loss plans—a situation that may render the whole process of weight loss a total failure. Eating healthy foods, sleeping well, and exercising are some of the best ways of relieving that stress.
11. You are Constipated
Yes!!! If your poop isn’t coming out normally, then it is still in you. And since poop weighs something, it will add to those kilos the next time you hit the scale. Therefore, the weight gain problem, in this case, is only fixed once you start pooping normally. Resorting to high fiber intake foods, vegetables, and plenty of water could drastically solve constipation problems.
Some recommendations!
- Don’t weigh yourself daily to avoid confusing results due to fluctuations in your weight. This fluctuation is brought about due to different factors such as hormonal imbalance, age, fluid retention levels, and other conditions.
- Therefore, it is recommended that you weigh yourself weekly or fortnightly for accurate results. In addition, you don’t need to overdo your exercise plan to avoid exposing your muscles and cells to excess wear and tear. This condition will worsen the fluid retention levels within your body, giving you false weight results.
Understand your body
- Always remember to give your muscles the proper amount of rest so they can heal and rebuild quickly. Eating healthy foods and making sure you stick to the recommended diet from your dietitian will help you in the long run. Make sure you get enough sleep, thereby giving your body the required amount of energy to adapt to changes.
- You should always seek professional advice before you make changes to your lifestyle. If you notice weight gain symptoms due to certain drugs/medicine, then don’t hesitate to meet your physician to get the required professional advice.
Furthermore, remember that a weight loss journey is a journey of self-mastery, patience, and love. Love and respect yourself unconditionally. Staying motivated and positive will grant you success in due course.