5 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight and What to Do About It

Losing weight can be a difficult journey, especially if you feel like you’ve hit a plateau. If [...]

Losing weight can be a difficult journey, especially if you feel like you've hit a plateau. If you feel like you're doing everything right — eating healthy, working out — and you still can't seem to budge the number on the scale, check out the reasons below and learn what to do to keep making progress towards your goals.

You're not sleeping well

Sleep isn't just important for brain function and overall alertness. It also plays a huge role in balancing the hormones in your body that control hunger and appetite. When you're exhausted, your body craves snacks to give you the energy you aren't getting from a decent night's rest, and those snacks can add up.

A lack of sleep can also slow your metabolism down, which can further impede weight loss. The solution? Make sleep a priority by establishing a routine you can follow each night. Pick an activity that helps you wind down, like reading, taking a bath, or listening to soft music, and start doing this every night before bed. Doing so will calm your mind and make it easier for you to fall asleep.

You're not hydrating properly

While it might seem unbelievable that not drinking water could inhibit your weight loss, in fact, water is key to achieving your weight loss goals. Water helps to suppress your appetite, making you less likely to overeat. Many people also misinterpret their hunger and thirst cues, often eating when they're thirsty because they interpret the sensation as hunger.

Regularly hydrating yourself solves this problem. Water also increases your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories. The easiest way to work more hydration into your day is to always have a water bottle with you and ensure you take at least a few sips an hour, and more with meals. If flavoured water is more your thing, check out our recipes for tasty detox water.

You're been doing the same workouts forever

If you've been doing the same workouts for months, or even years, it might be time to change things up, especially if you've noticed your workouts seem too easy and you no longer feel challenged by them. That means that your body has started to adapt to those exercises, so changes in your physique and body composition changes are no longer happening. Take this as an opportunity to try something new! Switch your workout class, take up jogging, or try a new kind of yoga. Taking your body out of its comfort zone will help you continue to develop strength and muscle, pushing you towards your goals.

You have an underlying medical condition

Many medical conditions can affect your weight, including thyroid problems, polycystic ovarian syndrome and sleep apnea. If you've tried all of the strategies listed above and still aren't seeing any changes in your body, talk to your doctor to make sure there aren't any underlying conditions affecting your weight loss.

You're stressed out by your lack of progress

Weight loss is a slow, sometimes arduous progress, and focusing too much on the number on the scale can make the process stressful, which in turn can further inhibit your weight loss. Stress can lead to an increase in cortisol, which can interfere with weight loss and even cause weight gain. Managing stress is easier said than done, but one of the best ways is meditation, an activity that can be done anywhere, no props required. Check out our beginner's guide to meditation and get ready to feel calm.

Eating well and exercising is important for overall health as well as weight loss, but make sure you're taking care of your body's other vital needs like sleep and hydration if you want to keep seeing positive changes.

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