6 factors you're not losing weight

Feel like you've tried everything to lose weight and nothing is working? Check out these barriers to weight loss and discover out if one of them is getting in your way.

You’re not getting enough sleep

Not only do we desire unhealthy comfort foods when we’re exhausted, but our sleep levels are connected to our hormone levels, says Joey Shulman, the Thornhill, Ont.-based writer of The Last 15—A Weight Loss Breakthrough. “People who are sleep-deprived usually have more secretions of the hormone cortisol, so they’re more stressed out. And that’s going to trigger fat storage as well,” she says. Insufficient sleep also causes fluctuations in the craving for meal testosterone leptin and ghrelin, which indicate whether you’re full or 
hungry.

Note: Cortisol  known more formally as hydrocortisone (INN, USAN, BAN), is a steroid hormone, more specifically a glucocorticoid, produced by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex. It is released in response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoids. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis; suppress the immune system; and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.

You’re following a fad diet

“Diets that don’t concentrate on your individual’s eating habits and behavior and give them the tools to change, that by definition is an unjust strategy and an unfair diet strategy,” says Dr. David Macklin, a family physician as well as the founder and president of Weightcare, a organization that tailors weight-loss applications for clients using a multi-disciplinary approach.

One common function many of these fad diets plans discuss is that they don’t concentrate on long-term change. “People want a quick fix and easy strategies for weight loss, and worry about changing their habits later,” says Toronto-based registered dietitian Stefanie Senior.

You’re eating at night

"One of the issues with eating at night is that people are not eating enough during the day," says Dr. Arya Sharma, chair for Cardiovascular Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta. “If you're tired and famished by the time evening comes around, you're more likely to eat whatever is convenient (such as junk food) and consume most of your day's calories at a time when your metabolism is slowing down due to lack of food during the daytime.”

You’re snacking on the wrong foods

"For some individuals, snacking is better and for other it's a catastrophe," Sharma says. That's because some snackers are better at planning ahead while others are more energetic and head directly to the vending machine when hunger strikes. The key to healthy snacking is to nosh in a controlled way and not to graze just because you're feeling peckish.

You’re eating too much of one thing

In his new book, Why We Get Fat, Gary Taubes, a best-selling book author and contributing correspondent for Science magazine, argues that foods rich in carbohydrates are the main cause of the obesity epidemic. While some medical experts claim that cutting carbs can be unhealthy, Taubes says that, according to his research, everyone's diet should essentially be low in breads, grains and even fruits.

You’re bored of your workout routine

No matter how good the fitness plan, sticking with the exact same routine day after day is hard—and discouraging. In his first book, 5-Factor Fitness, Hollywood trainer Harley Pastnernak recommends a different workout for every  day of the week, each focusing on a different body part. Whether you vary the number of reps you do or make a switch from cardio to resistance training, it’s important to vary your routine enough so you don’t get bored. “At least  one thing should be different daily,” Pasternak suggests.

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