There are many reasons why you may not be losing bodyfat. Perhaps you’re stressed at work or home, and as a result can’t get enough sleep. Maybe you have trouble controlling your cravings and can’t stop digging into a pint of ice cream every other night (as you tell yourself, “It’s OK, I’ll just have an extra hard workout tomorrow” to justify the binge.)
Whether you’re just beginning your weight loss journey or you’re trying to drop those last five pounds, getting rid of excess body fat can be a challenge even if you don’t have added stress. As we mentioned, there’s tons of reasons why you might be holding onto some flab but these 10 reasons are usually behind the slow progress.
We recommend you read the list and the advice offered to remedy these problems. Sometimes it’s a simple fix like getting rid of all the junk food in your cabinet, and other times it might require a lifestyle overhaul. Either way, we guarantee that if you stop doing these 10 things you’re guaranteed to have a slimmer body.
Make sure you’re doing your very best at controlling these so you can optimize your results and get the lean body you’ve been working for, faster than ever.
This should be pretty obvious to most people by now. Most people do not know how many macros (protein, carbs, fat) come with the food they are eating and simply measure it out by sight. They believe what you see is what you probably get but don’t take into consideration simple things like sauces which add calories to the food.
Sometimes you think you are making a healthy choice by ordering a salad at the airport or your favorite restaurant but you could be getting a 600-calorie meal without even realizing it. At the end of the day you should not be consuming more calories than what you’re using because this will, over time, add unwanted weight and inches to your body.
2 of 10
Dmitry Lobanov / Shutterstock
Not Eating Enough Protein
Protein has a lot more functions than repairing and growing muscle tissue. It’s mainly women who don’t follow this rule but there are some guys out there as well. Protein increases satiety at meals, which can lead to overall decreased calorie consumption.
3 of 10
Kazitafahnizeer
Drinking Too Many Meals
Convenience is a huge factor, so many decide that shakes are the best route for them. When you want to get ripped it’s always better to chew as many of your calories as possible.
The very act of chewing and digesting solid food burns more calories than drinking shakes does. Of course, you should avoid drinking sodas that contain high amounts of sugar as they too will increase your caloric intake for the day. And regular diet soda consumption has been shown to lead to caloric over-indulgences elsewhere.
4 of 10
NazarBazar
You Think You’re Eating Healthy
How many times have you heard that eating fruits or nuts is great for you? Well, technically they are fantastic for you as the omegas in nuts and seeds and the micronutrients and phytogens that come with fruit are awesome for your health. But guess what? In excess, they carry sugars and higher calories than you think. Remember, one gram of fat contains nine calories.
Now when you pick up some almonds and start snacking on them most of the time you don’t measure them, you simply estimate what an ounce or gram looks like (if you estimate at all). Don’t get carried away as these seeds and nuts are high density source of calories and could jack up your total for the day
5 of 10
New Africa
You’re Not Training Intense Enough
As you become better trained, you need to start pushing your body harder to elicit the same results. You need to push yourself hard at the gym every time you go so that you are actually creating a demand for your body to have to use its energy to push beyond it’s max.
Journaling can help you avoid the certain plateaus that come with normal, repetitive training. Challenge yourself to do more work in less time, more weight for the same amount of reps, etc.
6 of 10
LightField Studios / Shutterstock
Too Much Cardio
So many people spend countless hours doing cardio and yet still achieve no results. Excessive amounts of cardio lead to an overproduction of cortisol, which leads to more abdominal fat and numerous health problems.
Start with one or two sessions per week, then add time to each session, throw in an extra interval or add an additional cardio workout if results start to slow.
7 of 10
Rawpixel.com
Not Managing Your Stress
When you get stressed out your body produces a hormone known as cortisol. This increases the storage of body fat if it’s not controlled. Most people are stressed out all day long, which means their cortisol levels are always high.
That leads to an increase in bodyfat even if their diet and training are perfect.
8 of 10
tommaso79
Lack of Sleep and Rest
Going back to the previous post about stress, lack of sleep and rest will raise cortisol levels too and your body will never fully recover.
When you’re short on sleep your insulin sensitivity decreases, which means that your body is more likely to store fat, and your cortisol goes up. Both things lead to less than optimal fat loss environment. Make it a priority in your lifestyle to get more sleep! Studies show that getting at least seven straight hours is optimal.
9 of 10
puhhha
Not Drinking Enough Water
Did you know that drinking water helps boost your metabolism, cleanses your body of waste and acts as an appetite suppressant? Your body requires water for all of its metabolic processes and functions. A well-hydrated body will function towards fat loss faster and more efficiently.
10 of 10
Syda Productions
No Consistency
You would think this is a clear one, but consistency is the glue that holds the previous nine reasons together. If you are not consistent with your lifestyle and your fat loss goals, your body will not change on it’s own.
You need to be consistent with all the nine points mentioned previously in order to achieve your dream body.
