Weight loss is the holy grail of most diet and
exercise programs. You could also spend a lifetime counting the number of
supplements out there which purport to help shed pounds. Still, very few people
are successful over the long run in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
In this article, I will discuss 5 reasons why
people cannot lose weight.
It is important to understand that weight loss can
be different from fat loss. Ideally, all weight that is lost on a “weight loss
plan” is fat, but many fad diets use carbohydrate restriction to force a
dramatic water weight loss (with a very real risk of lean tissue loss as well),
which, while making the scale move impressively, does little to change the way
you look or how your clothes fit.
Five pounds of fat loss will change your appearance
much more substantially then five or ten pounds of water loss. Similarly,
especially when someone first starts exercising, he or she will build muscle
while losing fat, so in the beginning of a training program, other measurements
(body fat, waist circumference) are much better indicators of progress than the
scale. However, building lean tissue is a much slower process than losing fat,
so if your goal is fat loss, the scale can be a very useful measurement,
especially if you are not new to weight training. If the scale is not moving
and your clothes are not fitting better, it is worthwhile to look at the
following.
Why You Can’t Lose Weight #1: Excess Calorie Intake
In order to lose weight, you must eat fewer
calories than you burn. Dietary recall can be very inaccurate. In one study,
men and women underestimated their calories by 11% and 13% respectively.
Additionally, many people under estimate portion
sizes and have trouble figuring out how many calories are in foods they did not
make. And while online tracking applications have made it easier than ever
before to log food intake, no existing program is perfect.
For example, I looked up a particular protein bar and
found 3 entries that understated the calories by as much as 40%. If you are not
careful when logging, you may end up gaining weight even with the best
intentions.
Why You Can’t Lose Weight #2: Metabolic Issue
Underactive thyroid, for example, may be much more
common than previously thought. There is great disagreement among medical
professionals as to the best way to diagnose and treat hypothyroidism.
Hormonal imbalances, especially in women, can
predispose to weight gain.
For example, extra estrogen in relation to
progesterone can contribute to weight gain. High levels of the stress hormone
cortisol can cause weight gain indirectly by increasing appetite.
Recommendation: Have your hormone levels
checked if you think this may be an issue, but understand that weight loss
requires eating fewer calories than you burn regardless of your hormonal status.
Why You Can’t Lose Weight #3: Medications
There are a number of medications that can cause
weight gain. Antihistamines can cause significant weight gain (App to 10 pounds
per year), as can antidepressants and certain blood pressure medications, among
others.
Recommendation: If you are having trouble
losing weight, go over your medication list with your doctor and look for
alternative medication if something you’re on is associated with weight gain.
Why You Can’t Lose Weight #4: Relying Only On
Exercise
Our bodies are very efficient, and simple math
breaks down when it comes to calories burned versus consumed. There are
metabolic and behavioral adaptations that vary significantly from person to
person and are not accounted for using simple equations. For example, John goes
out and walks a mile. He estimates a burn of 100 calories, so he treats himself
to a 100-calorie piece of chocolate. It’s a wash, right? Not so fast. You see,
if John had just sat there instead of walking, he still would have burned some
calories. Thus, the net burn is less than 100 calories, so if he did that
consistently, he would gain weight. To make this even more complicated,
research I’ve seen has shown that people who exercise tend to subconsciously
move less during the rest of the day, partially offsetting the calories burned
during exercise.
Recommendation: Manipulate calories to control
the rate of weight loss. Do not try to factor in exercise, the goal of which
should be progression. Only if you are losing weight too fast (I.e. over 2-3
pounds per week), adjust your calories upward.
Why You Can’t Lose Weight #5: Metabolic Defect
Prolonged periods of severe calorie reduction can
significantly slow metabolism. A common scenario is a person goes on a 600
calorie-per-day diet and loses weight rapidly. However, soon weight loss will
slow considerably and may even stop, as his body recognizes the lack of food
and goes into a conservation mode. In order to continue losing, this person
must further reduce calories, which will be very detrimental to long-term
results. Usually, this is followed with rapid rebound weight gain with the same
slow metabolism. Now he is worse off than when he started. To fix this, he may
need to go through a prolonged period of fixing his deranged metabolism before
he can even think about losing again.
Recommendation: Take it slow and do not reduce
calories drastically. If you do plateau, assess your intake. If there is room
to safely decrease your calories, then do so. Or, if you already are very low,
make a short-term goal to increase metabolism.
Why You Can’t Lose Weight #6: Beeng Stressed Out
Losing fat can be complicated, but if you’re
dedicated to staying lean and in shape, it is definitely something that you can
take on successfully.
Be Smart
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