5 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight (That Have Nothing to Do with Food)

1. Stress

Your body is far more likely to store fat when you’re under a lot of stress. This is because stress, anxiety, and grief cause your body to produce chemicals, like cortisol which inhibit the burning of fat.

2. Sleep

Sleep affects you in a huge number of ways, but a lot of us underestimate how much it affects our weight. Not only are we more inclined to reach for unhealthier foods (we naturally crave more sugar for energy when haven’t slept enough) and skip workouts, but we are also preventing our metabolisms from working effectively. When this happens, it’s a whole lot harder to lose weight.

3. Genes

It’s unfair, but the truth is that we all gain weight differently and in different areas. We all have different body types, and thus for some of us losing weight in certain parts of our bodies is going to be more challenging, and different approaches to diet and exercise might be needed. For example, while ectomorph body types can struggle to gain weight and muscle, mesomorph body types usually don’t have much trouble gaining or losing weight, and endomorph body types store typically store fat easily and need to work harder to achieve weight loss.

4. Medication

A lot of different medications can lead to weight gain. There is a solution, but it’s not ideal; working out more. Make sure you consult with your doctor before considering coming off any medication

5. Drinking and smoking

While quitting smoking has great positive impact on your overall health, it actually has been shown to lead to weight gain. Alcohol consumption is also not great for weight loss, as it has been shown to be linked to greater calorie intake than consumption of non-alcoholic beverages, which is why they can be good to drop if you’re trying to be healthier.