Five Things That Could Be Impacting Your Weight Loss Goals

Introduction

If you have a goal to lose some weight, this long and difficult journey can become discouraging, especially if you feel like you’re not making as much progress as you’d like.

But in addition to eating right and moving your body, there are other things that can drastically affect how easy or how difficult it is for your body to lose weight.

If you feel like you’re not making as much progress as you’d like based on the effort you’re putting in, keep reading to find out if some of these items are holding you back.

Five Things That May Be Hindering Your Weight Loss Progress

To help you know just what might be going on with your body, here are three things that could be impacting your weight loss goals.

#1. The Medications You’re Taking

For many people, food and drinks aren’t the only things they’re putting in their bodies. There are also medications or supplements that could be changing your body and the way it gains or loses weight.

In many cases, people who take medications for things like epilepsy, depression, and psychotic disorders can cause your body to gain weight. So if you’re taking these kinds of medications, it can make it much harder for your body to lose weight. Knowing this, you should discuss with your doctor before you begin a medication or before you start a weight loss routine. This way, you can know how to adjust things based on medications and supplements you might need to take.

#2. You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

Another thing that can make it hard for your body to lose weight is if you’re not getting enough sleep at night.

When your body sleeps, it helps to keep your hormones under control, especially hormones like cortisol that can have a big impact on weight loss and weight gain. So when you’re not sleeping as well as you should be or for as long as your body needs, your hormones can get out of balance and cause your body to hold onto weight. Even if you’re doing everything else right, if you’re not getting enough sleep, you can’t hope to lose the amount of weight that you’re hoping for.

#3. Avoiding Weight Lifting

When doing a routine of diet and exercise, you might think that doing a lot of cardio will help you lose more weight at a faster pace. However, this hasn’t been proven to be the case. Rather, focusing on lifting weight will actually work to help you lose weight faster.

When you have more muscle on your frame, your body will start to burn more calories when it’s at rest. So if you’re going to do any kind of exercise when you’re trying to lose weight, the best option is to lift weights so that you’re adding muscle and working your body harder on a daily basis.

#4. Stress and Emotional Eating

High stress levels can trigger emotional eating, leading to consuming excess calories and sabotaging weight loss efforts. Chronic stress also affects hormone levels, particularly cortisol, which can promote fat storage, especially around the abdomen.

Finding healthy coping mechanisms for stress, such as meditation, yoga, or therapy, can aid in weight loss efforts by reducing emotional eating and stress-related hormonal imbalances.

#5. Lack of Consistency

Consistency is key in any weight loss journey. Irregular eating patterns, inconsistent exercise routines, or frequent deviations from healthy habits can slow down progress.

Establishing a sustainable routine and sticking to it over time is crucial for achieving and maintaining weight loss goals.

The Takeaway

By addressing these factors alongside diet, exercise, and sleep, individuals can optimize their weight loss journey and achieve their goals more effectively.

Consulting with healthcare professionals for personalized advice and support is recommended, especially when dealing with underlying medical conditions or hormonal issues.

If you have weight loss goals that you’re having a hard time reaching, consider implementing some of the tips mentioned above to help you.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.