Hit a plateau? Check out these ten reasons for why you’re not losing that weight, and tips to get back on the right track.
1. You’re Not Eating Enough
Skipping meals can throw your metabolism into a tailspin – and so can eating too few calories.
Our bodies try to protect us from starving during famine seasons by holding onto every last calorie that we put into them, and when you eat too few calories, that is exactly what your body thinks is happening.
If you’re following a very low calorie diet and aren’t seeing results, try upping the calories and adding in some healthy fats.
2. You’re Eating Diet Foods
Packaged diet foods sound like they should help you lose weight, but many of them don’t quite get it right.
They could be full of sodium, or low-fat but high in sugar, or they might simply lack the combination of nutrients that your body needs to lose weight.
Stick to whole, fresh foods instead of anything frozen.
3. You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep
Multiple studies have found that people who only get 5 hours of sleep per night tend to gain more weight than people who get at least 7 hours.
Why? Sleep deprivation causes your body to pump out cortisol, which makes you hungry and slows down your metabolism. Catch enough winks for better weight loss.
4. You’re Adding On Muscle
Don’t worry, this is a good thing! Muscle is heavier than fat, so you may see numbers on the scale go up even as you slim down.
Focus on how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how much body fat you have, rather than your actual weight, and remember that heavy muscle actually helps you burn calories faster.
5. You’re Drinking Your Meals
Our bodies don’t register calories that we drink as well as calories that we eat.
So when you chug a smoothie, protein shake, or other liquid meal (or when you drink a soda or a low-cal lemonade or fruit spritzer), you don’t feel satiated after – leading to snacking and more calorie consumption.