Why You Are Not Losing Weight
“When you lose weight, it doesn’t begin in the gym with a dumb bell; it starts in your head with a decision.” – Toni Sorenson
Weight loss can sometimes be very struggling, particularly when you aren’t seeing the results you desire, or have always carried some extra weight.
Despite changing your eating habits and diet, taking best weight loss supplements and hitting the gym, there may be still some other underlying factors that may be holding you back and make it much more complicated to shed those extra pounds.
6 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight
You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep
One common and non-food related factor that you can’t lose weight is sleep deprivation. Studies show that lack of sleep (less than 7 hours per night) may lead to an increase in body fat and is a risk factor for obesity. There are many regulatory hormones secreted at night and during period of sleep. Without a healthy sleep, your body’s response to insulin diminishes, your blood sugar stays high, and your body pump out more insulin. Consequently, the excess insulin makes it easier for your body to store fat!
Hunger is another factor controlled by leptin and ghrelin. The less leptin you produce, the more your stomach feels empty. Ghrelin makes you feel hungry and also reduce your metabolism. Sleeping less than six hours a night reduces leptin and stimulates ghrelin; a physiological condition that causes you to feel more starved and less satiated! Subsequently, there will be the excess release of cortisol which stimulates your brain to desire more food and energy to survive. Additionally, lack of a healthy sleep makes your brain to be less resistant to the temptation of junk foods, considerably harmful to your body.
You’re Stressed Out
Stress can contribute to weight gain in a number of ways. When you are stressed it’s harder to sleep well, provide energy to exercise or define a meal plan. A recent study found that long stress raises cortisol. Not only does this drive overeating, it can also break down muscle and lower serotonin, so you crave more sweet foods. High cortisol lowers stomach acid, you don’t digest effectively so you’re left even hungrier. Stress also raise your insulin levels which makes it harder to lose fat. To deal with your chronic stress, focus on exercise and yoga to lower your tension. Or, if you can’t solve it on your own, talk with a counselor or your doctor to identify your stressor and manage them.
You Have a Health Condition
There are several health conditions and medications which could lead to difficulty managing weight or even to weight gain as a side effect. These include:
- Thyroid conditions
- Medications to treat diabetes
- Corticosteroid (steroid) medications
- Some antidepressant medications (SSRIs)
- Beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure
- Antipsychotic and anticonvulsant medications
Talk to your physician about alternatives, such as receiving some rehabilitation activity and adjusting meds, or discus any weight loss specific meal with a dietitian.
You Have Ruined Your Metabolism by Unhealthy Diets
Your body is not smart enough to distinguish if you are in a real starvation state or not, but it’s smart enough to make you survive. As a consequence, after approximately 72 hours of not eating consistently, the body shuts down its calorie-burning abilities and begins to store fat.
In order to lose weight you have to lower your calorie intake. The lower your body weight, the lower calorie you need. However, your body’s need of calorie to be healthy is not that simple. You have to consider the quality of the food you are having instead of the calories you are taking.
For instance, research found that skipping breakfast can lead to food cravings later in the day —compensating for the missed calories by overeating at lunch.
Additionally, protein and fiber are important nutrients for losing weight. It helps prevent metabolic slowdown, a common side effect of weight loss. So try to fortify your meals with protein-fiber rich foods so that you feel less hungry and have fewer cravings throughout the day.
You’re Vitamin D-deficient
1 billion people worldwide have low Vitamin D, a pro-hormone associated with weight gain and several metabolic processes. If you spend much of your life indoors, ask your GP to get your Vitamin D levels checked.
Your Thyroid Doesn’t Work Properly
Thyroid hormone helps regulate your metabolism. According to American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, there is a complex relationship between thyroid function, metabolism, and body weight. Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, is associated with decreased metabolism, and you may experience modest weight gain as a result.
In most cases, weight gain alone is generally not a sign of a thyroid problem. But alongside fatigue, nervousness, achiness, depression, dry skin, constipation, trouble sleeping and increased sweating can indicate hypothyroidism.
If you develop any of these symptoms, see a doctor to find the right diagnosis and treatment.
Dayonix Pharma/ February 6, 2019
The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional regarding any medical condition. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in the blog and to describe best generally accepted current practices we cannot accept any liability for errors or omissions or for any consequences from application of the information given.