Whenever you lose weight, your body tries to fight back. If you have ever tried to lose weight, you may notice that it is an easy process at first, but it gets harder as you progress. It almost seems like you cannot lose any more weight. If you feel like you are stuck in your weight loss journey, below are five possible reasons why, and what you can do about it.
You are suffering from metabolic problems
You may be suffering from certain metabolic conditions which are slowing down your weight loss. In such cases, you may need to visit a doctor at North Carolina weight loss clinic for examination and treatment. For example, if your thyroid glands are under-producing thyroid hormones, your body’s metabolism will slow down. This condition is known as hypothyroidism and can be treated through daily hormone replacement.
You can also be gaining weight if you have diabetes and your body is insulin resistant resulting in blood sugar accumulation.
You do not mind what you eat
When you keep track of your diet, weight loss gets much easier. You may be eating too many calories without realizing it. Many people underestimate their calorie intake significantly. To track your calorie intake, you can use tools like calorie calculator, or some websites and apps that will help you in keeping your calorie intake at minimum. Keeping a food diary can also help you become more aware of your eating habits.
You may not realize that you are losing weight
In some cases, you may be losing weight and not realizing it. At times, the scale may fail to show for days or weeks because the process is gradual. The foods you eat and your hormones can affect the amount of water your body retains. You could also be gaining muscle weight while losing fat, especially if you have been exercising a lot more than usual.
There are other ways you can gauge your weight loss progress. These include measuring your waistline, checking how well your clothes fit, and measuring body fat percentage monthly.
You are not eating as much protein
Proteins play a crucial role when it comes to weight loss. Eating more protein helps you feel fuller, which means your calorie intake will automatically go down. Eating a protein-rich breakfast is especially useful because you become less hungry all day and develop fewer cravings. Proteins also prevent metabolic slowdown, which is common with people who are trying to lose weight and prevents weight regain.
You are drinking less water, more alcohol, and more sugary drinks
Drinking water before meals can help you lose weight because it reduces the amount of food you eat. Water also boosts the burning down of calories. Taking sugary drinks and alcohol could be the reason why you are not losing weight. These beverages can be very high in calorie content. Heavy drinking will especially cause you to gain lots of weight.
Weight gain takes place when your calorie intake is higher than what you are losing. You need to be disciplined and dedicated to achieve your weight loss goals.