Why am I not losing weight when I eat little and healthily? What am I doing wrong?

You've been on a diet for a while now, but you still can't get closer to the weight you dream of? Thoughts like "I'm not eating and I'm gaining, what am I doing wrong that I'm not losing?" or "How do I know I'm eating too little?" keep coming into your head and following you at every step? Unfortunately there is no universal answer as to why. The truth, though, is that the culprit really can be a long-term calorie deficit, which prompts the body to store all the energy it takes in from food. When the energy balance gets out of control… One simple rule says: to lose weight you have to reduce your energy intake and increase your energy expenditure. It's as plain as day. Except that the human body isn't a machine that works by all the rules. Regulating body weight is a complex process influenced by a whole range of factors. Below you'll find the most common ones that can be the cause of difficulties in losing weight: Long-term stress – one factor is everyday stress. Under stress the body releases a hormone called cortisol, which can be behind a raised blood sugar level, insulin resistance in the cells and impaired breakdown of belly fat. An excess of stress can therefore be the reason you're not losing weight around the belly, however hard you try. Lack of sleep – to lose weight the body needs enough good-quality sleep, because during it a hormone called leptin is produced. Thanks to it we don't feel hunger at night, burn fat faster and sleep better. For it to start being produced, though, you need to allow yourself more than six hours of sleep, without interruption. Poor gut flora – healthy gut flora is crucial for weight reduction. Thanks to it the body takes in all the important nutrients it needs from food. Gut flora doesn't fare very well during antibiotic treatment, with a lack of fibre and fluids, or with increased consumption of refined sugars. Because of poor flora the body not only processes food far less well, but you'll also be troubled more often by a fee…