Why is Losing Weight So Difficult?

For most people who are overweight, their body works against them to prevent permanent weight loss. Learn why losing weight is so difficult and how partnering with your healthcare provider can help.

Why is Losing Weight So Difficult?

For most people who are overweight, their body works against them to prevent permanent weight loss. This is because the amount of weight is controlled by complex interactions between hormones and neurons in the hypothalamus. Losing weight is more than just what you eat or how you exercise. There are some medical conditions that can boost weight gain and make it much more difficult to lose weight.

If you decide to try to lose weight, make changes that you can live with for the long term. Much of what we know about how people maintain long-term weight loss comes from the National Weight Control Registry, a database of people in the U. S. who have lost at least 30 pounds and maintained it for at least a year.

Many people assume that in order to maintain weight in the long term, they have to eat less forever. Even those on the National Weight Control Registry seem to think so, they report that they eat an average of about 1,400 calories a day. However, a recent study shows that this is not necessarily true. That study, published in the journal Obesity, looked at people who had lost an average of 58 pounds and had maintained it for an average of nine years.

Researchers took sophisticated measurements of their metabolism and found that they burned around 2,500 calories a day. But since their weight was stable, that meant that they also consumed 2,500 calories a day, almost the ones they consumed when they were heavier. If you don't exercise steadily, it's hard to lose weight. Yes, it is possible to lose weight only on diet, but it is likely that you will reach stagnation at some point.

If you have a slow metabolism, your genes may be to blame. Or you may not have enough lean muscle mass. People with lean and muscular bodies burn more calories than people with a higher percentage of body fat. This hormonal imbalance continues long after you succeed in losing weight, which makes it even more difficult for you to maintain kilos of weight, according to the study. This brings us back to the topic of helping people with diabetes make lifestyle choices related to weight problems.

Individuals with greater weight loss showed a greater reduction in RMR and, if weight maintenance was unsuccessful, with a return to baseline weight or beyond, adaptive thermogenesis was no longer observed. Either way, taking this approach can lead to a tense relationship with food and exercise, as well as stagnant weight loss. If you want to lose weight and not regain it, you have to change your behavior not only until you reach your target weight, but also during the following months and years. You can also talk to your healthcare provider about different types of treatment, including counseling, prescription drugs that have been shown to be effective for weight loss, or bariatric surgery. There are several prescription drugs for weight loss and control that have been proven effective in clinical trials. Neural factors such as dopamine also indicate the need to respond to an increased desire for fatty foods after weight loss. There are legitimate reasons why you struggle to lose those extra pounds, but if you know the facts about losing weight, you can overcome these obstacles and reach your goals.

At the same time, there is a possible drawback in food tracking, especially when used for the purpose of losing weight. As you start your diet, remember that slow and steady weight loss or one to two pounds a week is the easiest thing to maintain. If you want to find a healthcare provider who specializes in weight management, use the Obesity Care Provider tool on this website. How your body responds to weight loss makes it difficult to maintain it, but partnering with your healthcare provider can help you succeed. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide and coincides with the abundance of energy-dense foods and reduced physical activity (environmental factors), all of which contribute to the increase. Sleeping well is one of the most important factors for your physical and mental health, as well as your weight.