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5 things sabotaging your weight-loss journey

Wondering why proper diet and exercise aren't helping you to lose weight? These five things that are possibly getting in the way of your weight loss.
couple promises
Some exercises might not help to burn calories. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Natalia Ningthoujam Updated: 12 Apr 2023, 02:33 pm IST
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It can be quite challenging to lose weight. There are times when you might feel like you’re following the diets, exercising and making healthy lifestyle choices. Still, things stop you from losing weight! You just need to take out some time and identify the problems. It is essential to know the internal and external factors that need to be considered and managed in your weight loss journey.

Nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee shared on Instagram a list of factors that prevent you from losing weight. Maybe you are facing one of these problems due to which your weight loss goal is going further away from you.

1. Stress impacts weight

If you are highly stressed, there will be a lot of inflammation in your body, and that will stop your weight loss.

According to University Of Utah Health, stress and your waistline are connected. For instance, studies have shown that stress can lead to an increase in your cortisol levels (the stress hormone). If you have higher levels of cortisol in your body, it can cause you to feel hungrier, and crave foods that have a lot of calories, sugar and fat. If the cortisol levels shoot up, it can also cause people to build up belly fat.

2. Check for infections

If you have some form of infection in your body, your weight loss journey will get affected. This happens as your body starts to fight that infection. It ends up giving priority to fighting that infection rather than helping you lose weight.

how to lose weight
Weight loss can involve more than just what you eat and how much you exercise. Image courtesy: Shuttterstock

3. Constipation can slow down weight loss journey

It might slow down your weight loss journey. So, it is essential to pass stool. According to Cleveland Clinic, constipation means having less than three bowel movements in one week. However, how often you pass stool varies from person to person. Some have bowel movements many times a day while others have them just one to two times a week.

It is one of the most frequent gastrointestinal complaints in the US, and at least 2.5 million people consult their doctor each year due to constipation.

4. Eating excess sugar and fat can lead to weight gain

There are times when you crave something sweet and unhealthy, but eating in excess will do no good to your body. The World Health Organization suggests to reduce the amount of total fat intake to less than 30 percent of total energy intake to help in preventing unhealthy weight gain.

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Control your sugar intake. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

5. Lack of sleep can affect weight loss journey

It causes certain hormonal changes in the system which will prevent  weight loss. It will make you sluggish. You will not be energetic and not burn the calories that are required to burn the next day because you are lethargic and sluggish.

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A study that featured in the International Journal of Obesity found a connection between insufficient or disrupted sleep and weight loss. As per the study, overweight people who did not sleep well lost less weight as compared to their peers who had no sleep issues.

So, in addition to eating well and working out, it’s important to lead a stress-free life, sleep well to reach a safe weight zone!

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About the Author

Natalia Ningthoujam has written on various subjects - from music to films and fashion to lifestyle - as a journalist in her career that started in 2010. After getting stories from the crime scene, police headquarters, and conducting interviews with celebrities, she is now writing on health and wellness which has become her focus area. ...Read More

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