Is the scale stuck in one spot? If you can’t get that stubborn number to go down, you might be wracking your brain to figure out what you’ve been doing wrong. If you are struggling to lose weight, there may be a number of reasons.
Excessive snacking
Do you eat several big meals per day and still snack throughout the day? You may be consuming more calories than you realize. Especially if you are snacking mindlessly, you may be taking in hundreds of calories each snacking session.
Stress
Some stress can be a good thing because it motivates you to complete tasks, but too much stress is a problem. Not only can it take a toll on your well-being, it can cause your body to hold onto fat. Stress may cause you to overeat and choose unhealthy foods. It may also cause you to lean on food as emotional support.
Slow metabolism
Our metabolisms tend to slow as we age, and it may be slower if you have a high percentage of body fat. Muscle burns calories, so if you have higher body fat content than lean muscle content, you may not be burning as many calories as you could be. If you regularly skip meals, you may also be slowing your metabolism. Eating too-few calories or skipping meals can slow your metabolism and send your body into starvation mode. Not sleeping enough can also slow your metabolism. You may also have a slow metabolism due to genetics.
Medications
There are several medications that may make it more difficult to lose weight. Such medications include those for allergies, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, epilepsy, birth control, and more. If you are concerned about your medication causing weight gain, speak with your doctor.
Health conditions
You may have health conditions that cause you to hold onto weight. You may have problems with your thyroid, such as hypothyroidism. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is known to cause insulin resistance and because it messes with an individual’s hormones, it may lead to fat accumulation.
Yo-Yo dieting
If you are constantly trying the latest diet trend, it may be more difficult for you to lose weight and maintain that weight loss in the long-term. Yo-yo dieting (losing weight and gaining it back again) can be detrimental to your health for a number of reasons. You may lose muscle and gain fat, change your gut health, increase your appetite, and increase your chances of harmful diseases like heart disease and diabetes. It can also be incredibly frustrating to be in a cycling of losing a lot of weight and then gaining it all back. Instead of following fad diets, it’s best to follow a nutrient-rich diet, exercise regularly, manage stress, and get plenty of sleep.
This is in no way a comprehensive list. There are countless other reasons you may be unable to lose weight. It’s best to speak with your doctor to determine a healthy weight-loss plan. There may be factors outside of your control, such as genetics, causing you to hold onto excess weight. If a healthy diet and regular exercise have repeatedly not worked for you, it may be time to reach out to a Lap-Band® Surgeon here.
