A person’s body weight is the most utilized indicator of optimal physical health. Our body mass index (BMI), which includes body weight, is a widely known measurement method for assessing physical health. That’s why most people emphasize maintaining a healthy weight to live a healthy life.
Besides looking good physically, maintaining body weight on the optimal side of the weighing scale also brings various benefits, including less stress and lowered risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and other diseases and conditions. In simpler words, you can live a better life with a healthy weight. However, not everybody can achieve a healthy body weight.
Many people have difficulty managing their weight, which causes excessive weight gain. If you’re one of them, you may be doing things the wrong way. This article covers reasons why people like yourself have a tough time losing weight which must be addressed.
You’re not keeping track of your eating habits
It’s normal for us to underestimate, overlook, or completely dismiss what we eat, thinking we can compensate through other things like working out. However, this shouldn’t be the mentality when you’re on a weight loss journey. Instead, it would be best to always track your eating habits to achieve your target weight and maintain it.
Besides the food you eat regularly, you should also consider the food you don’t eat enough. For instance, eating plant-based protein and whole foods can help you lose weight, so you should eat more of them. In addition, you should also count how many times you eat in a day because that also contributes to the weight you gain.
You’re not drinking enough water and drinking sugary beverages and alcohol
In addition to your eating habits, you should also watch what you drink. Drinking an ample amount of water every day can also help you lose weight, so you should hydrate yourself. On the flip side, drinking alcohol and sugary beverages frequently will make it more difficult to lose weight.
Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink because it contains empty calories, making you eat more. As for sugary beverages, you can substitute low-sugar sparkling water for your sweet drink cravings.
You have a medical condition that makes it tougher to lose weight
Certain medical conditions can make losing weight more difficult than it actually is. That’s why you should also assess your current health status because it may affect your weight loss. If it turns out you have one, you can opt for medical weight loss programs because they are tailored according to your health condition.
Any medical condition that affects your hormones, insulin levels, and blood pressure will make it difficult to lose weight. Examples of these conditions include hypothyroidism, diabetes, and heart disease.
You’re not sleeping enough
Getting good quality sleep also affects weight loss and gain. Being sleep deprived alters your body’s appetite-regulating hormones, dramatically increasing hormone levels that tell you you’re hungry and reducing levels of those that tell you you’ve had enough to eat, making you hungrier than normal. So make sure that you get uninterrupted enough sleep regularly.
You’re doing intense exercise to lose weight
While exercising is essential for optimal physical health, it shouldn’t be used for weight loss purposes. You’re hungrier after an intense exercise, and therefore you tend to eat more, which could be enough to make up for the calories you burned off. Light exercise helps just right with weight loss, so you don’t need intense workouts to reduce weight.
Final thoughts
Losing weight is about doing what needs to be done and dropping unhealthy habits and beliefs. Take note of what you’re doing to know which ones affect your weight loss goals, and adjust accordingly to succeed.
