The Uphill Battle of Weight Loss: 9 Hard Truths You Need to Know
Losing weight can feel like an uphill battle. No matter how motivated you are, the number on the scale doesn't seem to budge. Or the pounds come off at first but then quickly return. What gives?
The truth is, weight loss is hard. Your body's biology often works against you, making it extremely challenging to lose fat and keep it off long-term. Here are 9 hard truths about weight loss that can help you understand why it's so difficult - and what you can do about it.
1. Your Metabolism Slows Down When You Lose Weight
Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the number of calories your body burns at rest just to perform basic functions like breathing and circulating blood. This accounts for 60-70% of the total calories you burn each day.
Unfortunately, this number decreases as you lose body weight. The more weight you lose, the slower your metabolism becomes. This makes ongoing weight loss progressively more difficult.
This metabolic slowdown is estimated to be around 300 calories per day for a 200 pound person who loses 33-50 lbs. That's a significant deficit your body is no longer burning through!
2. Your Appetite Increases After Weight Loss
Coupled with a slower metabolism, most people also experience increased appetite and hunger after losing weight. This is due to changes in circulating hormones.
The hormone leptin decreases, which normally sends signals of fullness to the brain. At the same time, the stomach hormone ghrelin increases, which stimulates appetite.
These compounds act on your brain to make you feel hungrier when you're in a calorie deficit, which can sabotage your weight loss efforts.
3. Your Body Fights Back in Other Ways Too
On top of a slower metabolism and increased appetite, your body has other tricks up its sleeve to foil weight loss.
Your body will start to break down and burn fewer calories during exercise. Some studies show a 15-30% drop in calories burned during workouts after losing weight.
Thermogenesis, or your body's natural heat production and calorie burn, also decreases during calorie restriction. Your body becomes more efficient with energy to prevent an ongoing energy deficit.
4. You Tend to Become Less Active Over Time
Even if you start an exercise program to boost your weight loss, you're likely to become less active over time as you shed pounds. This reduces your daily calorie burn.
One study found people's total activity levels decreased continuously over a 2 year diet. Their NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) dropped by over 200 calories per day.
Becoming less active reinforces the energy-conserving mechanisms described above to limit weight loss over the long haul.
5. You Can't Spot Reduce Fat
It would be great if you could choose where to lose fat, but that's not possible. When you lose weight, where it comes from is largely genetically determined.
If the first place you gain fat is your belly, it'll likely be the last place to shrink. The same goes for hips, thighs, arms, etc. You can't remove fat from specific "problem areas" without overall weight loss.
6. Weight Loss Progress Isn't Linear
Most people expect weight loss to proceed at a steady, linear rate until they reach their goal. In reality, the process tends to be much more erratic.
Fat loss occurs in a "2 steps forward, 1 step back" fashion. You'll have short stalls and plateaus, gains and losses. This wavering is normal and to be expected.
Your weight fluctuates daily based on things like hydration, bowel movements, sodium intake, menstrual cycles, and carb intake. Be patient and focus on the overall trend.
7. Maintenance is Harder Than Losing
For most people, the real struggle isn't losing weight - it's keeping it off. Weight maintenance requires permanent habit change, which is challenging.
After losing weight, your body's biology pushes hard against a lower weight by boosting appetite and decreasing calorie burn. Hence those frequent stories of people gradually regaining lost weight.
To counteract this, you must stick with the diet and exercise behaviors that led to weight loss. This requires discipline and commitment in the long run.
8. Dieting Messes With Your Head
Dieting takes not just a physical toll, but also an emotional one. Food restriction often leads to increased food obsession, cravings, binge eating, and emotional eating.
As your weight fluctuates against your best efforts, it's easy to feel frustrated, guilty, and ashamed. This leads to more emotional issues around eating.
Pay attention to any unhealthy psychological effects dieting has on you. If needed, take a break or seek professional help.
9. Weight Loss Plateaus Are Normal
After losing weight for some time, it's common to hit a plateau where the scale stops moving. This can last weeks or months.
Weight loss plateaus happen when your calorie burn equals your intake. To push past it, you'll need to reduce calories further and be patient.
See a plateau as a normal event, not a failure. Stay consistent with your healthy habits and the scale will budge again.
What You Can Do About These Challenges
Now that you know the truth about why losing weight and keeping it off is so hard, here are some strategies to help you succeed despite the biology working against you:
Keep Your Expectations Realistic
Accept that weight loss will be challenging, erratic, and take time. Aim to lose around 1-2 pounds per week maximum. Expect plateaus and backsliding along the way.
Focus on Changing Your Lifestyle
Forget about fad diets for quick results. Make small, sustainable changes to how you eat, exercise, and live. This builds habits that last long after reaching your goal weight.
Add Muscle With Strength Training
Lifting weights and building muscle increases your resting metabolism. It also keeps your body burning more calories during exercise. This helps counteract decreased calorie burn.
Eat More Protein and Fiber
Protein and fiber help you feel fuller on fewer calories. They provide satiety to combat hunger and appetite changes during weight loss.
Limit Empty Carbs and Added Sugars
Refined grains, sugar, and other high glycemic foods lead to crashes, cravings, and hunger after eating. Minimize these to better manage hunger.
Keep Moving and Stay Active
Even if your workouts become less effective for calorie burning, staying active helps prevent large drops in NEAT that stall weight loss.
Practice Mindful Eating
Tune in to internal hunger and fullness cues. Eat slowly without distraction, and avoid emotional eating triggers to take control of food cravings.
Get Support to Stay Motivated
Lifestyle changes are hard to do alone. Having social support and accountability partners are key for motivation and long-term success.
Weight loss is a challenging journey full of ups and downs. But knowing what hurdles to expect and how to overcome them helps you be prepared. With hard work and commitment, you can beat those obstacles and achieve results that last.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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