The New Year bring new hopes and dreams. New Year's resolutions are made, and a common resolution is to lose weight. Once a resolution is made, one thinks that the weight will just melt right off, just like magic. Initially weight may come off quickly, but then it may plateau. This may just be mostly water, since actual long lasting weight reduction takes much longer. Healthy eating habits along with a smart exercise program maintained for at least 3 to 6 months is required to make major changes in permanent weight loss.
Maintaining the weight loss require a change in lifestyle to include moderate exercise program with a sensible diet. There may be a period where the weight is not coming off, and frustration may set in. Stop and analyze your weight loss regime. You may have slipped up on your weight loss program without noticing. There are some common reasons why the weight is not coming off. Here are 9 reasons your weight loss could be stuck.
Not Exercising Enough
Sometimes you may overestimate how much you are burning when you are exercising. Weight-bearing exercise, like running, walking, and aerobics, leads to burning more calories since gravity requires the body to work harder. The best way to monitor your exercise would be by maintaining a journal and heart monitor to see the actual duration and intensity, and how they could be increased.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Many studies have linked lack of sleep to weight gain. Tired people end up even eating more, an average of 500 extra calories a day. There are some regulatory hormones secreted at night and during periods of sleep which could be affected resulting in improper sequence of hormone release. Also remember that staying up late may lead to snacking while watching TV resulting extra calories.
Too Stressed
Stress in women, especially middle-aged women, can lead to weight gain. Studies have shown a link between having altered sleep patterns and fat conservation. This is possibly related to hormones. It is important to also realize that many women simply manage their feelings with food, eating instinctively without thinking that this is an easy way for the calories to add up.
Skipping Meals
Skipping meals leads to a feeling of hunger, in which you may indulge in overeating later in the day. This leads to consumption of empty, harmful clorie consumption, or over calorie consumption. Research has seen that if a person does not eat consistently for 72 hours, the body shuts down the calorie burning ability and begins to store fat.
Eating Too Many Calories
Sometimes the portion size is not the problem, rather the choice of foods you eat. Cutting down on high calorie meals may not give you the correct reduction in calories to give you weight loss. Keep a food journal of everything you eat. Be aware of the calorie amount consumed, not just the amount of food in a day.
Drinking Too Many Calories
Certain beverages contain a very high calorie count. Regular sodas can add between 150 and 200 to your calorie intake. The "no-sugar-added" fruit juice adds up to 180 calories and sweet tea adds approximately 150 calories. Drinking three servings daily over a week can add up to 3,500 calories, or the one pound of weight you could have lost. Water is the best drink, no calories and rehydrate your system.
Too Lax About Diet and Exercise
Salad with rich dressing, cheese and croutons can add hundreds of calories; You may burn 300 calories by walking for three miles, but then eat a muffin with the same number of calories. This erases the effect of your workout. You need a healthy, calorie-controlled meal plan with exercise to help maximize calorie burning. This promotes the calorie deficit required to lose weight.
Reached a Plateau
Reaching a plateau in your weight loss is a common event. You might be losing fat tissue, while gaining more lean body tissue. Don't worry, in time you'll resume your weight loss, as your metabolic rate starts to increase.
Don't Need to Lose More Weight
Your body could be indicating that you was already at a proper weight for your size and your height. If this is correct, any further weight loss might lead to muscle loss and slowing your metabolism. Muscle loss could occur because an extremely restrictive meal plan would be required to attain and maintain a lower weight.
