No more large meals, you exercise daily but still can’t lose weight. Your efforts are not rewarded and you can’t see what you’re doing wrong? Sounds like a desperate situation but there are other things you should consider before blaming the fate.

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Not enough sleep. You feel tied, angry and don’t have enough energy? When you don’t sleep enough body functions change and fats are being assimilated easier. More to it, when we’re tired we can’t fight stress and we could be tempted to go for a snack in the middle of the night, which could lead to a chain reaction system. Try to sleep the right way.

Stress. For most of us stress acts like an appetite stimulus while metabolism functions decrease. Under stress the body releases hormones like cortisone which are responsible for fats on your abdomen. How about a pet or ways of fighting stress?

Pills. There are pills like antidepressant, sleeping pills, birth control pills or steroids could be responsible for the extra weight. They could lead to an increased appetite or the way fats are being ’stockpiled’. Check with your doctor (if it’s a good doctor) and make sure the pills are right for you and ask if it’s all right for you to stop the treatment.

Age. After 30 years, your metabolism slows down even if your lifestyle is the same. To make sure nothing changes, you will need to put in some extra effort with daily exercises and make sure you have a healthy diet.

Thyroid problems. You feel tired, have headaches and you can’t focus? See your doctor and make sure everything is all right with your thyroid which can cause a slow metabolism.

Any more tips other than eating less chocolate and more salad? Any trickier ones?