LOSING weight is all about calculating the numbers; whether it is counting inches or pounds, tracking your calorie intake, or adding up the total minutes or fat burnt during a workout.

But there are times when the numbers don’t seem to add up even though you know you are calculating right, like when you burn 500 calories on your elliptical and still can’t lose half-inch after three weeks of this routine, or when you reduce your calories to 500 per day, and you are gaining weight instead.

If you find yourself in this situation, take the following pointers into consideration.

You eat once per day, but still aren’t losing weight.

Ironically, eating round the clock is a better way to lose weight than not eating at all. That’s because your metabolism slows down when your body goes into starvation mode and tries to hold onto, rather than release stored fat.

“It is better to have six quality small meals per day instead of one or two large meals. A greater number of small meals daily would increase your metabolism and provide constant energy throughout the day,” said nutritionist and fitness expert Donovan Grant.

You exercise non-stop, but weigh more now than you did prior to joining the gym.

If you find that you are really putting in all the effort at the gym, but are not really seeing any results on the scale, you are not alone. This is a common complaint from those just starting their weight loss journeys. The truth is that working out might be causing you to gain more muscles, and muscle weighs more than fat. If the scale is not giving you much encouragement, try measuring your body with an inch measure instead in order to gauge whether your body is really responding positively to your workout regimen.

You give up because you can’t keep a steady jog.

We all want to see immediate results when we start something new, but most experts suggest that you start walking before you begin to jog. In fact, it is considered to be the healthier thing to do if you are overweight, because it helps to preserve your joints while you strive to lose weight. But be sure to walk briskly so that you can actually feel the burn associated with getting a good workout.

Your one-hour treadmill run is not doing it for you anymore.

After a period of doing the same thing, you will eventually hit a plateau and your body stops burning fat as much as it did in the past. Instead of giving up out of sheer frustration, you should try high-intensity interval training. You would be amazed that 10 minutes of a cardio dance routine, 10 minutes of skipping and 10 minutes of jumping jacks will assist you to reach your weight loss goal much faster than your one-hour treadmill run.

You switched from soda to fruit juice or flavoured water.

You see water and juice and you immediately begin to think that it’s good for you, but you are totally wrong. Just like sodas, flavoured water and fruit juices contain sugar and unnatural ingredients. Some brands of bottled water have as much as 26 grams of sugar, for example, so having two full bottles a day can easily take you over your recommended daily amount. It is always best to drink just plain water, or make natural fruit juice without the sugar.