If you’re reading this article, you are most likely trying to lose weight. You may be dieting or exercising, or doing a combination of both, but the numbers on the scale aren’t moving. Chances are that the reason for this can be boiled down into one hard and fast answer: you’re not working hard enough.

You're Either Cutting Calories or Exercising, But Not Doing Both

To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. So technically you could either just eat less or exercise more, and you'll lose weight. However, if you cut your calories too drastically, your body goes into a starvation mode that actually slows down your metabolism so it can get the most calories possible from the food you eat. And if you exercise without sufficiently cutting calories, that’s not going to help you either.

What you need to do is exercise and eat in moderation. Control your portions, lift weights at least twice a week (because the more muscle you have the more calories you burn), and do some sort of cardio activity 3-5 days a week for at least thirty minutes.

You're Not Consistent with your Exercise and Healthy Eating

This is probably the biggest pattern I see with people: they start out with the best of intentions, but sooner or later they miss a workout day here, have a few snacks there, and before they know it they haven’t been to the gym in months.

So people, consider this your wake-up call: for weight-loss and weight management to work, you have to exercise and eat right for the rest of your life.