The two essential keys to losing weight are increasing physical activity and decreasing calorie intake. For some, this simply is not enough. If you feel you have taken all the right steps and you're still not a pound lighter, there are several reasons why this could be. Here are six sabotaging factors that may be preventing your weight loss:
1. Stress!
When you experience high levels of stress, your body secretes excessive amounts of a hormone called NPY. NPY can increase the amount of fat your body stores, particularly in the abdomen. NPY is also known to increase feelings of hunger. Effectively managing stress will greatly assist in your efforts to lose weight.
2. Chronic Constipation!
Constipation is known to be linked to weight gain. It also allows toxins to build up in the body and can cause a decrease in metabolism function and bloating in the stomach.
3. Dehydration!
Long-term dehydration will make your body retain fluid and slow the metabolism. When dehydrated, the body is programmed to retain any fluids it receives as a survival mechanism. Dehydration can also increase hunger, which may cause you to eat more calories than you normally would. Without water, the kidneys are unable to remove toxins and the liver unable to metabolize fat.
4. Quitting Smoking!
You burn calories when you smoke. If you decide to quit smoking but do not adjust the amount of calories you take in to accompany this you will likely experience a minor weight gain.
5. Aging!
As you get older, your metabolism's efficiency begins to decrease, slowing the rate of calories burned over time. Also, as we age we lose muscle mass which is a major factor that contributes to metabolic function. This problem is usually seen during menopause, when there are major hormonal and bodily composition changes.
6. Too Many Diets!
If you follow a diet to lose weight, your body will react by attempting to restore that initial weight through several processes including intense feelings of hunger. Another contributing process is the breaking down of proteins in the body's lean muscle in order to obtain nutrients.
The loss of protein will cause a strong decrease in your metabolic rate, contributing to weight gain. Every diet you take on will slowly ruin your body's metabolism. If you continue to diet, it could get to the point where it may become impossible to lose weight despite any effort you make.