Do you feel like you're doing everything possible to drop those pounds, but they just don't seem to be coming off? It's like all of your work is for nothing...like everything you've been doing is a waste of time.

Sadly, if you aren't doing the right things, this may be the case.

There is a right way and a wrong way to sustainably lose weight. Sure, there are diets that will get those pounds off for a short period of time, but then (seemingly overnight) you gain the weight back.

In this article, I want to give you practical advice as to why those pounds may not be coming off, or why they won't stay off once you've lost them.

Here are the five reasons you most likely aren't losing weight.

1. You Are Starving Yourself

Sure, in order to lose weight, cutting calories is a good idea. The problem is, many people cut too many calories or the wrong types of food.

This may cause your body to go into starvation mode, packing on as much fat as it can from the limited food it receives.

In order to get past this, try limiting your calories in smaller doses, allowing your body the time it needs to adjust.

2. You Aren't Getting Enough Water

Some so called "diets" and workout programs promote immediate weight loss by doing things that dehydrate you.

Sure, you can quickly lose water weight, but as soon as you start rehydrating yourself, you'll immediately gain the weight back.

This isn't even mentioning how dangerous it is to go through prolonged periods of dehydration. Avoid these diet and workout programs at all costs.

3. You Aren't Varying Your Exercises

Believe it or not, doing only one thing will actually slow down your progress. A lot of people see weightlifting as counterproductive to their weight loss efforts because they think they'll gain weight from it.

First of all, weightlifting also burns calories...a lot of calories. Second, you most likely won't gain weight from lifting unless you are putting in serious work at the gym for months. It's harder to gain weight from muscle than you'd think.

Strength training is an important part of any workout routine and shouldn't be skipped if you intend to drop pounds.

4. You're Psyching Yourself Out

I know you want to see progress, but looking at the scale every day is only going to depress you. You may feel like you are putting in a ton of work and you just aren't losing the weight.

Worse, you may sometimes see that you are gaining weight!

Our weight fluctuates from day to day and just because you didn't drop any pounds that day, it doesn't mean you didn't burn fat. Keep in mind for most adults, two pounds a week is average and healthy.

Weighing yourself every day won't do anything but cause you to feel inadequate and give up.

5. You're Trying to Hard

A lot of people get it in their head that they want to lose weight, so they go crazy trying to get into shape overnight.

They hit the gym hard, they eat nothing but salad and they stare at the scale every day, telling themselves they haven't done enough.

This is actually counter-productive and causes most people to quit. Allow yourself to slowly work your way back into being healthy, instead of jumping in head first.

I hope these tips help you on your weight loss journey!