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

Health concerns around President Donald Trump has again sparked as many noticed him sleeping during the Thursday Press Conference in the Oval Office. The press conference was held to announce a deal with drugmakers on lowering cost of obesity drugs.

While the meeting had to be cut short after a man collapsed, videos from before the very incident showed president Trump sitting with his eyes closed. He seemed to have slumped on his chair. Many on X observed his actions, sparking health concerns. One X user wrote: "Trump was literally slumped over asleep during this conference. No wonder they keeping on doing 6 month brain scans." While another user wrote: "Trump just sleeping slumped over in his chair..." Another user wrote: "Dr Oz linking obesity to dementia while Trump's slumped over at his desk is absolutely a choice..."

Many users also joked about looking at his brain scans, as one of the users wrote: "What I would give to see that MRI report!" Another noted: "Trump looks seriously unwell. There are definitely medical issues being hidden from the public."

Trump Dozing Off At Official Announcements

This is not the first time President Trump has dozed off during an official announcement. Donald Trump appeared to momentarily doze off during a press conference which was held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Media outlets have reported that the president struggled with his words and when it was Netanyahu's turn to speak, Trump looked completely disassociated, and even appeared to doze off momentarily. Trump was seen "jolting as he woke himself up".

The video from the press conference shows the president standing at the podium with his eyes closed, and within a few seconds, he was startled, blinking his eye, while he tapped his fingers on the podium in a manner to keep himself awake.

Then a few seconds later again, Trump appeared to have been sleeping again, but this time he moved his body to wake himself back again.

These clips from the past and the recent press conference have again sparked concerns around the president's health. However, no official statement on Trump's health has been released. In fact, his physician had pronounced him in "excellent overall health".

However, his past behaviors have raised concerned about his cognitive decline.

After two psychologists raised questions about the US President Donald Trump's mental health, saying that he showed signs of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), questions about his cognitive health is again intensified after Dr Narinder Kapur, a consultant neuropsychologist and visiting professor at the University College London said that president's behavior over the last six months has been "quite odd and strange," as reported by Express, UK.

Kapur said that Trump's suggestion that Canada should become the 51st US state. and his desire to "take over Greenland", and his controversial comments linking autism with paracetamol are really "bizarre". “Even though he’s probably been led a bit by [Robert F.] Kennedy [Jr.] on that, still for Trump to say the things he did was really quite odd and bizarre,” he said.

While Kapur did not diagnose Trump with dementia, he did suggest the possibility of frontotemporal dementia. “If one was thinking about the various possible dementias he’s got, certainly frontotemporal dementia is one of them, because some of his behavior has been really quite bizarre,” he said, adding that an Alzheimer’s test would help clarify concerns.

Scientists have found that a type of morning-after pill may help protect young women from developing breast cancer. The drug, which is already available for free on the NHS, blocks the hormone progesterone and has been shown to trigger changes in breast tissue that make it less likely for cancer to form. One woman who chose to undergo a double mastectomy as a preventive measure says the discovery “offers hope” to others at high genetic risk of the disease.

A team from Manchester University studied 24 women between 2016 and 2019 who were at high genetic risk of breast cancer due to family history. These women, aged between 34 and 44, took ulipristal acetate, and researchers observed that their breast tissue became less dense and less stiff, conditions that make it harder for cancers to grow.

What Is Ulipristal Acetate?

Ulipristal acetate is commonly prescribed as emergency contraception and to treat moderate to severe uterine fibroids. It works by blocking progesterone receptors, delaying ovulation, and altering the uterine lining to prevent pregnancy, as per 1mg.

Earlier research has also shown that triple-negative breast cancer tends to return or spread more quickly than other breast cancer types, especially within the first few years after diagnosis.

Is Ulipristal Acetate A Promising Step Toward Prevention?

Dr Sacha Howell, lead author of the study and Consultant Oncologist at The Christie Hospital in Manchester, said, “Our research shows that progesterone has a vital role in the development of breast cancer among high-risk women. By blocking its effects, ulipristal acetate and similar drugs could serve as effective preventive treatments,” he explained.

The findings suggest that using ulipristal acetate to prevent breast cancer may one day help women at higher risk before menopause.

Currently, these women face only two preventive options: long-term hormone therapy, which can cause side effects like higher blood clot risk and reduced bone density, or preventive surgery to remove part or all of the breasts.

The Need for Better Options

Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, which funded the study, said, “We urgently need better preventive treatments that protect both health and quality of life for women at high risk of breast cancer. Repurposing existing medications, like ulipristal acetate, could be a major step forward. Right now, the available options—preventive surgery or hormone therapy can have a serious impact on both the body and emotional wellbeing.”

The study, published in Nature, found that ulipristal acetate reduced the growth of certain breast cells known as luminal progenitors. These cells can develop into triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that often affects younger and Black women.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medication or treatment.

New research suggests there is a strong connection: if your heart health isn't great when you are in your 40s or 50s, you have a higher chance of being diagnosed with dementia much later in life. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, of 6,000 people found those who developed dementia had high levels of a protein called troponin. This protein signals heart muscle damage and showed up in their blood up to 25 years before they were diagnosed with the brain condition. People with high troponin levels were 38% more likely to get dementia.

How Can a Heart Test Reveal Dementia Risk?

Troponin is a chemical that doctors usually look for when they think someone has had a heart attack. However, even if you haven't had a heart attack, high levels of troponin can still mean your heart muscle is being damaged bit by bit over time or isn't working as well as it should.

This damage can hurt the body's blood vessels, which in turn can reduce the amount of vital blood flowing to your brain. The researchers checked health data from a long-running study that followed people for an average of 25 years after they had their heart protein levels tested.

How is Heart and Brain Health Connected?

According to the American Brain Foundation, poor heart health significantly raises your risk for a stroke because arteries supplying the brain can become narrowed by plaque buildup or instantly blocked by blood clots. This damage, called an ischemic stroke, is accelerated by issues like high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. Taking care of your heart ensures your brain receives the necessary healthy blood flow.

Keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy also significantly lowers your risk of developing dementia later on. Heart disease is closely linked to memory decline; coronary heart disease alone increases dementia risk by 40%. Managing risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and especially cholesterol is key to protecting your long-term brain health.

Thinking about your brain's blood flow may not be a daily habit, but adopting healthy habits consistently over the long term can make a huge difference. No matter your age, it is never too late to start focusing on improving and protecting your circulatory and brain health.

Can Testing for Heart Diseases Prevent Dementia?

The researchers points out that the damage leading to dementia happens very slowly, over many years. They emphasize that if you manage common problems like high blood pressure in your middle years, you might be able to slow down or even stop the development of dementia, just as you protect yourself from heart problems. The scientists think testing for troponin could eventually become a key part of a doctor's check-up to predict someone's future risk of developing dementia.

Heart Health is Brain Health

Health experts agree that these findings are a strong reminder that the health of your heart and your brain are inseparable. The best ways to protect your brain are the same ways you protect your heart: keep your blood pressure and cholesterol down, exercise regularly, manage your weight, and avoid smoking. Medical foundations are now putting more money into research focused on understanding and preventing this connection, particularly vascular dementia.