This article goes through 3 common reasons why you're not losing weight.
1. You might be losing weight without realizing it.
If you're basing your progress on the scale, don't freak out just yet. The scale does not take into account your body fat percentage. Your body weight will fluctuate daily based on foods, hormones and water retention. It is also possible that if you're weight lifting (which I highly recommend doing), you may be gaining muscle at the same time as losing body fat. That's what we want; a drop in body fat. A better way to judge weight loss is by grabbing a measuring tape, getting your body fat tested, being aware of how your clothes fit, or taking progress photos.
2. You're not tracking your food accurately.
It is very easy to underestimate how much we eat AND drink! Its as simple as that: calories in < calories out. If you don't already use MyFitnessPal or any another meal diary app, I highly recommend it. Try weighing your food. You don't have to track every day, but once every 3-4 days will keep you honest. Eating 2 tablespoons of peanut butter every day instead of 1 can add up real fast. Plus a scale is much less expensive than a doctors visit. Lets try and knock out as many possibilities before having to spend too much on hormone tests. STAY UNDER YOUR CALORIC CEILING.
3. You are too stressed.
Levels of "the stress hormone," cortisol, rise during tension-filled times. That's right, stress is directly correlated to weight gain. Increased levels of cortisol help cause higher insulin levels, causing your blood sugar to drop and you crave sugary, fatty foods. Your body most likely needs to be trained to crave healthy nutritious foods. Feed the good bacteria in your gut. Get active by doing something you love (ex: I've been an athlete my whole life, so I joined a flag football team). Do something that makes you relaxed like meditation. Read, pray, draw, listen to music or sleep (also key to recovery and weight loss).
OVERALL
Take a deep breath. Keep it simple: calories in < calories out. I know it's easy to freak out if you don't lose weight in a few weeks, or even a few months. Think of the last time you felt great in your body. How long ago was that? Were you consistent every day eating well? or just 5/7 days of the week? Now be patient. Fitness is a journey. Enjoy it. Learn from it. Let go of the need for immediate results and find your fitness lifestyle.
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