6 REASONS YOUR DIET ISN'T WORKING

Not getting the results you're looking for? This could be why!

- AMBER BRAMBLE

Regardless of your reasons for wanting to shed a few kilos, losing weight can be hard. It can be frustrating not to see results when you've been trying to do all of the right things, especially if those same methods worked for you in the past.

Dietitian Susie Burrell says this can be an especially common scenario as women reach their 40s and 50s. "We've often become less active, we're busy, we're in our prime mum years, in our prime work years, we're sitting more and we're commuting a lot," she explains. "So there's a lot of pressure in terms of being able to maintain calorie balance, while your metabolism is not as crunchy as it once was in your 20s and 30s."

By gaining a better understanding of what's happening, you'll be in a better position to get results. Here are a few reasons why your current efforts might not be working.

YOU'VE LOST MUSCLE

Our muscles require lots of energy, so the more we have, the more calories we burn. After 30, our muscle mass gradually declines, which sometimes makes it harder to lose weight.

Fortunately, resistance training can help you to rebuild that lost muscle. It could mean signing up to a gym, HIIT class, local barre or Pilates studio. If you prefer to exercise at home, there are plenty of apps and fitness streaming services, not to mention free YouTube workouts.

YOU NEED MORE PROTEIN