8 reasons you're not losing belly fat

You have hypothyroidism

Thyroid diseases can slow down metabolism, predisposing people to accumulate more fat, according to Dr. Merino. “The thyroid is almost like the orchestra director setting the pace for everyone,” she says. “Your thyroid literally sets the pace at which all the organ systems are going to work, so if it is slow, all the other systems are going to go slow, and we tend to gain weight.” Plus, this slowdown causes more fatigue because the body lacks the fuel and direction to go faster, ultimately resulting in less calorie burn.