You’ve waved goodbye to cookies, chips, and everything else that comes in a shiny wrapper, but the scale refuses to budge. It can be disheartening when cutting out processed foods doesn’t translate into immediate weight loss.

While eliminating junk food is an essential first step, weight loss often requires more nuanced adjustments. Studies, including a 2019 publication in Cell Metabolism, reveal that processed foods can lead to increased calorie consumption — about 500 extra calories daily compared to whole, unprocessed diets. While cutting out junk food is a commendable step, achieving sustainable weight loss requires a holistic approach.

But sometimes, ditching junk food isn’t enough. Here are five key reasons why your weight loss journey may be stalling, and how you can get back on track.

1. Your Sleep Schedule Is Sabotaging Your Goals

The connection between sleep and weight is often overlooked but crucial. Both too much sleep (over 9 hours) and too little (under 5 hours) can disrupt your body’s production of appetite-regulating hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin. This hormonal imbalance can increase cravings and overeating, particularly for high-calorie foods.

Additionally, poor sleep can leave you feeling fatigued, making it harder to stick to exercise routines.

How to Fix It: Aim for 7–8 hours of quality sleep per night. Establish a consistent bedtime routine and minimize screen time before bed to improve sleep hygiene.

2. Liquid Calories Are Sneaking Into Your Diet

You may have switched to a "healthier" drink lineup, but beverages like fruit juices, sugary coffee drinks, and wine can contain hidden calories that derail progress. Even organic fruit juices, often marketed as healthful, are loaded with sugar and lack the fiber found in whole fruits.

How to Fix It: Stick to water, unsweetened tea, black coffee, or sparkling water. To manage hunger, drink two cups of water 30 minutes before meals—a strategy backed by research in the Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine. Treat calorie-laden drinks as occasional indulgences rather than daily staples.

3. Meal Timing Is Working Against You

When and how often you eat can significantly influence weight loss. Skipping meals can lead to overeating later, while constant grazing throughout the day can result in unnoticed calorie overload.

Studies show that front-loading your calories, with a substantial breakfast and lighter evening meals, promotes greater weight loss. Research published in the journal Obesity found that individuals consuming larger breakfasts lost twice the weight compared to those who favored bigger dinners.

How to Fix It: Stick to eating every 3.5 to 4 hours during a 10–12-hour daytime window. This approach stabilizes blood sugar and encourages fat reserves to be used for energy between meals.

4. You’re Overcompensating for Exercise

Exercise is a cornerstone of weight loss, but it’s easy to overestimate the calories burned and indulge in post-workout treats. That post-spin class protein shake or granola bar may negate your calorie deficit if not balanced within your daily intake.

How to Fix It: Plan snacks strategically. If your workout falls within two hours of a meal, skip the extra snack and refuel during your regular meal. If you need a snack, opt for small, protein-rich options like Greek yogurt or a handful of nuts.

5. Water Intake Is Falling Short

Water plays an underrated role in weight loss. Staying hydrated helps control hunger and reduces the temptation to reach for sugary drinks. Dehydration, on the other hand, can be mistaken for hunger, leading to unnecessary snacking.

How to Fix It: Drink 2–6 cups of water daily to satisfy thirst without adding calories. Carry a reusable water bottle as a visual reminder to stay hydrated throughout the day.

What Other Factors Can Hinder Weight Loss

Sitting for long hours, whether at a desk or on the couch, can slow your metabolism and disconnect your body’s natural hunger cues. Incorporating even short bursts of activity, like three 10-minute walks daily, can reignite your metabolism.

Stress often leads to comfort eating, favoring calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods. Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or journaling, can help address the emotional triggers behind overeating.

Medical conditions, genetics, or hormonal imbalances can also impede weight loss. If your efforts yield no results, consult a healthcare professional for tests or guidance tailored to your needs.

Weight loss isn’t linear, and small, consistent adjustments are more effective than drastic overhauls. By identifying and tackling these hidden barriers, you can set yourself up for lasting success on your health journey.

Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain. Cell Metabolism. 2019

Effect of excessive water intake on body weight, body mass index, body fat, and appetite of overweight female participants. J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2014

In a medical first, surgeons in China have successfully transplanted a gene-edited pig liver into a living human to temporarily support his failing liver. The procedure showed that a pig liver can function inside the human body for several weeks and act as a “bridge” for patients who have no other treatment options.

The patient was a 71-year-old man with severe hepatitis B–related liver cirrhosis and a large liver cancer tumor. His condition made traditional surgery or a human liver transplant impossible. With no donor organs available and his health rapidly worsening, doctors decided to try the experimental pig liver transplant under compassionate use.

How the Pig Liver Was Engineered

The donor organ came from a specially bred Diannan miniature pig. Scientists had made 10 specific genetic changes to the animal so its liver would be more compatible with the human body.

These changes included:

• Removing pig genes that usually trigger strong immune rejection
• Adding seven human genes to help the liver work smoothly with human blood, immunity and clotting systems

Once the liver was connected to the patient’s blood supply, it began working immediately. It produced bile, supported metabolism, made important proteins like albumin and helped with blood clotting. Early tests showed stable liver and kidney function, and there were no signs of sudden or severe rejection, which is usually the biggest challenge in pig-to-human organ transplants.

A Serious Complication Emerges

But the case also revealed a major challenge for future xenotransplants. After about a month, the patient developed a condition called xenotransplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (xTMA).

This complication caused:

• Breakdown of red blood cells
• A drop in platelets
• Activation of the complement system (part of the immune response)
• Small blood clots forming in blood vessels

Doctors tried multiple treatments, including blood thinners, a complement-blocking drug (eculizumab) and plasma exchange. However, the condition continued to worsen.

On day 38, the medical team decided to remove the pig liver to protect the patient. Fortunately, during this period, the patient’s remaining left portion of his own liver had grown and was able to take over enough liver function. After the pig liver was removed, the signs of xTMA gradually resolved.

The patient later developed complications unrelated to the xenotransplant — mainly repeated bleeding in his digestive tract due to his pre-existing liver condition — and he died on postoperative day 171.

What This Means for the Future

Researchers conclude that this groundbreaking case proves pig-to-human liver transplantation is technically possible and can meaningfully support patients for weeks. This offers hope for people with acute liver failure or advanced liver cancer who have no donor organs available.

However, major barriers remain. The biggest challenges highlighted include:

• xTMA
• Blood clotting incompatibilities
• Overactivation of the immune system
• The need for better gene-editing strategies

Scientists say more work is needed before such transplants can become routine. But this case sets an important foundation for future clinical trials and brings the medical world a step closer to using animal organs to save human lives.

Screening for all men is "likely to cause more harm than good", says the UK National Committee. This recommendation is based on a clinical trial called Transform, which is now filling gaps in the evidence on how screening could be safely rolled out to other groups.

As of now, as per the recommendation, men who are between the ages of 45 and 61 should be screened every two years, if they have specific genetic mutations called BRCA variants.

The UK National Screening Committee recommends:

• No screening for black men due to "uncertainties" around the impact due to a lack of clinical trials in black men
• No screening based on family history

Why Is The New Recommendation Asking People To Not Get Screened For Prostrate Cancer?

As per the clinical study and the Cancer Research UK, of the 1000 men who get screened between the age of 50 to 60 for PSA test or the prostate-specific antigen test, around 100 have a positive PSA test. Of them, 34 have a positive MRI and receive a biopsy. Then only 28 are diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Of those 28, 10 are offered active surveillance, 13 are offered surgery or radiotherapy, and 4 need surgery or radiotherapy, while 1 need any other treatment.

However, the Cancer Research UK notes that while 1000 men are screening, and 28 diagnosed, only 2 lives could be saved, with 20 being over diagnosed, this means they have a slow-growing tumor that does not need treating, and of them 12 men will receive treatments that do not benefit them, rather harms them. These harms come in forms like being unable to control your bladder, or maintain an erection.

Is Prostrate Cancer Screening Recommendation Fit For All?

While experts say it is, patients are disappointed. Sir Chris Hoy, a terminal prostrate cancer patient says he was "disappointed and saddened" by the new recommendations as BBC reports.

However, Prof Freddie Hamdy, who is a urological surgeon in Oxford tells BBC: "The diagnosis of prostrate cancer in a healthy man is hugely disruptive event, with potential to affect quality of life, very significantly, for many years."

"It cannot be done lightly, men need to be really well counselled and informed before the 'snowball' starts. Before you know it, you are on the operating table having your prostate removed – and we see examples of that all the time," he said.

The screening committee’s decision is not final. It marks the beginning of a three-month public consultation period, after which the committee will reconvene and present its final recommendations to ministers in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Each nation will then make its own decision on prostate screening.

England’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he supports screening “if backed by evidence” and promised to review the data “thoroughly” ahead of the final guidance expected in March.

Reactions to the draft recommendations have been sharply divided. Cancer Research UK welcomed the consideration of screening for men with faulty BRCA genes and agreed that, for most men, screening could currently do more harm than good.

But others strongly disagreed. Sir Chris Hoy said he was “extremely disappointed and saddened,” calling the BRCA-specific recommendation “a very small step forward” that falls short. Sharing his own experience, he emphasised that “early screening and diagnosis saves lives.”

Prostate Cancer UK CEO Laura Kerby also expressed being “deeply disappointed,” saying the decision will “come as a blow” to tens of thousands of men.

Prostate Cancer Research criticized the move as “a serious error that ignores modern evidence,” calling it a missed opportunity for Black men and those with a family history.

Many people struggle to fall asleep because their minds race with worries about the next day or even old memories. To stop this mental chatter, some try complicated breathing exercises or relaxation hacks. However, a simple neuroscience trick involving temperature might help you drift off instantly.

Neuroscientist Kyle Cox suggests that you can fall asleep in seconds simply by placing something cold on your forehead when you go to bed. He explains that this method has been backed by sleep clinics and can be highly effective.

Sleep Hack That Could Help You Sleep Quicker

Researchers have learned that the temperature right on your forehead controls whether your brain stays active or decides to rest.

When the front part of your brain, called the frontal lobe, gets cooled down by even a little bit, just one degree, it automatically tells your body to start producing the chemicals needed for sleep.

The cold also quickly slows down all that busy mental chatter because the part of your brain that handles thinking (the prefrontal cortex) literally cannot work as hard when it is being cooled down.

A 2018 study published in the Sleep Journal also found similar results through a device that that cooled the forehead temperature as a treatment for insomnia. The device improved things like the time it took to fall asleep compared to the patient's own baseline sleep and the time it took to enter different stages of light and deep sleep (NREM Stages 1 and 2).

The two-night treatment helped patients fall asleep faster according to most PSG measurements and was safe. The researchers recommend more studies to see if this treatment works for the longer-term management of insomnia.

General Tips for Treating Insomnia

If you struggle with sleep, the NHS (National Health Service) says that often the best cure is to change your daily sleep habits. If you stick to a healthier routine, your insomnia usually gets much better over time.

Keep a Schedule

Go to bed and set your alarm to wake up at the exact same time every day, even on weekends. This helps set your body's internal clock.

Wind Down

Start relaxing at least one hour before you plan to sleep. This could mean taking a warm bath, listening to calm music, or reading a physical book.

Optimize Your Room

Make your bedroom a perfect place for sleeping. It should be as dark and quiet as possible. Use heavy curtains, blinds, or even an eye mask and earplugs if needed.

Get Moving

Exercise is great for sleep, but do it regularly during the day, not right before bed.

Be Comfortable

Check that your mattress, pillows, and blankets are supportive and cozy so you can easily relax once you lie down.

Things You Should Avoid For Better Sleep

To sleep better, avoid things that keep you awake. Stop smoking, drinking caffeine or alcohol six hours before bed. Do not eat a large meal or exercise intensely late at night. Avoid screens right before bed, limit daytime naps, and always stick to your regular morning wake-up time.