Sneaky Reasons Why You Are Not Losing Weight

You think you’re doing everything right… and yet, the scale isn’t budging. What are the reasons why you are not losing weight?

There are many aspects of our daily life that we don’t ever stop to think about. A lot of us are on auto pilot and don’t realize that some of our behaviors are actually working against us. Here are a few underlying factors that are to blame for your inability to lose weight.

You’re stressed.

Everyone has it, and too much of it can cause levels of cortisol, a stress hormone in the body, to increase, which in turn promotes the feeling of hunger – and not just any hunger. Increased cortisol drives up insulin levels and drives down blood sugar which make you crave fat and sugar. As a response to stress, cortisol helps the body get into survival mode, increasing and hanging to fat stores and actually enlarging the size of fat cells. The most common area for cortisol-related fat accumulation: the stomach, a notoriously stubborn area.

You don’t exercise.

Some people take an “either/or” approach to weight loss. They either diet or exercise, but not both. To truly get healthy and change your life, you have to have to have both of these crucial elements.

You’re in an exercise rut.

Ever see people at the gym who do the same thing every day? Boring, right? Variety is the spice of life, so mix it up! Be sure to add strength training in with your cardio. If you’re truly in a plateau, this might be the key to shaking things up.

You exercise too much.

Intense exercise every day puts stress on the body. And what does the body do when it’s stressed? It hangs on to fat. So turn down your intensity a bit – not necessarily every day, but during some of your workouts each week – and see what happens. You might even throw in an extra rest day.

You’re hungry.

You’ve got to be hungry to lose weight, right? Wrong. Skip the cleanses and the fasts, and go for a varied, balanced diet of vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, fruits and the nutrients your body needs to run its engine.

You’re dehydrated.

You think you’re hungry, but you might just be thirsty. Water promotes better digestion and contributes to a feeling of fullness. Chug that water throughout the day, and you will eat less. Dehydration also leaves you feeling fatigued, while adequate hydration helps you feel more energized. How much water should you drink? There are different schools of thought on this. The old guideline that we should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day isn’t a hard and fast rule. A good rule of thumb is to start your day with water, make water your beverage of choice throughout the day, and end your day with water. When it’s hot outside or when you’re exercising, drink more water. Just hydrate!

You eat and scroll.

Show of hands: Who eats while reading social media, the news of the day or your favorite gossip? That’s sort of in the category of watching TV while you eat. When you’re distracted, it’s incredibly easy to lose track of how much you’re consuming and to mindlessly eat. Try music, silence or conversation instead.

You’re tired.

Here comes cortisol again. Being sleep-deprived increases your levels of the stress hormone, which leads to stronger, more frequent cravings for junk food.

Guilty of one or more of these sneaky weight-loss saboteurs? Own the reasons why you are not losing weight, address them, and commit to achieving your fitness goals with the support of the Thrive Experience and the Thrive Plus Line.