Maintaining a healthy weight can be a challenging journey, requiring consistency and discipline. The truth is that although weight gain comes easy for many, losing the excess pounds can be a hurdle, as experienced by over 32% of overweight adults. Knowing the true cause of your weight loss challenge can go a long way in helping you make the right health choices and lose weight more steadily. With that said, here are three possible reasons to consider.
Table of Contents
Sedentary lifestyle
Falling into a sedentary lifestyle can happen easily and eventually also lead to poor dietary habits. This has become more common as the modern, fast-paced world has seen desk jobs and the convenience of processed foods become more popular. In a bid to go with the flow, you may inadvertently push healthy living into the background. Before you know it, you’re not as physically active as you’d like and may not eat as healthily. The combination becomes the active ground for excessive weight gain and the struggle with losing it. That’s because the lack of targeted activities hinders your body from burning calories and rather stores fat in the liver and cells. If you identify with this lifestyle, it’s best to incorporate regular exercise into your routine. Eat more lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains regularly. These small changes are sustainable enough to make a significant impact when you keep at them.
Imbalance hormones
Nearly 5 million men and 8 million women have hormonal imbalances that impact their body’s ability to process or burn fat. Insulin, cortisol, and thyroid hormones are responsible for many bodily functions, including blood sugar, stress control, and weight regulation, respectively. Therefore, an imbalance causes significant disruptions and can even lead to uncontrolled weight gain. That is when hormone balance supplements may come of use to you if you’ve been diagnosed with the condition. However, it’s advisable to consult your physical first before taking any of these supplements to ensure you’re making the best choice. When you have the approval, these targeted supplements can restore hormonal balance and help your body function as it should. It’s vital to plan your diet alongside these supplements to help complement their function in the body. Remember that the effectiveness of any medication will vary from person to person, so never assume that the outcomes will be the same as for the next person.
Lack of quality sleep
Sleep often takes a backseat when you’re busy with daily life pressures. Work demands, family responsibilities, illness, and so on can impact your quality of sleep. It doesn't end there, though; constant sleep deprivation disrupts the hunger-regulating hormones, causing you to eat more than you should. Even worse is that you feel hunger pangs at night when your body’s metabolism should have slowed to make way for quality sleep. Unfortunately, your inability to resist those hunger pangs during these hours increases your risk of excessive weight gain. You can combat this cycle by prioritizing sleep and being deliberate about maintaining a consistent bedtime schedule. Limit screen time before bed to increase your chances of a good night’s rest. Getting some shut-eye is the only time your body gets to perform repairs and cell regeneration, so capitalize on getting more snooze time to boost your overall well-being.
