You’ve done the math – calories in is less than calories used – so why is the number on the scale not reflecting your hard work in the gym and kitchen? If this sounds like you, you’re far from alone. Lots of women and men alike struggle to lose weight, despite doing everything right in terms of getting enough exercise, eating healthy, and drinking plenty of water.

 

So what’s keeping you from reaching your goals? It could be one or more of these sneaky culprits keeping your gains down and your weight up.

1. You sit most of the day.

You’re shredding it in the gym for an hour (or two!) every day, but you’re still not seeing those pesky love handles diminish. Sound familiar? It could be that your desk job is hindering your weight loss and fitness efforts.

 

Studies have shown that long periods of inactivity significantly reduce the amount of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity within your body. LPL is responsible for a number of important functions, including converting triglycerides (fat) into fatty acids that your muscles and other tissues can burn as energy. When LPL is reduced, this ability to burn fat and gain energy is also reduced.

 

Thus, an hour-long workout in the morning followed by 11 consecutive hours at your desk can still result in reduced LPL activity.

 

To remedy this, try to get up from your desk and move for at least two minutes every hour. Some fitness trackers will automatically remind you to get up and move every hour, or you can set an alarm on your phone or computer to give you a little nudge.

2. Your diet’s a little too strict.

Limiting sweets and processed foods is a great way to improve your diet to stimulate weight loss. But if you’re restricting your diet so much that your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs to function properly, you might actually notice weight gain instead of loss.

 

Along with many other unwanted effects, nutrient deficiency can lead to decreased thyroid function, causing your metabolism to bump the breaks. This often leads to a plateau in weight loss or even weight gain.

 

Instead of paying hyper-close attention to the number of calories you’re eating in a day, focus on the quality of those calories. If you feel famished at the end of the day, chances are, you didn’t get enough high-quality calories throughout the day and your body may be deficient in vital nutrients.

3. Your genes are storing fat in all the wrong places.

So, you’re telling me that my DNA is the reason I can’t lose weight?! Unfortunately, that’s the cold hard truth for many of us wishing we could trim our love handles or slim our bellies. We can be genetically predisposed to store fat in certain areas, which is why some people might be able to easily melt away belly fat, while others seem to have a belly pooch no matter how much they diet or workout.

 

While you can’t change your genes, you can adopt healthy lifestyle habits to help counteract excess fat storage. The obvious ones are, of course, diet and exercise, but other important lifestyle factors in losing weight include getting adequate sleep, managing stress, and taking care of your mental as well as physical health.

How to Get Rid of Stubborn Fat

If stubborn fat just won’t go away, despite addressing these sneaky reasons for weight gain and adopting healthy lifestyle habits, don’t sweat it. You could be a great candidate for nonsurgical body contouring treatments like CoolSculpting or EMSCULPT.

 

These devices can help you fine-tune your fitness results, getting rid of pesky fat in areas like your hips, waist, and thighs or helping your ab and butt muscles do double-duty for a sleek, toned look.

 

Neither CoolSculpting nor EMSCULPT require extensive downtime, needles, or surgery, so most people find that these treatments are easy to squeeze into their busy schedules.

 

To learn more about nonsurgical body sculpting options or to book a complimentary consultation, call our Boca Raton & Fort Lauderdale office at 561-886-0970 or request a complimentary consultation online today.