10 common reasons why you’re not losing more weight – and what you can do about it

The ability to lose weight looks different for different people – we have different conditions to reach our weight goals. Underlying factors such as diseases, hormonal conditions, age or life situations such as stress and menopause can have a significant impact.

10 common reasons why you may not be able to reach your weight goal

1. You have reached a plateau: The body slows down after weight loss with lower energy needs and fat consumption. If you exercise and build muscle at the same time, you will reduce fat mass, but since muscle weighs more than fat, the scale may stand still.
2. You eat more than you think: Small supplements and drinks increase calories without you noticing. Losing weight often requires a lower calorie intake than you can burn in a day. One idea to try is to keep track of your calorie intake, various apps on the market can be helpful.
3. Your body has adapted: The body tries to maintain its original weight by lowering its metabolism and counteracting changes – what is called the "set point" effect.
4. You eat too little: Too little food can slow down your metabolism and metabolism. It is very important to provide the body with all the nutrition it needs to support muscles, satiety and intestinal health. This is done by ensuring an adequate intake of protein and fiber.
5. You are stressed and sleep poorly: Cortisol negatively affects fat storage and appetite regulation. Both stress and poor sleep can negatively affect cortisol levels.
6. You drink calories: Everything from alcohol, juice to sweet drinks provides a lot of calories (kcal) and does not fill you up. For example, a glass of wine contains about 100-120 kcal, a strong beer about 200-250 kcal and a glass of sugar-sweetened soda 130-140 kcal.
7. You only do fitness: Fitness and movement are good for your health, but too little strength training equals muscle loss, which then contributes to a poorer metabolism.
8. You follow an extreme diet or jump on trends: Keto-diet, fasting or other tough methods can be effective but also very difficult to stick to in the long term. This means that you return to old habits or try other methods in the short term, which is usually not a sustainable strategy. Yo-yo diets have slowed down your metabolism, without a holistic approach the effect is short-lived and confusing for the body. Repeated weight changes can make the body more fat-retaining.
9. Hormones, medications or age affect: For example, conditions such as thyroid disorders, PCOS or medication side effects can limit your ability to lose weight. If you have symptoms that could indicate these conditions or medications that may have an impact on your weight loss, it is a good idea to contact your doctor for further help.
10. Your weight loss goal is simply unrealistic: Weight loss takes time, and it also takes different lengths of time for different people. In the beginning, you often lose weight quickly and for most people, the loss then levels out to a loss of 0.5-1 kg per week. A common challenge is often that we have unrealistic expectations of what is possible by simply eating well and exercising enough. It may be that there are reasons, as in the point above, that make it more difficult to succeed. In that case, it is important to find it and start working on it.

Solutions that work

strong>Maybe it's also time to accept and appreciate your body - just as it is? It's important to remember that images in the media and social media are often edited and unrealistic. If you've already lost weight but the scale is no longer moving, it might be time to change your focus. Focus on eating a healthy diet and maintaining exercise and everyday exercise, both of which have a positive effect on maintaining a healthy weight and health - together, these two important factors contribute to reducing the risk of suffering from common diseases.

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