You’ve heard it time and again: having a good, proper, and balanced diet plays an important role in losing and keeping the weight off. Couple that with enough physical activities and achieving your weight loss goals becomes possible. 

Because you are determined to finally shed the extra pounds and fats off, you do everything you can to lose weight. You stick to your diet, you exercise regularly, AND you even gave up your weekend’s cheat meal — anything to start seeing any results. Yet… the results are not what you expected them to be. Not only are you not getting any thinner, but you actually put on some weight, despite your best efforts! 

It happens more often than you’d think, especially as people tend to fall victim to weight loss and dieting myths. 

If you feel discouraged and start losing motivation, read this article before you give up completely! In this post, our Spring Hill weight loss expert shares a few possible reasons why you’re not making progress, as well as ways to turn the tables around and get back on track again.

1. High cortisol levels

Cortisol, also referred to as the ‘stress hormone’, is produced as a response to stress or low blood sugar levels. People who are trying to lose weight usually put themselves under a lot of pressure, hence, the cortisol levels are increasing. What are the implications of having high cortisol levels? 

First of all, it may trigger you to eat more in order to calm your nerves. It is never a good idea to snack in between meals, and cortisol makes you do exactly that. 

Secondly, it is actually also responsible for storing fat in the abdominal area – in other words, your stomach won’t get any flatter if you keep stressing! 

How can you decrease the cortisol levels in your body to make sure you keep on losing weight?

Simple answer would be of course to try to calm down. According to our dietitian, you can try simple relaxation techniques, such as listening to calming music, taking a walk or meditating. 

Another thing you could do is include more whole foods in your diet – green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. 

Exercise is also great as it balances your hormones and helps with relieving the stress at the same time, so a win-win situation! By working on keeping your cortisol levels in check, you’ll start losing weight in no time.

2. You’re not getting enough sleep

You didn’t see that one coming, did you? Yes, in our ‘always-on-the-move-society’, we tend to associate sleep with laziness, so it’s not a surprise we don’t necessarily perceive sleep as a means to losing weight. And that’s a big mistake! Getting enough sleep plays a huge role in the process of shedding those extra pounds. 

How does this work? When you sleep, your body goes into ‘healing’ mode wherein your body restores cells and produces the energy it needs to function during the day. All of this obviously needs time. If you deprive yourself of sleep, your body will start looking for alternative energy sources, and you know that that is? Carbs! Those high-in-salt and sugar, processed foods that you’re working so hard not to give in to. 

Moreover, lack of sleep also causes cortisol levels to increase, and you already know what that can do to your attempts to lose weight. Take a word of advice from a dietitian and make sure you’re getting enough nurturing, good-quality sleep.

3. You’re trying too hard

This one seems counterproductive, doesn’t it? After all, aren’t you supposed to give your all to achieve success? Isn’t it true that the more you work, the sooner you’ll see the results? Well – yes, and no. 

Of course, working hard is an important part of the process – you are changing your entire lifestyle, for crying out loud! It takes a lot of work to alter your diet and adopt new healthy habits, such as exercising regularly, drinking more water, and getting enough sleep. 

Unfortunately, we often tend to seek immediate gratification. “If I work so hard, why am I not seeing results?!” The truth is, if you work too hard and try to do everything at once, you put your body under a lot of pressure. 

In order to lose weight, you need to listen to your body, and work WITH it, and not AGAINST it. Otherwise, it will go into this ‘fight-or-flight’ mode, which will only make it harder for you to lose weight. 

Example? If you deprive your body of energy (i. e. you drastically limit the amount of calories you consume), it will store the fat in your cells ‘in case of emergency’. So not only you won’t lose any weight – you might actually put on some more! It is crucial you take it easy and in small, manageable steps. The key to success is listening to your body.

4. You’re starving yourself

If you’ve been following our nutritionist in Spring Hill, FL, for quite a while now, you probably already picked up that dieting is not synonymous with starving yourself. Although dieting often requires cutting back on your calorie intake, it definitely doesn’t require you to starve yourself. 

Decreasing calorie intake is just one of the aspects of dieting. It’s not all there is. As mentioned above, if your body doesn’t get enough nutrients, it might get the signal that it should enter survival mode. It will store as much fuel source as possible because it doesn’t know when it will get sufficient nourishment again. 

Furthermore, when you don’t get enough nutrition, you could lose more muscle mass than fat. Your goal should be to eat the right food and the right amount to feed your muscles. 

Additionally, you will basically sabotage your metabolism if you don’t eat enough. This is one of the best reasons why you should consult a nutritionist. You want to know how much and what you should eat to make sure you’re providing your body enough nourishment.

5. You’re only dieting, not changing your lifestyle

Are you prone to yo-yo dieting? This is when you try a certain diet then lose weight. However, you lose focus and regain the weight again. It’s a vicious cycle. Why does this happen, you ask.

Simple: you’re only dieting, not changing your lifestyle. Weight loss is committing to a healthier lifestyle, not just a diet. For instance, if all you do is restrict food and calorie intake but you still deprive yourself of sleep, your body will not be able to repair itself and you will also feel sluggish. Ultimately, your body will push you to look for a source of energy. Often, that’s food or worse, junk food.

When you commit to changing your lifestyle, everything will follow. You will have more motivation to exercise, you will start making the right food choices, and you will drop bad habits that affect your health.

6. You don’t have the right support system

Did you know that there are benefits to having a weight loss buddy? According to studies, more than 70% of dieters with a support system are more likely to achieve their weight loss goals. This is because you’ll have someone to motivate you and help you push forward when you begin to lose focus. 

Can’t find a family member or friend to be your weight loss buddy? We’re here for you! Not only could we recommend innovative ways to help you lose weight, but we will also guide you every step of the way. 

Find out more about our Batista Weight Loss & Wellness

You don’t have to go through this life-changing journey alone. Our highly qualified experts in weight loss in Spring Hill, Susan Batista Registered Clinical Dietitian and John Batista, M.D. together have over 20 years of experience working with weight loss patients. They are passionate about promoting healthy living through their astonishing customized weight loss programs, which are clinically more developed.

We also offer the following services:

• Glutathione injections for weight loss
• Slim shot injections for weight loss
• And more!

At Batista Weight Loss and Wellness, we believe that successful weight loss depends on two factors – the knowledge about how to lose weight and following through on your weight loss plan. Our experts will guide you all throughout the process by providing you with a customized weight loss plan. Regular face-to-face interaction will be a source of additional motivation to achieve your goals!

To create your own customized weight loss plan with us and achieve sustainable weight loss don’t hesitate to contact us. You may also schedule an appointment with our online weight loss clinic.

Call us at (352) 600-3476 or drop us a visit! We are here: 497 Mariner Blvd, Spring Hill, FL 34609, USA.

The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.