You don't lose weight even though you have been on a strict diet, why?

Are you one of those people who feel that if you have adjusted your diet by following a strict diet and exercising regularly, but you don't lose weight? In fact, there are some common mistakes that you might make without realizing it so that the number on the scale doesn't drop even though you have been on a strict diet.

Cheat day, skipping diet days that are prone to make you gain weight

In fact, when you are on a "diet," you will probably tend to eat more calories than you think. Often what to do to lose weight and what we actually do when trying to diet doesn't go as harmonious as it should.

Lisa Young, Ph. D., R.D., author of "The Portion Teller Plan" explains that in general, people who have been dieting and exercising but have not succeeded in losing weight are due to one thing. Namely complacent by the seduction of cheat day. Basically, the occasional cheat day (a special day for skipping diets in order to meet your “junk” food cravings) is fine but still shouldn't be excessive. In fact, many strict dieters who often feel overwhelmed at first because they have succeeded in losing weight drastically, so that they go too far in giving themselves excessive rewards for their success.

What's more, you'll usually feel like you've burned a lot of calories after diet and exercise. Decreasing large amounts of calories in this short time then makes you starve so that you neglect to control your food intake and reciprocate with larger portions of food than usual. This is what unconsciously makes you gain weight instead of decreasing.

Another cause of not losing weight despite a strict diet and exercise

If you are not one of the people from the above group, but your weight is still stagnant, there are several other reasons why your body remains fat and won't slim down even though you have been on a strict diet and exercise, namely:

1. Insulin resistance

If you have been watching your food intake well but you are still not losing weight, you may have a tendency to insulin resistance or even metabolic syndrome. When you are insulin resistant, your body is more likely to store the calories you eat as fat rather than burn them as fuel. This means that you can gain weight from the type of food and the amount of food that a person with a healthy metabolism normally eats without consequences.

2. The wrong way to eat

Even though you have been on a strict diet and exercise, there is one thing that you may not have noticed before, namely how to eat. A way of eating called mindful eating perhaps one of the most powerful weight loss tools in the world. Mindful eating it is not a type of diet, it is a way of eating filled with intention and awareness. This technique requires you to eat slowly, without distraction, and enjoy every bite - recognizing the color, smell, taste and texture of food, while listening to natural signals that tell your brain when you feel full.

Knowing when you feel hungry and full is key to losing weight in a sustainable manner and preventing it from gaining back. A number of studies have shown that technique mindful eating can cause significant weight loss and reduce the frequency of overeating.

3. You have certain medical conditions

There are several medical conditions that can cause weight loss and even gain even after dieting and exercising. For example, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and sleep apnea. Certain medications can also make weight loss efforts feel heavier, or even cause weight gain.

4. Your expectations are unrealistic

Another problem is that many people have unrealistic expectations of what a healthy diet and exercise can achieve. Some people may aim for 10 kilograms of weight loss in just one week. This may be possible, as long as it depends on how much you weigh when you start your weight loss journey.

So one thing is for sure, you have to realize that losing weight takes time. In fact, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a healthy weight loss of only about 1 kilogram per week. Losing weight too quickly is unhealthy and can increase your chances of developing gallstones.

5. The stress factor

Exercising and eating healthy foods are sometimes not enough. For example, if you don't get enough sleep, your body will not receive the positive impact of the exercise and diet you have done. In addition, stress can also interfere with hormone production in your body, in fact, these hormonal disturbances can make your body accumulate even more fat. So your sleep time and stress levels also influence the success of your diet and exercise.