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If you feel that you have tried absolutely everything – diets, counting calories, exercising for hours and are still not satisfied with the results, don’t give up yet.
The most likely reason why it is so hard to lose those few kilos is due to something other than your diet and level of physical activity.
That’s why today we have put together a list of possible reasons that may be behind it:
1. Hormonal changes
Throughout a woman’s life, her body undergoes hormonal changes as it prepares for puberty, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause. All of these processes affect metabolism and can sometimes cause weight gain. Although this is completely natural for a woman’s body, it can sometimes cause discomfort.
2. You eat too much fruit
Fruit is considered a healthy snack. However, it is important to remember that some types of fruit are high in calories and contain a lot of sugar, such as glucose, fructose and sucrose. Consuming too many calories from fruit may be the reason your extra weight isn’t disappearing.
3. Health problems
Increased body weight can also be caused by problems related to the gastrointestinal tract due to toxins, constipation, polycystic ovaries, which affect the production of male hormones, and thyroid dysfunction, which slows hormone production.
4. Taking medications
It often happens that the list of possible side effects of some medicines is so long that many people prefer to ignore them entirely. Other people believe that the benefits of the medication are much more important than their possible side effects. Antidepressants, birth control pills, antihistamines, antipsychotics, steroids, beta-blockers, which are prescribed for the treatment of certain conditions, for example, should still be considered for their side effects.
5. Emotional overeating
Although stress is most likely psychological, it can affect your appearance more than you think.
An emotional dependence on food can come in various forms:
Rewarding hard work with food.
Food as a way to satisfy needs that have nothing to do with the food itself. For example, “Chocolate is a great aphrodisiac.”
Food as an antidepressant: delicious food gives you positive emotions.
6. Stress
Many people think that feeling stressed can cause a decreased appetite and lead to weight loss. In reality, the opposite is also possible. When your body is under stress, it begins to produce more cortisol, a hormone that increases your appetite. This is because your body senses that you are stressed and may be in danger. As a result, your body believes it must conserve your energy to protect you.
7. Lack of sleep
Many studies suggest that there is a link between weight gain and lack of sleep. So according to research by the American Mayo Clinic, people who sleep less than 6 hours a day gain more than 11 kilograms a year!
