Five Things Slowing Your Weight Loss

by Jari Love

Some of the most common experiences to those looking to lose weight are exercising, dieting and resisting temptation to eat whatever you want. And then there is this less than pleasant moment: You step on the scale and see that your weight has not changed, or (gasp!) has gone up since the week before.

However, before you throw in the towel and insist that you just won't ever lose that weight, stop and consider ways you may be sabotaging your diet:

• Exercising, but NOT really exercising - Some people try to chalk up those two daily walks with the dog as exercise. Some think that household chores are a good stand in for the four-mile walk, and some just don't exercise on a consistent basis. Any of these mistakes can slow your weight loss efforts. Instead, make a point of doing at least 30 minutes of rigorous cardio exercise (brisk walking, jogging, cycling, etc.) every single day.

• Not sleeping enough - No matter what people say or think, you really do need eight hours of sleep at night. When you do not get enough sleep, it boosts the stress and strain on the body (since sleep is the body's chance to refresh and restore). This creates cortisol, which is a hormone that is associated with weight gain, and which is often a byproduct of inadequate sleep.

• Not enough water - Your body has a long list of reasons that it might retain water. One way to overcome most of these reasons (apart from exercising each day) is to drink a lot of water. The old adage is that the "more you put in, the more you release" and someone who attentively consumes eight glasses of water each day is going to shed just as much fluid - if not more.

• Those healthy snacks are not so great - That handful (or two or three) of trail mix each day could be a real saboteur. Dried fruit is good, nuts are great, but combined into a tempting treat they pack serious calories. A single cup of typical trail mix can have 500 calories and more than 15 grams of fat. Granola bars, whole grain muffins, smoothies...these can all be part of your weight problems.

Do any of these sound familiar? If so, you may be struggling to lose weight because of them. Making small changes of this kind can instantly boost your weight loss results and help get you back on track!