Diet and exercise are ineffective for weight loss for a variety of reasons.

Diet and exercise are ineffective for weight loss for a variety of reasons.

Why aren't you losing weight with food and exercise? Some people can eat well and exercise regularly but still, fail to achieve their goals. This might be due to a variety of wrong habits and factors that obstruct the weight-loss process, some of which are listed below:

Having a medical condition that makes it more difficult to lose weight: Hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and sleep apnea are among medical problems that can cause weight gain and make losing weight more difficult. As well as when women reach menopause, which is associated with a change in hormone levels, a loss of muscle mass, and a lack of sleep due to the occurrence of hot flashes, all of these factors contribute to weight gain, in addition to their feeling tired in the morning, which may lead to an increase in snack consumption to boost energy levels during the day, and their genes may influence their overweight.

Taking a group of drugs can make it difficult to lose weight: Some medications, such as steroids that affect metabolism, increase the feeling of hunger and the amount of food consumed, leading to the accumulation of abdominal fat, and antihistamines used to treat hay fever symptoms reduce the level of substances that control appetite, leading to an increase in the desire to eat and thus weight gain.

Gaining muscle or retaining water and relying just on the scale: Bodyweight fluctuates by a few kilograms depending on the foods eaten and the level of hormones that may cause water retention in the body, so a difference in the scale reading does not mean that fat has not been lost. It is also possible that the body has gained muscle while losing fat in the event of exercising, so it is recommended to rely on measuring the waist circumference and the amount of fat in the body monthly as an indicator of fat loss. as well as how different the form of garments when worn and the overall look of the body, and it should be emphasized that the fact that the scale reading does not change for a period of one or two weeks is normal and causes no concern.

Adopting improper or very harsh diets: It is typical to follow severe or unaccredited diets that rely on drastically cutting calories. It is usually impossible to stick to these regimes for a long time, and if weight loss occurs, it is due to the loss of fluids and muscles in the body. Healthy and balanced diets, which are defined by a diversity of food options while consuming fewer calories, sugar, and harmful fats, should be adopted instead to lose weight since they are characterized by a variety of food alternatives while consuming fewer calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats. Trans fats, for example.

Eating more or fewer calories than needed: As previously stated, weight loss is primarily achieved by reducing calorie intake, but some people go too far, such as following diets that contain fewer than 1000 calories, which leads to muscle loss and a slowing of the body's metabolism, according to several studies; such as a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2015, and a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2016.

Excessive exercise or lack of exercise: During weight loss, the body tends to lose a portion of muscle mass with fat, and this is dependent on several factors, the most important of which is not exercising in conjunction with calorie reduction; this may also lead to a lower metabolic rate, as exercise increases fat loss, maintains muscle mass, and burn rate, but excessive exercise can cause some problems in the long run, such as; Stress or stress, according to a preliminary study.

Stress and sleep deprivation: A study published in the Journal of Molecular Biochemistry in 2018 found that lowering stress levels can help adults with obesity lose weight, and an observational study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2020 found that getting enough hours of sleep helps people lose weight.

Reaching the stability stage: According to a statistical analysis of 80 observational studies published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2011, the stabilization stage usually occurs six months following weight reduction.

Other explanations for your inability to lose weight

Other causes for not losing weight are explained in the following points:

Excessive intake of carbs and sugars: consuming more calories than the body requires, whether the diet is heavy in carbohydrates or fats, is linked to weight gain, and excessive consumption of sugary beverages can inhibit weight reduction since they include a big number of calories. It is easy to eat significant amounts of these beverages without feeling full or having enough energy for the body to complete its activities, and halting or limiting your intake of these drinks can help you lose weight.

Protein, fiber, and water consumption are insufficient: Protein consumption adds to enhanced satiety and calorie expenditure, as well as boosts hormone levels, therefore a diet rich in protein is helpful for weight loss. appetite suppressant, and metabolites such as amino acids, and affects the level of glucose production (in English: Gluconeogenesis), but it is important to note that proteins should be consumed in moderation, as there are some risks associated with high-protein diets, such as increased kidney effort or high-fat content as a result of eating animal proteins.

Furthermore, a comprehensive study and statistical analysis published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2020 found that drinking water with soluble dietary fibers (also known as viscous fibers) improves body weight and cholesterol levels. It can also help you lose weight by reducing your hunger, increasing your metabolic rate, and improving your physical performance and impact.

Reading food labels incorrectly: Reading food labels may help you learn about a product's nutritional information, such as components, nutrients, and calories. To improve its taste, one cup of low-fat milk flavored with fruits contains 29.4 grams of sugar, and some of these sugar-free foods can also contain fat, such as sugar-free biscuits, which contain 9.31 grams of fat in one medium berry weighing 30 grams; therefore, it is important to read the food label carefully before consuming these foods.

Binge eating disorder is defined as the consumption of a large amount of food in a short period of time, which can occur when following a very strict diet and is one of its common side effects. Whether binge eating is caused by unhealthy foods or healthy foods, such as nuts, cheese, dark chocolate, or nut butter, it is necessary to keep track of the calories consumed to avoid not losing weight.

Unreasonable weight loss expectations: It is critical to set realistic weight loss goals, as the natural weight loss rate ranges between 0.5-1 kilograms per week, and to achieve this, you must burn the equivalent of 500-1000 additional calories per day, and it is necessary to transition from the gradual setting of weight loss goals, based on current weight, as losing 5% of the current weight is a realistic goal, If a person weighs 82 kilograms, for example, he can set an initial target of losing 4 kilograms. Other factors that influence weight loss pace include gender; males lose weight quicker than women, weight loss gets more difficult with age, and a bigger individual may lose twice as much weight.

Losing weight the correct way

Weight reduction may be done by ingesting fewer calories available in meals and beverages compared to the number of calories the body requires, while increasing physical activity to burn more calories, despite how easy this may appear. A realistic and long-term weight loss diet, on the other hand, may be tough to maintain. It should be noted that while weight reduction often results in the loss of fat mass, in some situations of extreme weight loss, the body may lose protein and other elements.