You’ve probably heard the phrase, “abs are made in the kitchen.” And while it’s partly true, there’s more to it than just what’s on your plate.

Other factors can influence—or even prevent—your weight loss success.

Today, we’re highlighting five reasons why you might not be losing weight.

1. Sleep

Sleep has a much greater impact on weight loss than most people realize. It regulates your metabolism and allows your body to reset hunger levels and balance hormones.

When you sleep less, you experience greater hunger and find it much harder to muster the willpower to avoid poor food choices. Plus, sleep is the only time your body gets to heal and recover from everything you’ve faced throughout the day.

Simply put: sleep is your best friend when it comes to weight loss. But often, it’s the first thing we sacrifice because there are only so many hours in a day.

2. Physical Activity (Outside the Gym)

Lifting weights or running on the treadmill is great, and you should engage in physical exercise whenever you can.

However, physical activity isn't just confined to the gym. You can burn extra calories without even breaking a sweat.

Simple actions like taking calls while standing up, walking to the market, or choosing the stairs over the elevator can all add up.

While strength training and cardio are fantastic tools, increasing your overall daily activity can result in a significant calorie burn by the end of the day.

3. Knowledge

There’s a widespread belief that weight gain is solely caused by "bad" foods, like sugar and fast food, while minimally processed foods are harmless.

While I agree that a less processed diet is generally better, the reality is that weight gain—or failure to lose it—comes down to consuming a surplus of calories, regardless of whether they come from processed or unprocessed foods.

In simple terms, even a balanced diet can cause weight gain if you’re eating too much of it. It all boils down to your total caloric intake.

4. Stress

I’d categorize stress alongside sleep as something we know we should manage better but often neglect.

Stress is tricky because it increases your cravings for highly palatable, calorie-dense foods and distorts your hunger signals.

Additionally, one of the main stress-related hormones, cortisol, can boost your appetite, leading to more cravings, poorer food choices, and a diminished sense of fullness.

5. Commitment

The top reason why most people aren’t losing the weight they want to is a lack of commitment.

Commitment doesn’t mean striving for perfection or doing everything possible to lose weight as quickly as possible. True commitment is about simply showing up.

It’s like signing a contract with yourself that says: no matter what happens, this goal is a priority, and you’ll do whatever you can to make it happen.

And if you’re looking for support on that journey, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.