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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. Here are some common reasons why the scales aren’t moving... 
1: You don't move enough
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 to your day today.  2: Your portions are too big 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: Too many high calorie healthy foods While foods such as nuts healthy and a good addition to our diets, 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! 4: Lack of Sleep 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 a third more likely to put on at least 15kg more than the sound sleepers in the study. 5: Too much alcohol Alcohol can sabotage any weight loss plan for three  reasons. Firstly, it is high in calories. Secondly, it lowers will power 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
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