8 Reasons Why You Might Not Be Losing Weight

This report will list, in order of complexity the most likely reasons why you might be finding it difficult to lose weight. It endeavours to give you enough information to give you a head start on your weight loss goals and is a part of the Slim, Strong and Healthy resources which are a part of the Wamuran Fitness and Health Website.

1. You are eating too much or too fast

This may seem obvious, but unless you're tracking your calories each day, you may be eating more than you think. Portion control is one culprit, especially with restaurants providing enough food in one meal to feed several people.

If you're really serious about losing weight, you need to get serious about you're eating. Start by keeping a detailed food journal for one week, without changing any of your eating habits. It is now a proven fact that eating a healthy calorie restricted diet, is a major key to maintaining good health as you get older. Healthy calorie limits are approximately:

Women – approximately 1000 calories per day

Men – approximately 1500 calories per day

Something else to think about is metabolism, which can drop as you get older if you don't preserve your muscle mass. Some estimates show that muscle mass declines about 4% each decade from age 25 to 50. If you're still eating the same number of calories as your metabolism drops, your weight may creep up over time. Start exercising and lifting weights now to keep your metabolism in check.

2. You are not getting enough exercise

If you find your workouts are hit-or-miss and that you give in to temptation a bit too easily, your weight loss may hit the skids. For exercise to work, you have to do it on a regular basis. Once your body adapts to your program, you then need to change it to keep your body challenged. If you skip too many workouts, it's almost like starting all over every time. The main guideline is 30 minutes per day, of some exercise: walking, dancing, fit-ball, gym routines, cycling, swimming etc… As I get bored easily, I like to do a bit of everything, changing my routine on a daily basis.

Sticking with exercise starts with finding a program you enjoy and that fits in with your lifestyle, goals and needs. That means being realistic about what you'll really accomplish each week rather than going by what you think you should be doing.

3.  You are stressed

Stress and weight gain (or lack of weight loss), go hand in hand. Though you may not be aware of it, being under constant stress can increase production of the hormone cortisol which can cause an increase in appetite as well as extra fat storage around the abdominal region--a big no-no since abdominal fat (WAT) is linked to insulin resistance, diabetes, high cholesterol and other health problems.

Dealing with stress can be as simple as taking a few minutes a day to relax, scheduling a massage as often as you can or cutting down on work hours and increasing play time. Personally, I meditate 15 minutes a day, usually last thing before I go to sleep, which has the benefit of slowing my thoughts down and my rhythms down into sleep mode.

4. You are skipping meals

Don’t skip meals! People mistakenly believe that if they skip meals they will lose weight. Skipping meals will just make your hungrier in the long-run, for after a few skipped meals, your body will be sending signals to your brain…”Hey, I am hungry!’  That’s when you usually go hit the fast food restaurants.

Skipping breakfast is a big No, No as eating first thing kick-starts your metabolism, which remains higher for the rest of the day, resulting in more efficient use of fat stores for energy requirements.

5. You are not getting enough sleep

The researchers surveyed 200 patients attending internal medicine clinics about their sleep habits, lifestyle characteristics, and medical diagnoses. The findings revealed people with a sleep time of less than seven hours had a notably increased possibility of obesity defined by a body mass index compared to the reference group of eight to nine hours. “This study suggests that adults should sleep eight to nine hours per night to maintain optimal weight, he added

6. You don’t need to lost weight

Despite what you hear on the news or read in popular magazines, not all of us need to lose weight. In fact, many of us have unrealistic ideas of what a healthy weight and body shape is. We all have different shapes and, though we can make changes to our bodies, we can only improve on the bodies we have--not turn them into someone else's body.

I have a challenge for you: Take away all the reasons you want to lose weight that have anything to do with how you look. Now, look at what's left...are there any other reasons that you need to lose weight? Are you at risk for medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease? Is your BMI in an unhealthy range? Are you within your ideal weight range? If you're at risk, losing weight may be important for staying healthy. But, if you're very close to your goal and can't seem to get rid of those last few pounds, ask yourself if you really need to lose them. Would it be possible to be happy at your current weight?

7. You have a medical condition

Some medical conditions and medications can contribute to weight gain. While not everyone will find this to be true, it's important to explore every avenue if you're genuinely following an exercise program and a clean diet and still not losing weight.

One condition known to affect weight is thyroid disease. A thyroid deficiency can cause a decrease in metabolism and may lead to weight gain.

8. You have Insulin Resistance Syndrome

This syndrome is fast becoming a world wide epidemic and is substantiated by medical researchers to be the leading cause of heart disease, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, obesity and depression, among many other health challenges we faced with today. (Please read: "Sick, Tired and Overweight" for more information about Insulin Resistance Syndrome at http://health-fitness-videos.com/page/12/default.asp)