• Maybe You Are Losing Without Realizing It; It is incredibly common for the scale not to budge for a few days (or weeks) at a time. This does NOT mean that you are not losing fat.
  • Not Keeping Track of What You are Eating; Awareness is incredibly important if you are trying to lose weight. Many people actually do not have a clue how much they are really eating. Studies show that keeping track of your diet helps with weight loss. People who use food diaries, or take pictures of their meals, consistently lose more weight than people who do not.
  • Not Eating Enough Protein; Protein is the single most important nutrient for losing weight. Eating protein at 25-30% of calories can boost metabolism by 80-100 calories per day and make you automatically eat several hundred fewer calories per day. It can also drastically reduce cravings and desire for snacking.
  • Eating too many Calories; A large percentage of people who have trouble losing weight is simply eating too many calories. You may think that this does not apply to you, but keep in mind that studies consistently show that people tend to underestimate their calorie intake by a significant amount.
  • Low intake of  Whole Foods; Food quality is just as important as quantity. Eating healthy foods can improve your health and help regulate your appetite. Keep in mind that many processed foods labeled as “health foods” are not really healthy. Stick to whole, single-ingredient foods as much as possible.
  • Not Lifting Weights; One of the most important things you can do when losing weight is to do some form of resistance training, like lifting weights. This can help you hold on to your precious muscle mass, which is often burned along with body fat if you are not exercising. Lifting weights can also help prevent metabolic slowdown.
  • Excessive food Intake; Excess food consumption which often times are much more than what your body requires. This is a common side effect of dieting. This is a pretty big problem for many dieters. Some of them binge on junk food, while others binge on relatively healthy foods, including nuts, nut butter, dark chocolate, cheese, etc.
  • Not Doing Cardio; cardio exercises (as in running, jogging, swimming, etc) are one of the most effective ways to improve your health. It is also effective in burning belly fat.
  • Excessive intake of Sugar; Sugary beverages are the most fattening items in the food supply. This is not only true of sugary drinks like Coke and Pepsi; it also applies to “healthier” beverages like Vitaminwater – which are also loaded with sugar.
  • Lack of good sleep; Good sleep is one of the most important things to consider for your physical and mental health, as well as your weight. Studies show that poor sleep is one risk factor for obesity. Adults and children with poor sleep have a 55% and 89% greater risk of becoming obese.
  • Excessive intake of Carbohydrates; The excessive intake of carbohydrates is also a reason why you are not losing weight.
  • Eating too Often; It is a myth that everyone should be eating many, small meals each day in order to boost metabolism and lose weight. The studies actually show that meal frequency affects fat burning or weight loss.
  • Poor Intake of Water; Drinking water is very important as it has great benefits for weight loss. In one 12-week weight loss study, people who drank half a liter (17 oz) of water 30 minutes before meals lost 44% more weight. Drinking water has also been shown to boost the number of calories burned by 24-30% over a period of 1.5 hours.
  • Excess intake of Alcohol; If you are a lover of alcohol and you want to lose weight, then it may be best to stick to spirits (like vodka) mixed with a non-caloric beverage. Beer, wine, and sugary alcoholic beverages which are very high in calories. Also keep in mind that the alcohol itself has about 7 calories per gram, which is high.
  • Not Eating Mindfully; Mindful eating may be one of the world’s most powerful weight loss tools. It involves slowing down, eating without distraction, savoring and enjoying each bite, while listening for the natural signals that tell your brain when it has had enough. Being cautious of what goes into your mouth generally.
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Here are some tips to eat more mindfully:

  1. Eat with zero distractions, just you and your food — sitting down at a table.
  2. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. Try to be aware of the colors, smells, flavors, and textures.
  3. When you feel the satisfaction signals kick in, drink some water and stop eating.
  • Health Challenges; There are some medical conditions that can drive weight gain and make it much harder to lose weight. These include hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and sleep apnea.  Certain medications can also make weight loss harder, or even cause weight gain. If you think any of this applies to you, then speak to your doctor about your options.
  • Addicted to Junk Food; According to a 2014 study, about 19.9% of people satisfy the criteria for junk food addiction. People who have this problem use junk food in a similar way as drug addicts use drugs. This can serve as a result of no loss of weight.
  • Starvation;  Dieting for too long is not always a good idea.
  • Unrealistic Expectations; Weight loss is generally a much slower process than most people want. Although it is often possible to lose weight fast in the beginning, very few people can continue to lose weight at a rate of more than 1-2 pounds per week.
  • Too Focused on Dieting; “Diets” almost never work in the long term. studies actually show that people who “diet” gain more weight over time. Instead of approaching this from a dieting mindset, make it your primary goal to become a happier, healthier and fitter person.
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Foods you can Eat and not Add Weight

There is no such thing as a zero-calorie food, there are foods you can enjoy freely without having to worry about the large intake of them. The few reasons why you would not gain weight from eating these foods are: