Juan Antonio Martín, trainer: "When you don't sleep well or are constantly stressed, your body doesn't burn fat efficiently."

Dieting , working out every week, and not seeing results can be a frustrating experience that's hard to handle. Those who begin changing their habits to lose weight do so with enthusiasm, discipline, and often even sacrificing their free time. However, it's not uncommon for the scale to show no progress or even a slight increase after a few weeks .

This situation is more common than it seems, and far from being a reason to give up, it can hide mistakes that can be solved. The lack of visible results isn't always due to the diet or training itself , but to small factors that go unnoticed. Many people claim to exercise regularly, watch their diet, and avoid snacking between meals, yet they still haven't lost a single gram.

Is it possible that something is wrong even though everything seems to be going well? The answer is yes. And to detect it , it's important to pay attention to aspects beyond food or weights, such as emotions, rest , and the continuity of effort .

The three common reasons that prevent you from losing weight

Often, it's not a lack of effort, but rather a lack of understanding of exactly what's going wrong. That feeling of stagnation, of not feeling like anything's changing, is more common than it seems, and according to personal trainer Juan Antonio Martín , it's usually due to small mistakes that go unnoticed but have a huge impact. He sums it up clearly in the video he shared on his Instagram profile :

1. You're eating more than you think: " Even healthy foods can have larger portions than you need. So check your intake." Even if you think you're keeping a check on your calories, the reality is that you often underestimate your calorie intake. A handful of nuts or a little extra oil could be the culprit.
2. Stress or lack of sleep: "When you don't sleep well or are constantly stressed, your body doesn't burn fat efficiently." Cortisol , the stress hormone, can work against you. Lack of sleep or living in a state of constant tension directly affects your metabolism and how your body processes energy.
3. Lack of consistency: “The key is consistency, not being perfect every day.” Skipping workouts, binge eating on the weekends, or having an inconsistent routine can undo a week's progress. Consistency is more important than perfection .

Detecting these mistakes can be the key between stagnating and truly advancing. According to Martín, reviewing these three points is vital to achieving real results. It's not about living with extreme restrictions or doing everything perfectly , but rather about knowing where you're failing without realizing it and correcting it in time. Only then can you turn your effort into progress and see how the scale finally responds.