Weight loss can be challenging at the best of times but when you think you’re doing everything right and you’re not progressing it can be very disheartening.  Nicola shares some of the common reasons why your scales might not be moving, to get you looking and feeling amaze in no time!

1:You've gotta get moving!
If you are trying to lose weight by diet alone, it makes it far more challenging.  Find an exercise you enjoy and stick with it. You don’t have to run marathons; start with something that matches your current level of fitness, and if that’s only a 10 minute walk, that’s OK – you can build it up as you get fitter.  
Exercise helps tone muscles and burn extra calories as well as providing a number of health benefits. So add some in to your day today.

2:Your meals are mega-sized
Over the years big portions have become the norm, especially at dinner. Use your hand as a guide. For meat – no bigger than the size of your palm, and no thicker than the size of your palm. For carbohydrates (eg pasta, rice, kumara, potato) – your portion should be no bigger than the size of your fist. The only portions you don’t need to watch are vegetables – feel free to eat as much as you like of non-starchy veges!

3:You're overdoing it on the "healthy" foods
While foods such as nuts are healthy and a good addition to our diet, they are high in calories; so snacking on too many nuts can hamper weight loss due to the high energy content. Stick to a small handful for a snack – avoid the whole bag!! If you want to give yourself a little bit of portion control a good idea is to section out your healthy treats as soon as you get them. That way you wont be tempted to eat the whole lot in one sitting.

4:You're too tired
Research over the past few years is beginning to show that a lack of sleep can lead to weight gain. A study in the US traced nearly 70,000 women for 16 years. Those women who slept five or fewer hours a night were one third more likely to put on at least 15kg more than the sound sleepers in the study. Just the reason to grab that sneaky nap at work, or to stop the boyfriend from waking you up every morning at 5 am when he rolls out of bed.

5:Too much alcohol
Alcohol can sabotage any weight loss plan for three reasons. Firstly, it is high in calories. Secondly, it lowers willpower so you are more likely to give into high-fat, high-sugar foods. Finally, alcohol also increases appetite so you’ll feel like eating more than normal. If you enjoy a drink, stick to no more than three a week while you are trying to lose weight.

Correcting the above five, along with a healthy, balanced diet and exercise should see you reducing body fat.   

Nicola Graham, Nutritionist
www.eatwellnz.com