What Could Be Standing in the Way of Your Weight Loss

Are you thinking you're doing everything right, but still not seeing the results you want? Read for more information on what could be standing in the way of your weight loss.

If you've made the decision that you want to lose weight, most likely you want to see results and see them quickly. Seeing your efforts pay off is great motivation for you to continue on your journey.

If you find that your weight loss has stalled or you have trouble getting started, this can be demoralizing and make you wonder what is going wrong. There can be some simple reasons behind a weight loss plateau. Take a look at your routine and try to determine the cause.

Water Weight

You could be retaining water weight. Water weight can make the scale go up by several pounds over the course of just a day. This water weight could be the cause of the scale not moving. Perhaps you are losing fat but your water retention isn't allowing you to see those results.

Now, how to lose water weight. If you suspect that you are holding on to water weight, then one of the best things that you can do is get moving. Exercise daily and drink enough water. This may sound counterintuitive but if you're dehydrated your body is likely to hold on to any water it takes in.

A hormone imbalance or a vitamin deficiency like magnesium could be leading to water weight as well. Certain foods that you eat could also be the culprit, even if you're watching your calories and are within a normal calorie limit.

Salty foods can make you bloated as well as carbohydrates that cause your body to hold on more water than if you were to consume more protein and healthy fats.

Too Many Calories

Another culprit could be that you are eating too many calories. Even if you are doing your best to exercise every day, if you are eating too much, this can undo all of these efforts. No amount of exercise can combat an unhealthy diet.

Choose healthy whole foods where possible, and watch your portions. If you are eating too much, even healthy foods, your calorie intake can prevent you from losing any weight.

Drinks are often a source of excess calories. There are so many coffees, teas, and sports drinks that are full of sugar and high in calories. Do your best to switch to water, herbal teas, or other low calorie options.

On the other hand, if you're restricting your eating too much, this can also cause a stall in your weight loss. Depriving yourself of the calories that your body needs can cause you to go into starvation mode, so any calorie that you do consume is automatically stored since your body senses danger.

Lack of muscle building could be another reason that your weight isn't changing. You must incorporate strength training into your routine such as lifting weights or using your bodyweight to build up your muscle.

Your muscle mass helps you to burn off stored fat, so the more muscle that you have, the more fat you can burn.

If you find that your weight loss has plateaued for any reason, try taking a closer look at your daily routine to see if you are making any of these common mistakes. Sometimes, all you need to do to fix the problem, is to adjust your routine a little bit.

Throughout the course of your diet and exercise program, you will need to make changes. After you've begun to lose weight you may need to decrease your calorie intake or increase the intensity of your exercise routine to continue to build strength.