Weight loss can be easy for some. But, for most of us, it is very frustrating when we try to do everything right but still can't seem to shift those kilos. I know how this feels, and I am constantly researching to keep up to date with the latest science as it evolves.

There are so many factors at play here, and so many mistakes that we could be making. It may be just one thing that you need to correct that could make a huge difference! I have chosen just 5 points to write about here that can affect our weight loss efforts.

Number 1 and 3 have definitely surprised me this week and I am doing everything that I can now to address them... I am sure you will be suprised too!

1. Your food is covered with pesticides

Problem: Researches report that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experience a greater than normal dip in metabolism as they lose weight!! This is thought to happen because the toxins interfere with the energy-burning pathways in our bodies. Other research suggests that pesticides can trigger weight gain!

Solution: Try to buy organic as much as you can! It can be expensive and impractical to go totally organic, and it isn't necessary with certain foods. So, here is a list of fruits and veggies that you should always buy organic and ones that don't matter so much. Also, if your produce isn't organic, wash it very well! And, washing in salt water is an even better way to remove a greater amount of pesticides. Take a photo of this picture and stick it on your fridge to always remind yourself!

2. You are eating more than you think

Problem: So many of us think we may be eating “healthy" and little when, in fact, we are eating more than we should be in order to lose weight. Calories are sneaky critters and can add up far quicker than we realise, especially with a giant increase in portion sizes over the years.

Solution: I believe that it is very useful to have an idea of how many calories YOU should be consuming for YOUR body, and then use an app to track and record what you are eating. When we begin to record what we eat, we can visually see that everything may add up to more than we think.. It usually does!!

I need to do this for a few days every few months to stay on track with my goals. I love My Fitness Pal, it is such a great tool that I recomend to all of my clients.

3. Your body is in a constant state of inflammation (often from underlying food sensitivities).

Problem: You may be doing absolutely everything right… but if your body is inflamed (which may happen after eating just one type of food!!) you will not lose weight! So, what is inflammation?  Inflammation is essentially an immune response, where our body attempts to protect itself against harmful stimuli.

In many of us, this natural defense mechanism is sent into overdrive, as we are constantly bombarded with toxins from poor diets or certain foods that our bodies react to. This constant inflammation causes what we know as chronic inflammation.

When our body is inflamed, weight loss becomes almost impossible for many reasons. Some signs of inflammation may be a bloated stomach/gut, acne, headaches and joint pain but there are many more. I know this first hand, as when I have an irritable gut, I seem to hold onto water weight and gain weight rapidly… it is extremely frustrating. And it is not just me, it is supported by science in many people.

Solution: We really need to remove as many pro-inflammatory foods and toxins from our lifestyles as we can. Get back to basics, eat whole foods and avoid pro-inflammatory foods (processed foods, gluten and sugar). Lots of us may also be sensitive to dairy, nuts, corn, soy, and eggs.

It is definitely worth exploring what YOUR body is sensitive to. It may only be one thing that you are eating that is causing you to hold onto that weight, NO MATTER HOW LITTLE OR WELL YOU ARE EATING!! How interesting is this?!

Check out this article that I wrote about this where I delve into a little more detail about how inflammation causes weight gain!

4. You are eating too much sugar, which is quite often found in "low fat" foods.

Problem: It could be something as simple as your breakfast cereal, your one fruit juice or the sauces that you put on your food that are tipping up your sugar intake. If sugar intake is high, fat loss is halted. Simple as that. We need to remove the sugar in order to lose weight.

This can be the simplest thing to do to drop the pounds if you haven't already cut it out. Oh, and sugar causes inflammation which directly relates to point 3 above.

Solution: Eating whole foods is the easiest way to avoid added sugars.

So,

• Make your treats, snacks or muesli yourself using stevia (a zero calorie, natural, safe sweetener),

• Eat whole fruits instead of juice and flavour your cooking with spices instead of sauces.

As soon as something comes in a package, there is a high chance that sugar could be in it. So, if you must, learn to read labels! Check the ingredients list to see that it is not listed in there. You can also look in the nutrition panel.

That Sugar App is a great app to help you see and learn how much sugar is in the food you buy!

5. You may need to skip that second drink!

Problem: Alcohol provides your body with many calories that can quickly add up. But we all know this! What we also need to realise is that when ethanol (alcohol) is in our blood, we burn less fat, and more slowly than usual, because the alcohol is used as fuel instead. Knocking back just two martinis can reduce your body's fat-burning ability by up to 73%!!

Solution: Firstly, if you do choose to drink, make sure that it is a low calorie (and low carb option). Spirits with soda water is the number one choice, as there are 0 carbs in 1 shot and approximately 65 calories. If you are like me and enjoy a glass of wine, choose dry wines instead of super sweet ones.

One glass of wine is totally OK! But try to stick to just the one glass, and if you want to have more, do this only once a week max! If I know that I'm going to be having a few drinks one day, I really make sure that I watch what I eat more carefully than other days to make room for the extra calories and carbs.

I hope you found this interesting!

As I said, these are only 5 reasons why you may be stuck with your weight loss efforts! There are SO many more.

Want to learn more and completely take all the guesswork with weight loss out? You’ll want to check out my 3 Week Body Reset Plan, which is filled with recipes, shopping lists, meal plans, advice and tips to help you slim down without the hunger!

Bec x