Have you ever asked yourself the question: ‘Why can I not lose weight?’ Well if you’re reading this article then the chances are that you have… and several times over!
It’s frustrating following a diet that just doesn’t seem to be working. Maybe you lost a few pounds at the start but then stalled, or perhaps you ran into a brick wall before you even began the diet.
Why is this happening to me?!
Well, there are several possible reasons:
#1 The secret food culprits
There are a lot of hidden ‘pitfalls’ when it comes to weight loss. For example, you may be consuming extra calories from coffee with cream and sugar, or salad dressings that are high in fat or sugar. You may also be consuming too much sodium which makes you retain water.
If you believe the problem to be in some of your food or beverage choices, take note of everything you eat and drink on a typical day. Calculate how many calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium they contain. If everything seems to be OK there, your problem may lie with the second common reason.
#2 Are you dehydrated?
Be honest, how much water do you drink? Not drinking enough? A minimum recommendation is usually 6-8 glasses of water daily, but you’ll need more if you are overweight, or if you are partial to intensive workouts, or live in a hot, dry climate.
When you drink an insufficient amount of water, your body retains it. That’s a basic survival mechanism that can be easily overcome by simply drinking more water. When you drink a lot of water, your body doesn’t have an issue with letting go of the excess that is stored for survival reasons. Note that if you have a diet of high sodium, your body will still retain water, no matter how much you drink.
#3 Do you really want to lose weight?
You’re probably screaming ‘of course I do, but consider this; our thoughts and feelings have supreme control over our bodies. While your conscious mind may want to lose weight, your subconscious fears, thoughts, and beliefs may have other plans.
Here’s how to tell if this might be happening to you: when you think about having a nice slim body, about finally reaching your ultimate weight loss goal, how does it make you feel? You may, of course, feel excited and eager to get there – but do you also feel a slight twinge of fear, panic, or discomfort about finally being thin?
Are you secretly worried about no longer having an excuse for not living your life to the fullest? Are you nervous at the prospect of exploring new relationships and possibly getting hurt or betrayed?
Many overweight people don’t recognize that there was a reason for their weight gain. Sometimes that reason is quite simple: they eat too much and don’t do enough exercise. But other times, there may be underlying emotional fears that have prevented them from losing weight. These fears need to be addressed before they will feel comfortable about not only losing weight but keeping it off for good.
Why can I not lose weight?!
If any of these reasons ring true for you, you may finally have the answer to your question. If you suspect this might be the case, take the time to write down your fears and examine them closely. You’ll find this exercise to be a really helpful starting point for your weight loss journey.
Most of the time you’ll realize that your fears really aren’t worth worrying about. However, if you have bigger fears, you may want to seek out professionals who can help you work through them.
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