Have you been dieting, and cutting calories and fat for ages but you haven't lost any weight? It happens to the best of us and it's incredibly frustrating. Often we don't realize that habits which don't seem to relate to food can result in weight gain, and that foods which seem healthy, may not actually be all that great. If you can't seem to downsize, consider these 9 potential culprits:

• Stress - Stress makes the body release a hormone that causes fat to build-up around the abdomen.
• Labels - Light, low-fat and fat-free don't necessarily mean 'healthy' and could be full of sugar and calories.
• Hunger - If you eat for any reason other than actual hunger, you may be eating stuff you can't burn off.
• Booze - Alcoholic drinks are full of empty calories AND your body burns off alcohol before anything else.
• Sleep - If you're tired it throws specific hormones off-balance resulting in false feelings of hunger.
• Exercise - Exercise is essential for weight loss but too much will only make you feel hungrier.
• Work - Those who spend more time at their desk exercise less and eat more high-fat and high-sugar foods.
• Partners - When comfort levels go up, healthy eating, exercise and a tight body can go out the window
• Protein - It is OK to eat carbs, but protein keeps you feeling full so you need to balance the two.

For more information on all of the causes listed above, as well as tips on how to fix them, take a look at the article in its entirety here.