Why You can’t Lose Weight – Here are 16 Reasons
Page Contents
Why cant I lose weight – a phrase most of us who are trying to diet have said to ourselves at one stage in our lives.
Losing weight is hard. If it wasn’t we would all look great and the diet pill manufacturers would be bankrupt.
Unfortunately, some people find it harder to lose weight than others. Then again, lots of dieters who get off to a good start suddenly hit a plateau and find they are getting nowhere fast.
When diet and exercise aren’t working, even though you believe you are doing everything right it can be frustrating.
If you are having this problem, don’t worry, you’re not alone. A lot of people are scratching there head over this one and wondering what went wrong.
In all honesty, there could be any number of reasons why you can’t lose weight. The list below provides 16 of them. Maybe one or more of them could be applicable to you.
1. You Are Eating Too Much Salt
So, you’re overweight and aren’t trying to kid yourself it’s just because you’re big boned. Congratulations on your honesty.
However, when you’re overweight it’s easy to presume all your excess weight is fat. In all probability, most of it is, but some of your excess weight could be due to water retention.
We can all fall victim to minor levels of water retention without being aware of it. Did you know eating too much sodium can cause water retention?
If you can’t lose weight and are wondering why you may want to bear this in mind and take action by cutting back on your use of salt.
You will also need to avoid salty foods like pickles, soups, potato chips, and ham. It will mean watching your sodium intake alongside your calories but it could be worth it in the end.
2. You Are a Soft Drink Junkie
Soft drinks contain a lot of calories and they can be habit-forming. It’s a bad habit as well and don’t kid yourself you’re okay because you only use the low-calorie version. Every calorie you consume counts and they add up fast.
This may be strange to believe, but sugar-free soft drinks can be just as bad as normal soft drinks. Research published in Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine shows they can trigger urges for sweet food.
So do yourself a favor and kick your soft drink habit for good. Try drinking water instead it’s good for you. Water helps flush toxins from your body and has a stomach-filling effect that can suppress hunger urges.
Green tea is another good alternative to soft drinks. It packed with antioxidants that encourage good health and help prevent disease. It’s also a proven fat burner. Just remember not to spoil things by using it with a sweetener. [SOURCE]
3. You Are Not Getting Enough Exercise
How much time do you spend sitting on your ass? If your but is stuck to a sofa or chair for too many hours a day it’s not good. Not for your waistline or for your heart.
Granted, if you are an office worker or do some other job where butt meats seat is a necessity, you have a partial excuse. But most people can find a few moments to stretch their legs and, maybe take a short stroll.
Even if you are a regular gym-goer, getting a little more exercise, in any form, is never a bad thing. Try taking the stairs instead of the lift and walking or cycling to work if it isn’t too far.
Look for other ways to “do things the hard way” if you can, it will help make it easier to lose weight. A calorie burned is always better than a calorie saved.
4. You Are Exercising, but Not Doing It in a Smart Way
The human body has this marvellous ability to adapt, did you know that? If you are doing the same exercises all the time and following the same routine things can get stale.
Apart from the fact that your body adapts, your mind can get bored and lose focus. Try mixing things up a bit. Substitute, jogging for swimming. Instead of cycling, try a little Zumba.
Change your yoga routine, get one if you don’t have one or try some Tai Chi or kickboxing. After a few weeks, change things or mix them up again. Don’t let your body know what to expect.
New things are always hard. Old things are too if you haven’t done them for a while. If you find it a struggle, there’s a good chance you will be burning extra calories.
5. You Are Exercising but Using Energy Drinks
How many times have seen someone jog past you with an energy drink in their hand? What’s that all about? It doesn’t make sense.
If you are trying to lose weight, the whole point of jogging is to force your body into a calorie deficient state. When the calories run out your body has to start burning fat.
Constantly topping up with extra calories defeats the purpose. Even the sugar-free versions are nearly as bad. Use any kind of crutch to make things easier and you are not doing yourself any favours. Take some water with you instead or maybe a bottle of chilled green tea.
6. You Are Deficient in Vitamin D
Although you can get Vitamin D from many foods including eggs and tuna, your body can manufacture it as well. All it needs is sunlight on the skin.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that it’s the only vitamin the body can make, a lot of people are Vitamin D deficient.
The deficiency can be caused by poor diet, the use of sunscreen, or both.
Although the mechanisms involved are hotly debated, research shows a link between Vitamin D deficiency and weight gain.
So, if you are looking for reasons why you can’t lose weight, make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D. [SOURCE]
7. You Are Eating Too Much
If you are like a lot of people, you may find eating too much is one of the biggest reasons why you can’t lose weight.
Even when you are going for healthy food options, if you are eating too much you are more likely to gain weight than lose it.
The body only needs a certain amount of energy at any given time, if you dump too much on it all at once it will store the excess as fat. You are most likely eating the wrong kinds of food – foods that contributes to weight gain.
Try eating smaller meals, but do so more often. Five to six small meals a day may be better than three larger ones and will help fend off hunger throughout the day.
It’s also important to listen to your body. If you don’t feel hungry anymore stop eating. Your mother isn’t going to be looking over your shoulder telling you to finish everything on your plate.
8. You Are Not Eating Enough
Here’s a shocker, if you have gone all hardcore with your diet and are not eating enough, it can hamper your attempts at weight loss.
A consistent lack of food can cause your body to try and save it’s fat as long as possible. It achieves this by breaking down muscle protein instead and using that for energy.
This is especially bad if you are trying to attain a nice firm, defined body. Even if you are not, losing muscle can make it harder still to lose weight.
Muscle tissue burns calories 24-hours a day. Even when you are asleep. It’s not a major amount of calories but every little helps. Again, eating five or six small and healthy meals a day could be the way to go. There’s no need to go silly and stave yourself.
9. You Are Not Chewing Your Food
Are you one of those people who wolfs their food down without chewing it? A lot of people do this. Sometimes it’s due to a stressful life and a perceived lack of time. At others, it’s just a bad habit.
Either way, it’s not good and could be one of the reasons why you can’t lose weight.
It may sound like a crazy idea, but you’d better believe it. There’s plenty of research that shows it’s so. [SOURCE]
When you gobble your food down too fast you don’t give your stomach time to signal the brain that it’s full.
Apart from giving your body time to switch off the hunger signal, giving your food a good chew makes it easier to digest. Plus you get more time to savor the flavor.
10. You Are Snacking On Empty Carbs
Snacking during a diet is not entirely bad. You can do it if you are careful and make sure you’re not pushing your daily calorie count over the top.
However, if you must snack try to stick with sensible choices like apples, celery, or carrot.
Snacking on potato chips, cookies, pretzels or white bread can be disastrous for your diet. All that sugar and empty carbs will pump you full of extra calories. It won’t satiate your appetite for any length of time though. So, it may not be long before you are snacking again.
11. Your Mind Is Elsewhere While Eating
Eating while distracted is one of the reasons why a lot of people overeat and can’t lose weight. It’s so easy to do. Think of all the times you’ve sat in front of the TV eating, fork poised in front of your mouth.
Where is your attention during that tense scene in a movie or your favorite soap? Do you even taste the food when it enters your mouth? During the exciting scenes, you may even start eating faster.
Eating while finishing a work or school assignment is equally bad. Distractions make it hard to keep track of what you are putting into your mouth.
12. You Are Eating Out Too Much
Eating out can be a treat, but it’s best to make it an occasional treat rather than a regular one. Sure, restaurant food can taste good and it saves cooking at home.
However, whatever your reasons for eating out, doing so could be one of the reasons why you can’t lose weight. You can never be sure how your food is being prepared. There could be a lot of hidden fats and sugars.
Take mashed potato for example. It’s going to give you a lot of carbs to start with. What happens if the chef creams it with a ton of butter? Your calorie count will go through the roof, that’s what.
At home, you can monitor your food. You’re the boss. You have complete control and can avoid a calorie overload that will scupper your diet.
Incidentally, meals from fast-food takeaways can be just as bad or worse. Stick to what you know.
13. You Are Suffering from Stress
Stress is bad news. You don’t want it. Maybe it won’t make your hair fall out, but it can push your blood pressure up and affect your health in other ways.
Stress triggers the release of cortisol. Ever heard of it? It’s a stress hormone and it can be detrimental to your attempts to slim down.
Research shows cortisol is often behind those urges to eat that so many people get when they are stressed. [SOURCE]
Unfortunately, in this case, there are no easy answers. However, some people find taking a long walk is calming. Other prefer to go for a jog. Listening to music (not thrash metal) can also help and yoga is very good too.
14. You Don’t Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is important it’s the time when the body gets to do a lot of necessary internal repairs. It’s also needed for a healthy mind and if you don’t get enough sleep you are more likely to fall victim to stress (see reason 13, above).
Lack of sleep can also cause you to heal more slowly after you’ve exercised. If your muscles don’t get the chance to fully recover between training sessions the tissue will breakdown faster than it can be repaired. That means loss of muscle mass and that can slow your metabolism.
If you don’t get enough sleep you will also feel tired a lot of the time. That’s not a lot of fun so try to hit the sack at a reasonable time.
15. You Drink Too Much Alcohol
This one is a biggie. Drinking alcohol is deeply embedded in the cultures of many countries. It’s a social pastime.
Lot’s of people like to meet their friends “for a drink”. Just as many like to unwind after work with a drink.
However, no matter what kind of alcohol you are drinking, it’s all loaded with calories. Drinking wine and vodka won’t prevent you from getting a beer belly.
Going out drinking can also result in some unhealthy food choices. Under the influence of alcohol, some people eat high-calorie foods they wouldn’t touch if they were sober. [SOURCE]
16. You Are Not Strong Enough to Resist Social and Family Pressure
It’s hard to feel like the odd one out. When all your friends are eating large unhealthy meals, it can be strange to be the only one who is taking it easy and opting for sensible food options.
The same goes when it comes to social drinking. If you are on mineral water and your friends are up on the table dancing… Well, nobody wants to be called a party-popper.
Jealousy can also be an issue. When you are losing weight, your friends and family may get jealous. Especially if they are overweight themselves.
When this happens they can throw a lot of obstacles in your way. “Go on, one more won’t hurt you, you’ll soon burn it off.” How many times have you heard that?
If you are serious about your diet, you will need to resist all the pressure and not let it become one of the reasons why you can’t lose weight.