Everyone knows what it takes to lose weight—eat healthily and exercise regularly, right? Well, unfortunately if your'e not losing weight it is not that simple. The truth is, losing weight and living an overall healthy lifestyle involves a lot more than what you put on your plate or how much time you spend being active.

Not losing weight - the reasons and solutions

So, check out these six things that can prevent weight loss to learn if what is holding you back is you or your environment!

• Prescription Antidepressants Antidepressant use has increased significantly over the past two decades and so have the side effects. Among those side effects is weight gain, despite individuals’ diet or exercise level. In fact, about 25% of people who take antidepressants gain at least 4 kilos!

• Chronic Stress Stress has become so common that most individuals do not even recognise it as a disease, but it is! Chronic stress imbalances the hormones primarily by elevating the stress hormone called cortisol. Elevated cortisol can drive individuals to emotional eating, that is consuming unhealthy foods as a comfort to relieve stress, tension, anxiety, or even depression.

• Weight Cycling Many people repeatedly experience weight loss followed by weight gain then weight loss again. This process, commonly referred to as weight cycling, actually confuses your metabolism and can prevent you from losing weight in the future. After all, fatty tissue requires less energy to maintain than lean tissue.

• Microbiome changes Your microbiome, the collection of bacteria that live inside as well as on your body, have a strong influence on not only the foods you crave, but also how often you crave them. Therefore, your microbiome can contribute to the development of insulin resistance, weight gain, and obesity.

• Poor Quality of Sleep A number of observational research has linked poor sleep with weight gain. One study showed an increase in obesity by 55% in adults and 89% in children. The reasons behind the observation studies were unclear however it can be explained a number of ways. A lack of sleep increases insulin resistance causing the body to produce more insulin, which increases appetite and food intake. Sleep deprivation negatively affects the frontal lobe of the brain which is responsible for self control and decision making, by reducing frontal lobe activity the ability to resist unhealthy food cravings becomes much harder. By causing tiredness during the day people have less energy to exercise, in addition a good nights sleep improves athletic performance.

• Environmental Toxins A number of environmental toxins also classify as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. As their name implies, EDCs—like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates—disrupt the hormones that make up your endocrine system causing weight gain and other serious conditions. Sadly, EDCs are found in many household items and products, such as plastics, home cleaners, furniture, and even shampoo.

Of course, diet and exercise are essential to losing weight or maintaining your weight. If any of these could be the reason you're not losing weight then a supplement may help jump start the weight loss process for you.

Mr Vitamins recommends

Fusion Weight Burn

High-potency, clinically-trialled doses of Green Coffee and Green Tea to support your diet and exercise program and help you burn fat and lose weight. Find out more and shop on-line for Fusion Weight Burn here…

Teresa Adouni

As a Naturopath Teresa believes that good health lies in bringing the body back to balance, her aim is to find the fundamental causes of your health issues in your internal and external environments. By combining scientific research with herbal medicine, functional testing, iridology, nutritional supplements and food-as-medicine Teresa can help you achieve your health goals. Book a naturopathic consultation with Teresa here.