5 Reasons Why You May Be Struggling to Lose Weight

Did you think that when you started out trying to lose weight, it would be easy? We all did. Now, weeks, or even months later, you don’t seem to lose any weight. What’s going on?

This may come as a surprise, but it’s likely that there are reasons you aren’t losing those extra pounds and why it seems like your efforts aren’t paying off. Whether it’s because you’re eating too much, not working out enough, or you’ve hit a weight-loss plateau, here are five reasons you may struggle to lose weight.

You’re Eating Too Much

With weight loss, calories matter. If you’re eating more than your body needs, you will not lose weight. That’s a simple fact. If you want to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit — consuming fewer calories than your body needs. A calorie deficit will force your body to use your body fat as fuel to sustain you. To ensure that you remain in a calorie deficit, keep track of what you’re eating and ensure that you’re not taking in more than your body needs. If you’re unsure about how many calories you need to eat to lose weight, you can use an online macro calculator to help you figure that out.

You’re Not Exercising

If you want to lose weight, you need to ensure that your calorie deficit is created through a combination of healthy eating and exercise. Exercise, especially resistance training, will help you burn calories while preserving your lean muscle mass. This is crucial for maintaining a good metabolic rate since you won’t be dieting forever, and a good metabolic rate will make it easier to transition to maintenance calories.

You’re Not Eating Enough Protein

It’s always important when you’re trying to lose weight that you pay attention to what you eat, but it’s especially true if you want to boost your metabolic rate. If you’re not eating enough protein, then your body is going to have a hard time building and maintaining muscle mass, which could slow your metabolic rate down and make it more difficult to lose weight. Protein is also extremely satiating, which makes dieting easier because it helps to keep the cravings under control.

You’re Following Overly Restrictive Diets

Diets that severely restrict the number of calories you’re allowed to eat and/or what kinds of food you can eat make it harder to stick to and therefore affect your ability to adhere to the diet in the long run. Overly restrictive diets can also lead to disordered eating and binging.

A more flexible diet that allows you to eat a variety of foods in moderation is more likely to be successful in the long term.

You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

Over the past several years, there has been an increased focus on how sleep can impact our overall health, including our weight. Many studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight or obese, and one reason for this may be because sleep deprivation can lead to cravings. Cravings paired with a lack of willpower due to sleep deprivation is a disastrous combination and will surely derail your weight loss efforts.

A study conducted by Dr. Ndeltcheva found that sleep affects your body composition. In the study, Dr. Ndeltcheva and colleagues found that people who slept 5.5 hours a night for the duration of the study had decreased fat loss by 55% and increased loss of fat-free mass by 60%. In contrast, when the participants slept 8.5 hours, more than half of their weight loss was fat. This study shows how important sleep is for maintaining a healthy body composition. So even if you feel you are still productive with 6 hours of sleep, your overall health and body composition tell a different story. Aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night to ensure that you are not sabotaging your weight loss efforts with poor sleeping habits.

When it comes to weight loss, there are several things you can do to increase your chances of success. Pay attention to your calorie intake, make sure you’re exercising, and make sure you’re getting enough protein. You should also try to be as flexible as possible with your diet and be sure to get enough sleep. If you’re struggling to lose weight, you’re likely making one or more of these mistakes. So, take a step back and make some changes to start seeing results.