Been on a diet or exercise plan for a while and feel like you're not losing weight? We've got 5 reasons why you may or may not be losing weight. These tips can transfer over into the new year when losing weight will no doubt be at the top of a lot of resolution lists!

1.You're being "too healthy"

Have you decided that carbs are now the enemy and that you're never going to eat chocolate again? This is going to last all of 2 minutes and then you could cave and binge and you'll be back to square one. Or, the other option is that you'll stick to it for a period of time, fancy a piece of toast and all of a sudden think you're gluten intolerant because it doesn't agree with you. Unless you've actually been diagnosed with an allergy or an intolerance to certain foods it isn't a wise idea to cut them out all together. Once you eat them again, your body will be irritated by it and you won't feel good at all. Keep everything in moderation, if you don't want to be too carb-heavy, only have bread every other day or if chocolate is your weakness, swap your daily bar to four squares of nutrient-rich dark chocolate in the evening as a treat. There's a way to fit in pretty much everything you like without completely hating your diet!

2. Stress

Sometimes stressing about your exercise and diet regime can be detrimental to it working. Try to chill out a little bit and try your best. But, if it's your bestie's birthday and she wants to go all out on the all-you-can-eat buffet, go for it and don't let it get to you. Be extra good the day after and don't worry about it too much. Life is too short and you're doing awesome already! ‌  

3. You're being too extreme

This one links easily into point number 1 in terms of food so we'll stick to exercise on this one. Have you gone from hardly any exercise to being in the gym at 5am every morning hitting it hard? This won't last and you'll burn out and never want to see a treadmill or a yoga mat again. Build yourself up slowly and you'll find that the weight starts to drop off as you increase your exercise gradually in conjunction with your healthy diet.

4. You have unrealistic goals

So, you're a tall chick and you're not blessed in the boobs and bum department? You want to look like Kim Kardashian? It's physically not going to happen. You need to find a body goal or an inspiration that is relevant and achievable for your body type. This is difficult, but you can still admire other people whilst also being the best version of yourself and they CAN be different.

5. You're uneducated

Ok, not in that way. But, do you really know how many calories you're eating if you aren't tracking. Now I'm not suggesting counting every calorie you eat but with things like peanut butter and nuts, whilst pretty healthy and full of nutrients, have high levels of fat and therefore more calories than you probably think. Educate yourself on portion sizes and hidden calories and you might surprise yourself. You only have to eat 500 extra calories a day to put on a pound a week, so if you're a serial snacker, put the brownies away! ‌ ‌

6. You have a single goal

Here, you probably will be losing weight but you'll just feel like you're not making any progress if you have a gigantic goal. Create short, medium and long-term goals for your weight loss or fitness ideals. So, for example if your end goal was to run a marathon or lose 2 stone then you need to break it down into smaller races and smaller amounts of weight. Don't go in head first with thinking you'll lose 2 stone in 2 months, it won't happen and you'll end up disappointing yourself. The festive season is definitely upon us and there are so many treats and temptations knocking around! If you're already on the quest for losing weight then obviously these aren't going to be on your daily meal plans, but remember, a mince pie every now and then doesn't hurt. Check out our Get Your Fit On Pinterest board for loads of protein packed and clean eating recipes!