You might be frustrated that — despite all your good efforts – you aren't losing weight. According to this article on Web MD, it's due to a variety of reasons beyond having a healthy diet and getting daily exercise."
"If you haven't been able to lose weight and you can't understand why, you need to determine whether there's a medical condition underlying your weight problem," says Peter LePort, MD, director of the Smart Dimensions Bariatric Program at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in California. "You need to cure that problem first before you can address the weight issue."
So what may be some reasons we aren't losing weight?
1. You lack muscle-toning exercises.
While getting cardiovascular exercise is good for your heart and circulation, it isn't enough. You need to be building muscle mass so that you burn calories at a more rapid pace — even when you're not exercising. For starters, ask your trainer about doing some beginner-level resistance training. You'll put on some muscle mass, and you'll be leaner, more efficient too in burning off your fatty reserves.
2. You don't eat optimally (and you skip breakfast).
Are you still the type who skips breakfast with the excuse that you will just "have brunch"? Or maybe you're the type who doesn't eat the daily recommended portions of each food group (which result in you binging on whatever is the nearest convenience food that is often full of preservatives and other nasty stuff). Whatever the case, if you are not eating your daily recommended amount of calories per day from a thoughtful diet, you are ultimately always gaining. You will only burn more calories than you’re eating if you have proper exercise. Eating smaller portions without exercising will actually slow down your metabolism, making you feel hungrier faster, which starts the vicious cycle of unmindful eating.
3. You're falling for carb-free, low-fat diets.
It's OK to cut down of carbohydrates and most fats, but not to eliminate them completely! Doing so results in our bodies not getting the proper nutrition. Not all carbs and fats are bad, but we need to know which variants are and which are beneficial. For instance, there are healthy fats in certain nuts, in rich fruits like avocados, and ethically-caught salmon, and healthy carbs in whole grains, because their contain fiber. Yes, cut out the white rice and the white flour (as well as all the foods that are made from these), and replace them with carbs in their healthiest form: vegetables, fruits and grains. Avoid simple carbs, including those milk teas and ice blended coffee drinks, which really just contain massive amounts of refined sugar.
4. You snack late at night.
Yikes, guilty! "But, I need snacks while watching Netflix!" Do you, really? Eating full meal foods (like pizza deliveries!) late at night will never help you achieve your weight loss goals. In the evening, our bodies have to slow down and shut down, which means that any late-night snacks or meals end of making us fat.
5. You have underlying health conditions.
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Chronic stress makes your body produce cortisol, the hormone that triggers your body to store fat, especially around the waist. Ergo, people who are happier and stress-free tend to have smaller waists!
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PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). A hormonal imbalance that causes irregular menstrual bleeding,hair loss, and a host of other issues including difficulties conceiving. Most women with PCOS gain weight and keep it on, even if they don't eat heavily.
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Insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that activates your body to use sugar from carbohydrates in the food, keeping your blood sugar level from getting too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia). When your body is resistant to insulin, your metabolism does't work efficiently to burn calories.
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Hormonal changes in women. As women, we tend to gain weight when our bodies experience hormonal changes, such as during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. That's because our metabolism goes haywire with these imbalances, making it less efficient in burning calories.
Ultimately, a person's journey to optimal weight loss is more than just aiming for a number on the scale. It starts with conscious decisions, willpower, mindset and the development of good habits. These in turn affect gene expression, which ultimately changes the way our bodily functions work so that they will encourage proper metabolic health.
Learn more about your body and what foods help you (or hinder you) towards the ideal weight for your body type. Different foods metabolize differently for people, and you must do what it takes to learn what your healthy metabolic condition is. When you can identify which foods give you the energy you need to exercise (and thus, burn calories), you can make healthier choices that support your body's metabolic rate.
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