You might be wondering why you are not losing weight even though you often exercise and eat healthily, like what you have seen on many weight loss advice and programs. But, you have to understand that in weight loss, many factors could affect your success rate.
Knowing these factors will help you improve your weight loss result by planning the right strategy according to your situation. Below, we list five things that hinder your weight loss as they slow down your body’s fat-burning ability.
Lack of Sleep
There has been increasing proof that lack of sleep and sleep disorders significantly impact our metabolism. In laboratory research, it has been concluded that sleep deprivation changes the glucose metabolism and hormones that regulate the metabolism. For example, it has shown an increase in the body’s ghrelin levels and a decrease in leptin levels.
Ghrelin is a peptide that regulates short-term appetite, whereas leptin is a hormone that regulates long-term energy balance and is considered a satiety hormone.
In addition, when you are sleep-deprived, your body tries to conserve as much energy as possible if you lack sleep. However, for your body to conserve such energy, your metabolism will slow down, making it difficult for your body to burn more calories.
As a result, you will gain weight. It would be best if you remembered that getting enough sleep is as vital as exercising and dieting to maintain weight. No matter how you exercise or eat a healthy diet, if you are not getting enough sleep, you will not be able to lose weight.
Excessive Cutting Down of Calorie Intake
If you consistently eat fewer calories than your body requires, your metabolism will slow down. As per a study, our body tends to store calories as fat to enable survival during periods where calories are restricted for an extended period.
The situation gets even worse as the decreased metabolic rate that your body experience will last until after the calorie-restricted period. It has been suspected to be the reason why about 80% of individuals gain weight after they get off their calorie-restricted diets.
As a rule of thumb, men need 2,500 calories a day while women require 2,000 calories daily. Therefore, if you have been on a calorie-restricted diet, you should stop what you are doing and ensure that you take the right amount of calories your body needs daily.
It is also advised to take weight loss supplements, a healthy diet packed with the calories you need, and exercise to help with your fat burning goals.
Stopped Consuming Coffee
If you recently stopped consuming coffee lately or opted for a decaf variety, you might have noticed that you are gaining extra weight. It is because coffee helps in boosting metabolism as it is its number one benefit.
Even though the boost that coffee makes on your metabolism is temporary, it is significant. This is because when you consume coffee, the caffeine is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream, increasing your heart rate and metabolism.
You can consume three to five cups of coffee daily as it is still considered a healthy intake. However, ensure that you don’t go beyond that, as it will not be good for your body. Instead of reaping off the benefits of coffee to your body, too much intake will turn it into a disadvantage.
Additionally, you must watch out for the cream and sugar on your cup of coffee. You don’t want to add too many calories to every cup you enjoy. It is recommended to drink black coffee instead. But if you don’t love black coffee, adding cream and sugar is alright but make sure it’s minimal.
If You Are Not Drinking Enough Water
Every single cell inside your body depends on water to function. Therefore, when you experience dehydration due to lack of water intake, your metabolism will fall, resulting in weight gain.
In a study, it has been observed that drinking 500ml of water increased the metabolic rate by 30%. The increase in the metabolic rate started to manifest within 10 minutes from the consumption and reached its peak after 30-40 minutes after consumption.
In the same study, it was suggested that individuals should consume at least 2 liters of water to maximize the body’s energy expenditure and burn more fat in the process. Drink water every time you feel thirsty, as it is your body’s way of saying you lack water.
As long as you won’t consume less than the recommended 2 liters of water, rest assured that you are helping your metabolism perform its best.
Persistent Stress
You might already have heard a lot about how stress contributes to weight gain, and it’s true. This is because stress lowers your metabolism, thus making you store more fat in your body, which makes you gain weight significantly.
Cortisol is released in your body when you are under stress. The adrenal glands create cortisol in your kidneys, which is your body’s alarm system. Once cortisol is released, your body will go into fight-or-flight mode, temporarily pausing your regular bodily functions and slowing down your metabolism.
Start Crafting a Proper and Effective Weight Loss Plan
With the information you acquired, you are now capable of establishing a clear and effective strategy for your weight loss journey. Make sure you avoid the factors mentioned earlier, and you will significantly see an improvement in your weight loss journey.
