Why am I not losing weight?

Shreya

Are you again starving yourself with tasteless foods and skipping meals? Did you burden your body with a rigorous workout yet again? Losing weight is often associated with drinking lots of water, decreasing the amount of carb-rich foods and even making your calorie intake bare minimum. However, while you may or may not be weight this way, but you are surely putting your health in jeopardy. 

So, why does it get harder to shrug the body fat? Why the diets, the workouts and everything else do not seem to work? Every time you step on the weighing scale, you ask yourself the same question, why am I not losing weight? 

These could be some of the reasons why you may not be achieving your goal.

Skipping meals: One of the most common mistakes which most people make is not eating all meals. To lose weight it is recommended to eat a small meal every two-three hours, to maintain the body's energy levels. Compromising on meals will only bring starvation and may even harm the kidney and liver functions. 

Unawareness about the body: It is important to get a complete body checkup and some routine tests done occasionally. These include a complete blood test, liver functioning test, thyroid tests, etc. These tests may play a crucial role in deciding the diet you should be taking. Unawareness can worsen a situation, as some medical conditions are very common in checking weight loss.

Inadequate sleep: The body requires at least seven to eight hours of sleep. If you compromise on this aspect, you are endangering your well-being. A sleep-starved, tired brain generates hormones that can create food cravings and decrease the time that body needs to work on its metabolism.

Hypo thyroid, PCOD or PCOs: These medical conditions need special attention, as certain foods are to be avoided if you have any of these. For polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) or  polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients, following their doctor's advice becomes mandatory. For those diagnosed with a malfunctioning thyroid, special attention must be paid to their diet. 

Appropriate workout: Many people work out very hard, without considering their body's ability to take it. This is harmful for the muscles and liver and also makes the body resistant to lose weight.

—The writer is a Chandigarh-based nutritionist