Why Can't I Lose Weight With Diet And Exercise? Surprising Reasons Why You Aren't Losing Weight!

Most people know that reducing your calorie intake and increasing physical activity are the keys to losing weight. But what if you are doing all the right things, but can't seem to lose weight? Here are some possible reasons that can sabotage your fat loss:

• You are under a lot of stress: during periods of high stress, there is a hormone secreted in large quantities, the hormone NPY. This hormone is capable of increasing fat storage, especially in the belly. Furthermore, NPY affects the brain, increasing the feeling of hunger. What you can do is to try to manage stress as best as possible and keep following the diet.
• You suffer from chronic constipation: chronic constipation can contribute to obesity. At the same time, it increases the toxins that remain inside the body. Constipation can also cause a sluggish metabolism and a bloated tummy.
• You suffer from chronic dehydration: chronic dehydration can cause fluid retention and slow down the metabolism. If you don't drink enough water, your body will start to retain whatever water it receives in order to survive. Lack of water can also increase hunger, which will make you consume more calories throughout the day. What is more, the kidneys will be unable to flush out the toxins and the liver won't be able to metabolize fat.
• You stopped smoking: smoking burns calories. This means that if the cessation of smoking is not accompanied by a slight reduction in calories, you may experience a slight increase in bodily weight.
• You are getting older: over the years, the rate at which we burn calories decreases, because there is a decrease in the metabolic efficiency. Also, as we get older there is a loss of lean mass which is the main contributing factor of our metabolism. The problem usually starts at menopause, when there are major changes in both hormones and body composition. In younger women, slow weight loss may occur due to several other factors such as irregularities of the menstrual cycle.
• You have subjected yourself to too many diets: every time you follow a weight loss diet, the body reacts by starting a series of processes that tend to restore the initial weight. The first sign of this process is the intense feeling of hunger that we experience at the beginning of each diet. Then, usually the body adapts to the new situation and the feeling of hunger gradually fades. The next weapon that the body uses to get enough energy is to break down the proteins that constitute the lean mass. This loss of protein induces a strong decrease in the rate of the metabolism, which can cause the weight loss to stop. With every new diet you ruin your metabolism a little bit more, until you reach a point when you may not be able to lose any fat, even if you starve yourself.