Why You Can't Lose Weight Despite Your Best Efforts

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Eight reasons why weight loss can stop and how to spur the process.

You went on a diet, eliminated starchy foods and sweets, and got used to regular exercise. At first, the weight decreased, but then a plateau came: the figure on the scales froze or even increased slightly. Below we will analyze why weight loss can stop and what to do in order to still achieve an ideal figure.

1. You misjudge your progress

Burning body fat is a rather lengthy process. If you have been on the diet for less than two weeks, it is too early to talk about any progress.

Svetlana Nezvanova Nutritionist, gastroenterologist, therapist. Member of the international council of doctors in the field of keto diet, LCHF diet and GAPS protocol.

Losing weight takes place in waves, and this process is individual. In some people, weight does not change in the first two weeks and only then begins to decrease with volume.

Moreover, the scales do not always show real progress in weight loss. Weight gain can be affected by gains in muscle volume or water retention, for example during menstruation. As a result, the fatty deposits will melt, but the scales will not show this.

What to do about it

Don't expect quick results. Stick to your meal plan for 2-4 weeks before considering measuring progress.

As for tracking results, Svetlana Nezvanova says that doctors determine weight loss by the percentage of fat, muscle mass and other body tissues. Without special equipment, you can assess the progress in terms of body volume: measure the girth of the chest, waist and hips at the beginning of the diet and after 2-4 weeks of following it.

Svetlana Nezvanova

If you do not have breakdowns and overeating, you know exactly how much protein, fat and carbohydrates you consume and do not go beyond the recommended norms, but the weight and volume do not change, we can talk about a plateau. The body gets used to the new diet and adjusts, doing everything so as not to lose extra pounds.

2. You eat too little or too much protein

For weight loss and weight retention, not only the total caloric content of the diet is of great importance, but also the amount of protein. Dietary protein increases the feeling of fullness and reduces sugar cravings, speeds up metabolism - increases energy expenditure at rest.

Svetlana Nezvanova

Since all hormones and enzymes are in fact proteins, with a lack of this macronutrient in the diet, certain metabolic reactions simply do not occur. As a result, metabolic processes slow down.

By increasing the amount of protein in your diet, you will receive some benefits, but the main thing is not to overdo it. An excess of this macronutrient can negatively affect weight loss and overall health.

Svetlana Nezvanova

A daily intake of more than 2, 5-2, 7 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight can inhibit weight loss. With an excess of protein, the body does not use it, but converts it into glucose. Also, with such an amount of protein, problems from the intestines and other organs are possible.

What to do about it

Strive to build your diet so that at least 30% of your calories come from protein. If you do not count calories, you can focus on 1, 5-2, 2 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight. The exception is people with kidney disease. High protein diets increase the risk of stone formation.

3. You have decreased insulin sensitivity

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels. Unhealthy diet with an excess of fast carbohydrates, excess weight and genetic predisposition can reduce the sensitivity of cells to insulin.

In this condition, the body will produce more and more hormone to cope with high blood glucose levels, which can slow down weight loss and nullify your efforts.

What to do about it

Losing weight and cutting out fast carbs will improve your insulin sensitivity by itself, but there are two options you can use to spur progress.

Try it low carbohydrate diet

Svetlana Nezvanova

If you eat cereals and fruits (foods rich in carbohydrates) with each meal, your insulin levels rise after the meal. If you already have insulin resistance or diabetes, you won't lose weight. In this case, it is recommended to try a low-carb diet.

Such diets reduce insulin levels and allow you to drop the Efficacy of ketogenic diet on body composition during resistance training in trained men: a randomized controlled trial fat without losing muscle mass. However, a low-carb diet has a number of contraindications, so consult your doctor first.

Get involved in power training

Strength training increases the expression of the APPL1 protein, which regulates the uptake of glucose by cells and improves the body's ability to store it in the muscles. As a result, resistance exercise improves insulin sensitivity even without losing weight. In addition, strength training, together with adequate protein intake, helps maintain and build muscle mass, which increases the body's energy expenditure.

You can choose one way or try both at once. Low-carb diets go well with strength training.

4. You eat too often

It is believed that fractional meals - small, but frequent meals - helps to lose weight faster without feeling hungry. However, analysis of scientific evidence on this topic has not found any significant weight loss and health benefits for those who eat more than four to five times a day. And even if you carefully monitor your calorie intake and do not exceed your daily allowance, multiple meals can interfere with your progress.

Svetlana Nezvanova

One of the reasons for the plateau is frequent snacking, and this is due to the release of the hormone insulin. If you chew on something most of the time, it never drops to the point where the body starts burning fat.

What to do about it

Take food no more than four to five times a day. You can also try intermittent fasting: it speeds up metabolism, provides good weight loss results and has a positive effect on insulin levels.

5. You don't get enough sleep

Svetlana Nezvanova

I have been working for over 12 years and have my own statistics from practical experience. And the most difficult in terms of metabolism and the level of active cell mass are people who have sleep disorders. Programmers, residents of megalopolises, those who have night schedules.

Reducing sleep affects the secretion of hormones responsible for hunger and satiety: leptin and ghrelin. Just two nights of 4-hour rest increases appetite by 23% and also induces cravings for sweets. As a result, you feel more hungry and lean on high-calorie foods or suffer from the inability to do so.

Six nights of 4-hour sleep increases levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that interferes with fat burning and retains water in the body. And a week of 5-hour night rest significantly reduces insulin sensitivity.

Lack of sleep not only slows down weight loss, but also badly affects its quality. So, in one study, people who slept 5 hours a day lost 55% less fat and 60% more muscle than those who rested for 8.5 hours.

What to do about it

Try to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day, and go to bed in the first half of the night - no later than 2:00. According to Svetlana Nezvanova, from 10 pm until this time, the body synthesizes two important hormones: melatonin and growth hormone, which are associated with metabolism and fat burning.

If you are used to staying up well after midnight, the level of these hormones drops, and cortisol levels rise, which negatively affects body composition and the rate of weight loss.

6. You have high stress levels

Svetlana Nezvanova

High stress levels clearly inhibit weight loss. With chronic wasting nervous tension, cortisol and insulin levels will continually rise, making it difficult to burn fat. Long-term stress can lead to adrenal fatigue syndrome, hormonal imbalances and decreased metabolism.

Stress also reduces the hormone adiponectin, which is involved in fat breakdown, and increases interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) levels, which can cause chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and diabetes.

In addition, the more stress you experience, the less energy you use up after eating and the worse your body oxidizes fats. If yesterday you had a strong negative experience, today you will burn about 104 kcal less than if everything was fine. This difference can result in an increase of 5 kg per year.

What to do about it

If you cannot remove the source of stress, try changing your reaction to events. Yoga classes, meditation, breathing techniques - all this helps to calmly respond to external stimuli. For example, in one study, an eight-week stress management program helped participants lose almost twice as much weight as people in a control group.

Visualization, diaphragmatic breathing and muscle relaxation - all of these techniques contribute not only to weight loss, but also to improve self-esteem and mood, relationships with friends and colleagues, and the state of affairs at work.

7. You don't drink enough water

There is no direct link between a lack of water in the diet and a delay in losing weight. But at the same time, an increased amount of fluid can help to get the weight off the ground. Consumption of 500 ml of ordinary water speeds up metabolism by 24-30% for the next 60 minutes; 2 liters per day increase energy consumption by about 95 kcal.

What to do about it

Women are advised to consume at least 2.7 liters of water per day, men - 3.7 liters. In addition to boosting your metabolism, it can help you reduce hunger and consume fewer calories even without dietary control.

8. You have hormonal disorders

Conditions in which the normal production of hormones gets lost can cause weight gain and a hindrance to losing weight. These violations include:

• Hypothyroidism is a malfunction of the thyroid gland.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome is a disorder in the structure and function of the ovaries, thyroid gland, adrenal cortex. It is characterized by an increased level of male sex hormones.
• Menopause is a decrease in estrogen production that occurs with age.

What to do about it

Contact your doctor for therapy prescription. You can also consult with a dietitian who will prescribe an appropriate diet.

Whatever the reason, don't be discouraged. Improve sleep, relieve stress, find the right diet and exercise system to become part of your lifestyle. Only then will you get stable weight loss and excellent health.