Are you finding that no matter how much you diet or work out, you can’t lose weight? Some people experience this as a result of real medical conditions, such as thyroid issues. Others might simply need to change their eating habits or exercise more. If you are having trouble losing weight, keep an eye out for the following signs.

To rule out any obvious medical conditions, you should first see a doctor for a thorough physical. The inability to lose weight can be brought on by several less common conditions, but thyroid issues are the most frequent culprit. Some thyroid issues may be caused by a diet lacking in iodine. If this seems to be a problem for you, your doctor can run a urine test to check it. Physical and mental sluggishness, hair or skin issues, and increased sensitivity to temperature are some symptoms of iodine deficiency.

The next place to look at is your lifestyle. If your doctor issues you a clean bill of health and is unable to identify any medical issues as to why you are unable to lose weight. Many people develop bad eating habits and consume unhealthy foods without even realizing it. Make sure you consume adequate protein and moderate amounts of carbohydrates. Excess sugars and grains should only make up a small portion of your total diet because they are easily converted to fat in the body.

You can analyze your daily routine and identify any obvious problem areas by simply writing down the foods you eat and the times you eat them. For instance, you might discover that you frequently eat lunch from a fast food restaurant at work because it is more convenient or you are busy. This can be easily fixed by setting aside some time in the morning to make your healthy lunch for the day, but it may go unnoticed if you are also eating well for dinner and working out after work.

You might not be able to lose weight due to your body composition. Compared to fat cells, muscle cells burn a lot more energy when at rest. Your body might be able to maintain your current weight even if you do not eat many calories if you do not have much muscle. This results in starvation diets, which only exacerbate the issue as the body attempts to make up for the lack of nutrition. The only way out of this cycle, which many people get caught in, is to eat more food, not less.

The body is programmed to slow its metabolism and store the few calories that are available during a famine. Even though you may be eating as little as half as much as you were previously, this means that more fat is stored. Including strength training in your exercise routine is the simplest way to increase your resting metabolism. Gaining muscle will increase your body’s calorie burn, even when you’re just sitting still and at rest, which could solve your weight loss problems.