It's so frustrating: You started the diet with motivation to finally implement the good intentions of losing weight. And it happens: nothing. The pointer on the scales doesn't move a millimeter. After two or three weeks at the latest, there is often nothing left of the motivation and one gives up in exasperation.
1. You are nutritionally deficient
A nutritional deficiency not only robs us of energy and makes us tired and exhausted, it also ensures that we cannot lose weight. Magnesium, calcium, zinc and vitamin C play a special role in this.
A magnesium deficiency, for example, inhibits the metabolism, which means that our body cannot use the food properly, while vitamin C normally acts as a fat burner: it ensures that more of the hormone norepinephrine is released, which in turn accelerates fat breakdown. A nutritional deficiency can be determined by a doctor's blood test and corrected with appropriate food intake or supplementation.
2. You suffer from an underactive thyroid
The thyroid is a tiny organ that controls several processes in the body, including metabolism. With an underactive thyroid, the metabolism and digestion slow down. Our basal metabolic rate, i.e., the energy that the body needs for vital processes such as breathing, decreases.
Therefore, people often gain weight uncontrollably, no matter how strict they are on diet. An underactive thyroid can be determined by a blood test. In order to be able to lose the excess weight, the disease must be treated with medication in consultation with the doctor.
3. You are under stress
Stress puts our body under constant current. This has several effects: On the one hand, when we are stressed, we tend to eat more and uncontrollably. On the other hand, our body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. This not only puts us in an unhealthy state of constant alarm, cortisol also promotes weight gain because the body then stores more fat. If you want to lose weight, you shouldn't do this in particularly stressful times or at least be able to use good relaxation strategies such as yoga or meditation.
4. You mistake hunger for thirst
It is well known that we should drink at least two liters of water every day - preferably several smaller servings spread over the day. However, many people can hardly distinguish between thirst and a real feeling of hunger. Those who have not drunk anything for a long time actually use snacks more often than water glasses. Therefore, always keep an eye on whether you have already drunk enough!
5. You like to use light products
The industry promises that you can lose weight by reducing the calories in light products. Unfortunately, this is not true for two reasons. Firstly, many sugar substitutes in light products even make you feel hungrier, which means we eat more. Second, although the calories and sugar are reduced, other thick tastes usually have to be used for the taste - for example fat or salt. A look at the nutrient table of the product provides information here. Juice spritzers, for example, are better than light drinks.
6. You sleep too little
Slim in your sleep - that really works. Because only when we sleep enough does the body release the substance leptin, which controls our feeling of satiety. Too little sleep, on the other hand, increases the release of the hormone’s ghrelin and orexin, which increase hunger. At best, we sleep around eight hours every night.
7. You are eating the wrong carbohydrates
It doesn't matter where your body gets the carbohydrates it needs from (you don't have to do without them completely, even when losing weight). So-called short-chain carbohydrates, such as those found in sugar and white flour products, increase the insulin level and favor type II diabetes and obesity. Long-chain carbohydrates (found in whole grain products, for example), on the other hand, are digested more slowly by the body, which is why they keep you full longer.
