“Why am I not losing any weight?” There are situations that we might find ourselves asking this magical question. Sometimes we might even choose to give up. Why? Just why… even with your intense exercise and diet nothing seems to work? Is this really scientific?
Aside from exercise and diet, there are many other factors why you might not be losing weight. It is important to know your conditions especially your overall health, and more importantly, control them. Then you can charge again with your weight-loss efforts.
Here are some of the possible reasons why you aren’t getting fit.
Your Eating Schedule
Dieting is not just eating the right food in the right amount. You should also consider the right time. Some people might think that eating less or skipping breakfast is a way to shed some fat. However, it is not.
Breakfast is very important in getting the energy you need to last through the day. There are also studies which claim that skipping breakfast heightens the risk of obesity. This is because you would be famished later in the day causing you to eat more during lunch or dinner,
On the other hand, having a snack close to bedtime is a big no. Your body will find it difficult to burn those. Eating dinner about two or three hours before you go to bed is the right timing. If you really can’t get over without a midnight snack choose something with low calories.
Your Metabolism
Metabolism seems like a cliché answer. That explains why there are those lucky people who don’t seem to get fat even when pigging out and those people who can’t get fit even when starving themselves. However, let’s go deeper into metabolism. Your metabolism can be affected by many factors such as lifestyle, aging, genes and even gender.
Suddenly changing from an active to a sedentary lifestyle might slow your metabolic rate. Same with aging, it’s a natural process we cannot stop. Every decade, your metabolism slows down for about 2-8 percent. This might be due to decreased muscle mass.
There are also people with genes which make them burn fat slower. If you want to boost your metabolism, be active and stay away from low-calorie diets.
Your Health
Yes. Some health problems might also be the reason why you aren’t losing pounds. For example, a problem with your thyroid. Hyperthyroidism or an overactive thyroid might lead to weight loss but hypothyroidism causes weight gain due to the build-up of water and salt in the body.
There is also a condition called Lipoedema, which causes abnormal build-up in particular areas like legs, thighs, bum, and arms. Lipoedema can affect up to 10 percent of women. However, it is still poorly understood and often misrecognized as obesity, which leads to improper treatment. Stress, blood sugar, blood pressure, and hormonal disorders might also be a cause of unexplainable weight gain.
Another reason might be the medicines you are taking. Some drugs for allergies, depression, diabetes, birth control, epilepsy, high blood pressure, and schizophrenia might sabotage your weight loss effort. It is better to ask the doctor if there is a side-effect on taking these drugs.