(ThyBlackMan.com) Growing up, one of the things that I was ALWAYS keenly aware of was my size. I have always been a thick girl. I can remember being 10-years-old weighing 150 pounds and running up and down the stairs as a form of exercise. Dealing with my weight my whole life, I understand the ups and downs that people go through. I have learned how to love myself completely for who I am, despite my size or how society stays I feel about my size. But that is not the case for everyone.
Have you been trying to lose weight for a long time with little to no real results? This is such a common occurrence in our world today. I am a part of a few Facebook groups and know women who have 
tried and tried to drop the extra pounds and for whatever reasons, have not been able to. It can be devastating and discouraging to say the least, especially when you are doing all you can – working out, counting calories, eating right – and still see no change.
If you are in this boat, maybe there are things at play that you have not considered. Here are a few possibilities.
Undiagnosed Thyroid Issues
This is a big one. If you have been trying to lose weight and still see no real results, then you might want to get your thyroid checked. It’s a real issue that not enough people give attention to. We’ve heard people, like Oprah, talk about it as a reason they weren’t able to lose weight. Maybe it’s why you aren’t either.
Not Working Out Hard Enough
If you are extremely overweight, most times just doing some kind of activity and limiting your diet will help you tremendously. But if you are doing 30 minutes on the treadmill and not seeing any weight loss, you might need to up the ante. This may mean taking classes or walking on an incline. Pretty much, you need to work harder to jumpstart your metabolism so that you can start burning fat and seeing your efforts pay off.
Not Tracking Your Food
The only real way to know your food intake is to write it down. If you ask most health experts, they will tell you that what you eat is almost more important than working out. This can easily be the case because there are all kinds of things in food that we aren’t really aware of. Write down your meals. This will help you better track what you put in your mouth so you can see your calories and know for sure that you are doing your part, food wise.
Poor Water Intake
Water is something that will help you in your weight loss goals. If you are not drinking enough of it, you are doing yourself a disservice. It flushes out toxins, it helps you feel fuller longer and, yes, it quenches your thirst. Drinking water before a workout can help you lose more weight in the long run.
Getting rid of unwanted pounds is one of the hardest things in life. Period. It takes some people a lifetime to reach their goals while others never do. If you are putting in the effort, you want to maximize said effort by making sure you’re not sabotaging yourself. These are just a few tips to help you along the way.
Staff Writer; Rasheda Abdullah