You’ve done cardio workouts and been at the gym all week. You’ve been counting your calorie intake carefully, and yet the weight just won’t come off. What’s going on? The answer may well be hiding in the random things you do over the course of the week. Some of your small habits may not appear to have any connection to weight loss, but they could be preventing you from getting satisfactory results despite all your hard work. At Kaia, we understand the frustration when the numbers on the scale won’t budge, and we’re here to help you get back on the right track.

There are a number of reasons as to why you’re not losing any weight, and it’s not all about eating too much or not exercising hard enough. Check out these four factors that are putting your weight loss plans on hold.

Not eating enough

If you eat too much and take in more calories than you burn, you’ll struggle with losing weight. But if you don’t eat enough your body will go into starvation mode, which means that your metabolic rates reduce from lack of food. While reducing your calorie intake is good for losing weight, cutting back way too much and starving yourself can mess up your metabolism.

A word to the wise – don’t skip breakfast, because you’ll just crave more food and will eat excessive snacks between mealtimes. The first meal of the day is important, so make sure you have a decent, healthy breakfast to jump-start your metabolism.

Lack of sleep

Cutting back on sleep is common in modern society – but it could be affecting your weight loss plans. Studies have shown that people who get a good eight hours of sleep lose significantly more fat than those who rest for less than six hours. In addition, sleep deprivation could affect metabolism, which is why late-nighters are prone to feel more hungry during the day, even if they’re not really.

Getting enough sleep is essential for losing weight. Lack of sleep affects you not only physically, but mentally as well. If you don’t get enough sleep you’ll feel cranky and depressed. So always get at least eight hours of sleep when you can.

Diet soda

Sugar-free drinks and diet sodas are some of the most controversial beverages around. Apart from having few to no nutritional benefits, sugar-free beverages contain artificial sweeteners that promote weight gain. Even drinks that claim to have “health benefits”, such as fruit juice or sports drinks, may hinder your weight loss progress with their deceptive number of calories. So if you’re a regular drinker of diet sodas, it’s time to switch to plain water.

The weight loss plateau

You’ve worked hard to improve your diet and exercise habits, and you lose weight, at least for a while. Then all of a sudden your weight refuses to fall further, despite your healthy habits and regular exercise. You’ve hit a weight loss plateau, a stage where the body adapts to your workouts. You’re able to exercise more efficiently while spending less calories in doing so. Naturally, the weight loss progress slows down and will eventually stop unless you adjust your workout plans. But don’t be discouraged – to get over the plateau, simply ramp up your workouts and burn more calories by increasing the length of time you exercise.

Adopting healthy eating habits and a consistent workout plan is key to losing weight. If you’re struggling with your weight loss routines, contact us today and see how we can help.