A question that many people ask after battling to lose weight over and over is “Why?”
Losing weight is never easy, and for most people it is a lifetime struggle at the scale. It never is, and this is why so many books and shows focus on losing it and cashing in on the problem, as up to 80 percent of people who lose it gain it all back and more within a year.
How depressing!
We need to come to terms with the weight loss. For some people, they need more support than others. This can be an emotional issues stemming from low self-esteem abuse, or it can be genetics and a hormone imbalance.
“If you have a slow metabolism, your genes may be to blame. Or you may not have enough lean muscle mass. People with lean, muscular bodies burn more calories than people with a higher percentage of body fat,” WebMD reported.
The body can work against you outside of cravings and makes it harder to lose weight. If you starve the body shuts down and metabolism slows as well. We will look at why many of us can’t lose the extra pounds.
1. Everyday Health reported patience in essential to lose weight and we want to lose it now. So starving is out of the question no matter what the reasoning is Mark Pettus, MD said in an interview with the site.
“When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s hard to be patient. As you start your diet, remember that slow and steady weight loss is the easiest to maintain.” There is never an easy way to do it fast and we set us up for failure.
2. Some things to also consider are stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety releases cortisol, which has been to linked to weight gain put the body in a stress mode and kicks the adrenal system up. Elissa Epel, PhD said in an interview with WebMd that "While the immediate . . . response to acute stress can be a temporary loss of appetite, more and more we are coming to recognize that for some people, chronic stress can be tied to an increase in appetite , and stress-induced weight gain.”
3. Lack of sleep releases leptin and ghrelin. This effects how much we eat. When these are low it tells the body to compensate. With little sleep the body starts producing the hormone and it tells the body you’re still hungry. You consume more calories, up to 300 more a day. You snack more. Try to get adequate rest. If you can't fall asleep, sip on herbal tea, drink milk, or jot down what is on your mind for the next day.
4. Women have a harder time losing weight than men. Women’s bodies will store the fat longer than males. After 40, it gets even harder to lose pounds. So what can a lady do? Look the habits. Females are geared towards eating more emotional than men. Women when they mess up on the diet will eat more, out of frustration for failing. Are you drinking too much wine, influenced by the family’s eating habits or taking medication that could be harming efforts?
5. Look to see if you are under eating or overeating to meet goals. Figure out the amount of calories you need to lose weight instead of winging it. Keep a food journal. Look at portion control, and work on making meals ahead of time to keep from over eating or not eating.
