You may think that eating a small amount of food will help you to lose weight and give you a slim body. This may happen to those who are dealing with these causes before starting the various diet systems.
Here are 8 reasons that may stop you from losing weight:
- Water
Not drinking enough water during the day may expose you to obesity.
Water makes up about 60% of your body and has a big impact on your weight. Drinking a moderate amount of water before meals helps to suppress appetite and reduce calories.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, the effect of regular drinking 500 ml of water three times a day half an hour before the main meals in weight loss, as this study was conducted on 50 overweight girls for eight weeks.
- Dietary foods
Many diet foods contain a lot of fats and hidden calories, increase your desire for sugar, and reduce your energy level, leading to weight gain over time.
Foods such as oatmeal, low-fat yogurt, and gluten-free foods often contain sugar and fructose additives, which causes an increase in sugar in the body and accumulation of fat in the hips and abdomen.
Although soft drinks are sugar-free, they contain artificial sweeteners that your body can not easily digest, causing them to move to the intestines.
So you should choose diet products after looking carefully at their tag.
- Daily meals
Skipping meals may cause you to gain more weight instead of losing it.
It may seem logical to eat less food by skipping a meal that may help you lose weight, but often skipping meals is counterproductive for several reasons, including:
Body metabolism works best with regularity of meals. The body burns calories during digestion, but when you stop eating enough, your metabolism slows down, which in turn obstruct your calorie burning process when you eat.
When you do not eat enough food, your body responds inversely by keeping food as energy.
Skipping breakfast, for example, may make you hungrier at lunch and you may over eat.
A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, shows that skip breakfast causes an increase in weight, especially for adolescents.
- Sleep
Not getting enough sleep, may be another reason to gain weight.
Several studies have shown that sleeping less at night, stimulate hunger hormones and increases appetite, leading to weight gain over time.
A study published in the Annals of Medicine found that when sleep was reduced for 12 men for two days, they experienced low levels of the Leptin hormone responsible for inhibiting hunger – increased levels of the ghrelin hormone causing hunger – and a general increase in appetite.
To support your weight loss efforts, make sure you have 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day.
- Protein
Not having enough protein can make you suffer from excess weight.
A protein-rich diet is good for weight loss. It reduces the urge to eat sugars and prevents excess fat deposits from accumulating sugar.
A diet that is high in protein leads to fullness and appetite control, which helps to lose weight, according to a study published in Obesity magazine.
- Drugs
Side effects of some medications may be a reason to increase your weight.
Some medical drugs used to treat depression, diabetes, heart attacks, migraine headaches and high blood pressure can cause weight gain, so if you are trying to lose weight while taking drugs, this may be why you are not successful.
Some medicines may increase your appetite and stimulate the pain of hunger, and there are also those who slow metabolism or cause water retention.
If you notice your weight gain soon after taking the medicine, do not stop it before consulting your doctor or getting an alternative.
- Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a disorder that affects the thyroid gland, responsible for the secretion of fat burning hormones.
When the secretion of these hormones decreased, your body burns less calories and stores them as fats, which accumulate after a period of time and lead to a dramatic increase in weight.
- Fruit juice
Fruit juice contains a high amount of sugars, and lacks the healthy fibers, proteins and fats that keep your stomach more full. This may make you eat snacks between the main meals, increasing the amount of calories you get daily.
One small orange may contain about 45 calories, which is low and good for your body, but when you decide to make a glass of juice, you may need 3 to 4 pieces of orange, which makes you earn 180 calories in minutes.
