You’re probably may often come across the very common and frustrating question, “why can’t I lose weight successfully?”This article will provide you with all 30 possible reasons you’ve been searching for.
It’s as if you’ve hit a wall when you notice how stagnant your body weight has become. But the waist size numbers on your belly fat don’t lie. As frustrating as it is, many people face this same dilemma. And it is this same struggle that makes people throw the towel and leave. Well, don’t. You don’t have to give up just yet!
Beating the Scale: Why is it so Hard to Lose weight
Why is it so difficult to lose weight? We have to be realistic for a second here. Losing excess body weight is a process, Successful weight management programs often require long-term adherence to lifestyle changes. Hence why they call it “Fitness Journey.” It’s not a one trip road. There are no shortcuts. It takes a combination of things like effort, workout planning, attitude adjustments, and lifestyle changes.
However, it is something worthwhile. The first step to addressing your problem is to accept that losing weight isn’t easy. Still, you are prepared to make these necessary changes to make it work. After all, there is a solution to every problem. You have to pinpoint the exact cause to find the right answer.
Here are 30 probable reasons why you’re not losing weight:
Table of Contents
1.Focus on Dieting but Ignore Exercise
It’s a common mistake that people make. Just because your cause for weight gain is over-eating, then solely focusing on cutting back your food intake would do the trick. Not to say that dieting would be ineffective. But dieting alone without proper Exercise just won’t do.
You can’t expect to lose all of your excess weight by living a sedentary lifestyle. Lack of Exercise can cause many health problems such as joint pain, headaches, heart disease and lack of energy. You have to realize the importance of exercise out can do for your body. With the right combination of proper diets and work out, you’ll be able to lose weight faster and strengthen your body and feel better physically and mentally.
Diet and Exercise habits must and always go hand in hand.
2. Eating Too Many Calories
When we try to regulate our diet, our calorie deficit is something we should take into heavy consideration. Only eating healthy food or decreasing what you usually ate before isn’t enough to get the goal of losing weight work.
You might be consuming right above your calorie deficit without even noticing. To effectively lose weight, you have to monitor your calorie intake.
You can use plenty of fitness apps and calorie calculator to prevent you from eating above your calorie deficit.
3.Too Little Protein
A proper diet consists of the right balance in your macros. Namely: Fat, Carbs, and Protein. Now the ratio of each in your diet would depend on your fitness level and your goal weight. However, you should take considerable note of how important protein is to your diet. It can:
- Boost Your Metabolism – Studies have shown that a high protein intake has the potential to help your body burn more calories. This is due to its high thermic effect that boosts your body’s metabolic rate altogether.
- Curb Your Appetite – Protein has been proven to reduce your hunger by increasing the level of your appetite-reducing hormones like cholecystokinin and GLP-1. This naturally decreases your calorie intake.
- Help Build Muscle – When people lose weight, we naturally tend to lose some muscle in the process. And this affects the body’s metabolism to decrease, which would make you burn less fat. To prevent muscle loss, increasing your protein intake is the way to go. As it will help build your muscles in the process.
4.Eating too often
Let’s say that you’re cutting back on the amount of food you eat in one sitting. But how often do you eat meals and snacks per day, exactly? If you stack up the number of times you ate in a day, then you’re still most likely overeating. You don’t only have to watch what you eat, but remain vigilant on the number of times you do eat.
Eat 3 proper meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. With a snack in between if it helps. Just avoid often eating because that would do nothing to cut your weight.
5.Skipping Breakfast
If it hasn’t been stressed enough, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s your fuel and energy source to power through the day. That’s why skipping breakfast might be causing you more problems than you realize and a contributor to you not being able to lose weight well.
Not eating breakfast can decrease your metabolism, making you crave more or any food throughout the day. You’ll also end up feeling lethargic, so the thought of working out might seem less appealing to do when you’re low in energy. Eating a well-balanced breakfast can even help curb your appetite. It would also provide you with enough energy levels your body needs to function and lose weight.
6. Midnight Snacking
Midnight cravings can often lead to disaster. And if you think eating “healthy foods” won’t affect your weight, it does. So it’s no excuse to sneak a snack or two at bedtime. You’re still eating more calories than you should be, and that’s a recipe for weight gain. Cut the midnight snacks by drinking water before bed. You can also try to drink lemon water, which could help your digestion and curb your appetite.
7.Stress Eating
Eating food while you’re in the throes of stress and emotional upheaval is never a good idea. Besides pushing the idea that eating food will “make you feel better,” this will make you highly dependent on it to be the exact solution for your problem and is a poor excuse for comfort, even if our body’s cortisol levels demand otherwise.
It’s best to talk to someone for support or even find other ways to blow off some steam when it comes to it. Any positive distraction, such as Exercise or a walk in the park, can undoubtedly help.
8.Poor Sleep
Sleep is deep-seated with our appetite. The amount of sleep we have is essential since it regulates hunger. If your body is sleep-deprived, your hormones stimulate desire, and appetite spikes, making you feel hungrier. Sleep deprivation can also lead to a dip in your body’s metabolism. Both of which could make losing weight challenging to achieve.
9.Never Doing Cardio Exercise
There are various exercises you can do to lose your body fat. However, aerobic exercise still holds the most effective title for losing calorie burn.
Simply lifting weight training won’t do. Doing cardio exercises helps stimulate the body’s energy reserves and burn fat more effectively. Aside from helping your body’s circulation, this can make you lose weight faster. So you might’ve missed the mark in not adding cardio exercises to your workout routine.
10. Not Cutting Back On Carbs
Eating too many carbs does play a significant factor in weight gain. Eating too many carbs causes the body’s blood sugar to rise and, in turn, increases our body’s insulin levels. Thus, in turn, affects the accumulation of fat. This would also affect the body’s appetite and increase your hunger. However, this doesn’t exactly mean that you should have to cut carbs entirely out of your diet. As we have mentioned, finding the right balance in your macros is the key to your diet’s success.
11.Eating Too Much Sugar in Your Diet
Sugar can be a problem, indeed, when you’re trying to lose weight. We all love our sweet treats and savory pastries. However, it may also be a factor in hindering the process of weight loss. And perhaps the problem with people controlling their sugar intake is that they often disregard the amount of sugar by focusing on the number of calories in food.
For example, there are several snacks in the grocery that are labeled “low-calorie.” But the moment you check the food label on the back, the amount of sugar is still obscenely high.
Even if you cut back on your calorie intake but still consume too much sugary food, you’ll see no drop in your weight. You may even gain instead of losing weight in the process. Excessive sugar intake could also result in various problems such as high blood sugar, diabetes, and hypertension.
So , a no sugar diet will put us on the right path to good health, you are worth to try.
12. Sitting At A Desk All Day Long
Living a sedentary lifestyle certainly slows down your weight loss. It might be unavoidable sometimes due to working conditions or academic reasons. However, whichever case it may be, there is no reason for you to stick to your desk all the time, every single day.
You can allow some time for yourself to have a little bit more room for Exercise. Even getting up for a stretch or stroll can make a massive difference. You can even take 30 minutes to an hour of your day for a cardio workout. Anything that involves physical activity that can keep you moving can help contribute to your weight loss.
13.Failing to Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals
Some people fail to set their fitness goals first before jumping in to start their weight loss journey. Having no clear goal or plan in mind can only lead to a lot of missteps. You can’t just head straight into trying to lose weight when you have no clue where you are heading.
It’s also important to note that you have to set realistic and attainable goals as well. Avoid going in over your head and stay grounded with the goals you have in mind. Setting realistic goals can help meet your realistic expectations. Having unrealistic goals would only undermine your achievements in the process.
14. Not Drinking Water
People love sugar-filled beverages so much, from sodas to fruit juices. However, when you’re on a diet, these tasty calorie-induced drinks should be avoided like the plague. It won’t quench or hydrate your body as much as water could. That’s why drinking water is vital to weight loss. It is critical in helping you lose weight. Drinking water aids digestion, curbs your appetite, and helps your body burn fat. Therefore it is an essential part of losing weight effectively.
15.Physical Condition Makes Things More Difficult
We really can’t put everyone in one spot and give the same solutions to vastly different types of people. Some may have medical conditions that prevent them from losing weight. And perhaps the combined effort of diet and exercise can’t seem to be doing it to some people.
And perhaps you’re one of them, asking, “Why can’t I lose weight when I exercise and eat right?” or “Why can’t I lose weight no matter what I do?” Then there is probably an underlying cause to your inability to lose weight. Such as:
- Hypothyroidism is a medical condition where people have an underactive thyroid. This, in turn, decreases the body’s metabolism by not producing enough thyroid hormones to burn fat. Hypothyroidism even affects the cardiovascular system by making the person concerned to have a weak heartbeat and slower heart rate. This makes any strenuous physical activity, such as exercising, difficult.
- PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal problem that commonly occurs in women in their reproductive years. This hormonal disorder causes women to experience irregular menstrual periods and excess male hormones called androgen. A spike in androgen may lead to weight gain and fat accumulation in the abdomen.
- Lipedema is a medical disorder that causes an abnormal enlargement in the legs due to excess fat accumulation in an odd way beneath the skin. While Lipedema’s cause is unknown, it typically occurs in women who have reached their reproductive age.
Suppose you’re experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned above or haven’t been diagnosed yet. In that case, it’s best to visit your doctor to give you proper medical advice. They will provide a fitness regime, including a well-balanced diet tailored to the medical condition that can help you lose weight effectively.
16.Getting Older
You might be wondering, “Well, why can’t I lose weight anymore like I used to?” and why is it so hard to lose weight after 40? In weight loss, age does affect our body’s ability to burn fat and lose weight.
As we grow older, our body experiences many changes such as a dip in metabolism, or hormonal changes, especially for women undergoing menopause, and other lifestyle changes. The decrease of physical activity can also be one thing, and joint pains may come as a common occurrence, making losing weight all the more difficult to achieve.
However, small changes such as switching up your diet or even doing exercises that can strengthen your body can certainly improve your body’s ability to lose weight. Though you may not lose weight as fast as you used to, you can start to see gradual changes once you pursue a healthy and active lifestyle.
17.Genes May Prevent Weight Loss
Why can’t I lose weight even with diet and Exercise? As much as it can be surprising to some, genes may play a significant factor in your inability to lose weight despite diet and Exercise. Our genes have a lot to do with our body composition and where we store fat. This may be the case if one or both of your parents are overweight, and you have been on the heavy side for most of your life.
However, this doesn’t mean that losing weight would be impossible to achieve. This simply means that you’ll have to undergo a special diet and fitness program to help you lose weight effectively. You can’t let your genes rule your life. You can start implementing changes by visiting a dietician or a medical doctor to help you with your situation.
18. Never Eating Vegetables and Fruits
It might probably sound like a broken record, but vegetables and fruits are essential to our health! And if you are one of the startlingly many people who avoid veggies, then you might want to start turning your diet around. Studies have shown that diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer are linked with people who don’t eat vegetables.
No supplement in the world can replace the vitamins and nutrients vegetables can give you. Aside from that, eating vegetables can even aid your digestion and curb your appetite. This makes it an essential part of your diet if you want to lose weight and achieve a healthy body.
19. Gender: Men Find It Easier To Lose Weight Than Women
Does gender make a difference in fat loss? A doctor from Northwestern Medicine’s Metabolic Health and Surgical Weight Loss Center confirms it. After an in-depth study of women with their partners who underwent the same diet, they found that their husbands lost more weight than the women had by eating the same calorie deficit amount.
It has to do with the massive differences in body composition. While men tend to have more muscle, they have a biologically faster metabolic rate compared to women. Men also accumulate more visceral fat around the abdomen, which is easier to shed than the subcutaneous fat in women (which builds around the hips and thighs), more challenging to lose.
20.Prescription Drugs May Cause Weight Gain
Suppose you’re taking prescription drugs for diabetes or even anti-depressants. In that case, they can have a significant effect on weight gain in general. This is not uncommon and can even be helpful for underweight people. However, this can become problematic for overweight people.
Medicines such as this can give side effects such as a spike in appetite, lethargy, and even downgrade your metabolism, making burning fat and losing weight challenging to achieve.
Suppose you’re having trouble with losing weight due to your medication. In that case, it’s best to talk to your health care provider and ask them to give you an alternative option or medicine that won’t hinder your weight loss.
21.Relying Too Much On Junk Food
You might’ve heard of junk-food friendly diets, which would probably give you an idea that eating junk food won’t cause any problems in losing weight. Well, nutritionists beg to differ.
There already have been countless studies that indicate how damaging junk food can be to your health. Now, this is not saying that you have to stray from junk foods for good. But too much consumption can lead to numerous health problems. And people may give excuses such as “Oh, I’m keeping it all under my calorie deficit.” But can that justify a bag of chips over a healthy diet of grilled chicken breast and salad greens? Because they both have the same amount of calories but have a massive difference in nutritional value.
22.Not Lifting Weights
Cardio may be the best fat burning exercise. Still, without strength training, your muscles, along with your metabolism, would be shot. Lifting weights is essential to a healthy workout regime. As much as running on a treadmill can help you shed weight, lifting, or strength training exercises can help keep your muscle mass.
Muscles are necessary for your body’s ability to burn fat. They are also essential in providing the body strength to put through the daily grind of exercising. The stronger your body is, the faster you’ll lose body fat and keep your metabolism in top shape.
23.Drinking too much Alcohol
Alcohol is nothing but a concoction of empty calories. Which equals a recipe of disaster to your diet. Drinking too much can cause significant problems for your health and waistline. And if you’re staring down at the glaring bloat in your abdomen, asking, “Why can’t I lose weight in my stomach?” Then perhaps drinking too much alcohol may be to blame for your bulge.
Excessive alcohol intake can cause fat to accumulate on your stomach, and feel bloated. What’s worse, it can spike up your appetite and slow your metabolism. So if you are trying to lose weight, it’s best to think twice before attempting to sneak a few shots in or a can of beer or two.
24.Relying On Restaurant Meals Too Much
It’s understandable. Especially with people living hectic lifestyles. However, relying on fast food and takeaways might be something you should try to lessen, especially when you are on a diet.
For one thing, you don’t know the types of ingredients they are putting in your food. Therefore, you can’t precisely pinpoint the exact number of calories your meal has. It can get worse if you are completely taken with fast food. All that fat and grease that comes with many calories can be terrible for your health and diet.
There is a way out of this vicious cycle of relying on restaurant food too much. You can incorporate weekly meal preps that are easy to make. There are many healthy meal prep videos online that can help you prepare healthy meals that can have you set for a whole week long.
25.Lack of Patience
Losing weight is a process. It’s understandable to lose a bit of Patience due to your frustration and desire for a healthier body. However, you can’t exactly expect a flat stomach within 3 days or a week of Diet and Exercise. It takes time. Especially if you have a lot of extra pounds to shed. Have a bit of patience and trust in the process. Appreciate small wins, and you’ll get there with time and effort.
26.Diet Too Monotonous
“Why am I not losing weight even if I eat the same thing every day?” Well, consistency and being able to stick to your diet is essential. However, eating the same types of food repeatedly can become detrimental to your health and your body’s ability to burn fat. There is a reason why the food we eat has so much variety. It’s because our body needs a lot of vitamins, minerals, and even nutrients to thrive.
Try adding more variety to your meal plans by incorporating the right balance of protein, fat, carbs, and fibers into your diet. Don’t limit your options. You can alternate or interchange your meals accordingly as well.
27.Been Starving For So Long
Starvation isn’t right in any situation at all. While intermittent fasting does have its perks and health advantages, a full-blown and prolonged fast cannot and does nothing good for your weight and health. And if you think that starving yourself can help you lose weight faster, well, it does not.
Starving yourself can cause a multitude of health problems. Eating disorders dip your metabolism. Worse of all, it can certainly harm your immune system and make you susceptible to diseases. Stick to a balanced diet and regular exercise, and you’ll be able to live healthier and happier.
28.Eating Little Whole Foods
We can all agree that processed food can be more convenient and faster to prepare. Still, it contains less nutritional value compared to whole foods. Canned goods, processed meat, and anything that is refined and processed filled with sodium, sugars, and preservatives are frankly damaging to your health.
Stick to whole foods. And there are many quick and easy meals you can prepare that won’t cause any damage or harm to your diet and overall health.
29. Dining In Front of a TV
Movies and food does go together quite well. It’s hard to imagine going to a cinema without a bucket of popcorn or snacks to munch on. The same goes for a simple lie in on the couch while streaming your favorite movies. However, dining in front of a TV can develop a nasty habit of overeating.
When we watch tv, our brains get so occupied that it loses focus on what we eat. This causes us to feel less satiated after a meal in front of a telly, and we tend to eat or crave more food. When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s best to just be in the moment with your food. You’ll begin to notice how you can feel fuller and more satisfied with your meal without any sort of distractions.
30.Slow metabolism
Our metabolism is our body’s natural ability to burn fat. Thus having a slow metabolic rate can make you burn fat slower and less effectively. And it’s a common problem with people who find difficulty in trying to lose weight. You might even notice this with some of your friends who have a fast metabolism that can eat large portions of food, who barely even gain weight.
The world might be unfair that way, but you can take matters into your own hands and find ways to lose weight and increase your metabolism. Only eating right and taking considerable Exercise, and even sleeping well can significantly improve your metabolism.
What Should I Do if I Can’t Lose weight?
If all else fails, it’s best to get professional help. If you can’t take matters into your own hands, and no matter what effort or alternative option you give, it’s best to have your body checked because, as we’ve mentioned, losing weight can sometimes be a complicated problem for people. One they cannot handle alone without the proper medical attention.
5 Key Things to Keep In Mind When You’re Trying to Lose weight
Here are 5 essential tips to follow through in your weight loss journey:
Set Realistic Goals and Have Realistic Expectations
Losing weight and starting your fitness journey can give you a rush of excitement. You can be easily pulled to wanting more and seeing results right away, and if you fail to hit the mark, you’ll get discouraged with your high expectations.
Try to be more realistic with attainable goals and grounded expectations. Try to go for short-term goals that can give you long-term success.
Celebrate small wins because any form of achievement, even if it is just losing a pound or two, is still a step closer to success.
Don’t Compare Your Progress with Others
We all have a competitive streak within us. However, having this tendency to compare our progress with others can either make or break our motivation to keep ongoing. While some might find inspiration in keeping up, some might feel defeated by not measuring up and achieving the same milestones as others.
To each their own time. We all walk very different paths in our fitness journey. It’s not the end of the world if some lose weight faster than others. You’ll reach your healthy weight eventually in time. You just have to be patient.
Never Give Up
The road to weight loss can be frustrating. There will be instances where you might just want to throw the towel and give up trying. But you have to keep in mind that losing weight will have its ups and downs. Problems may come, but they will eventually pass. Keep going and never give up on yourself because the only person who can make you achieve your fitness goal is you.
Take Care of Yourself and Your Mental Health
Losing weight can sometimes take a mental and emotional toll on all of us. It’s not a walk in the park, but at the same time, you have to develop self-acceptance to achieve growth. Be mentally and emotionally prepared to initiate changes that can lead you to a healthier lifestyle. It’s also perfectly alright to seek support from your friends and loved ones to make your weight loss journey more comfortable.
Losing Weight is a Journey
Again, losing weight is a process. It involves significant lifestyle changes, so you can’t expect it to breeze through it without a problem. There are bound to be hitches, uphills, and downhills. It definitely won’t be easy; however, with the right mindset, the right people, and enough will-power, it is something possible to achieve.
The Bottom Line
Identifying the reason why you can’t lose weight is the first step to making changes. It’s imperative to follow through with a healthy lifestyle to meet your fitness goals. Whether it might entail significant changes or huge adjustments, if it’s to help you lose weight effectively, then you can take your chances.
Also, you can always seek professional help or medical advice. Your doctor or dietician can assess your physical health and determine the exact fitness regime and diet that works best for you.
With that being said, have faith. You’ll lose weight and beat the scale in no time.
