Difficult Weight Loss: The causes of difficulty losing weight can vary depending on habits and eating patterns. Even though you have tried a strict diet and exercise program, many factors influence the success of a weight loss program.
Causes
1. Not Keeping a Journal
Monitoring all types of food and drinks consumed in a diary can help your diet program. This has even been proven in studies showing that people who keep a food journal are more likely to be successful at losing weight and keeping it off. According to WebMD, people who keep a food diary 6 days a week can lose about twice as much weight as those who don’t. Without keeping a food record, people are often unaware of the portions and types of food they have eaten.
2. Not Eating Enough Protein
Throw away the notion that the diet only eats vegetables and fruit. When dieting, the body needs the energy to burn calories every day. This is where the role of protein is to trigger metabolism. Consuming protein of at least 25-30 percent of calories can increase metabolism up to 80-100 calories per day. By consuming enough protein, you can reduce several hundred calories per day. Plus, research shows that protein can fill you up quickly, so you eat less.
This is because the protein content reduces the level of the hunger hormone called ghrelin. The right time to consume protein on a diet is at breakfast. Studies show that people who eat a high-protein breakfast menu can suppress hunger and cravings throughout the day.
3. Often Drink Sweet Drinks
We often forget that calories are not only contained in food. Sweet drinks such as milk coffee, boba drinks, soda, soft drinks, fruit juices with added sugar, alcohol, beer, and energy drinks contain high calories which trigger weight gain. So even if you restrict food strictly but don’t limit these types of sweet drinks, it will be difficult to lose weight.
Avoiding all types of sugary drinks is an excellent weight loss strategy. You can replace cow’s milk with healthier drinks high in nutrients, but still low in calories, such as soy and almond milk. Green tea can also be an option because it is calorie-free and won’t increase the size of your waistline. The content of catechins in green tea is also said to help lose weight.
4. Not Eating Whole Foods
Losing weight is not just cutting food portions to be smaller. If the diet program wants to be successful, multiply the types of whole foods rather than processed foods. Whole food is food that is still in its original form. not mixed with other ingredients such as sugar, starch, flavorings, or other preservatives that trigger weight gain.
Because they are still in their natural state, whole foods are not addictive. In addition, the nutritional content is still intact and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Try substituting French fries or potato chips for boiled potatoes, avoiding the nuggets in favor of grilled chicken breast, then beans, eggs, and vegetables.
Eating whole foods can help suppress your appetite because they make you feel full faster than processed foods.
5. Rarely Sports
Lack of exercise can be one of the causes of difficulty losing weight. Exercise is an effective way to speed up fat burning, especially in the midsection. You can choose the type of exercise to lose weight.
For example, cardio sports such as running, cycling, swimming, aerobics, Zumba, and Pilates can increase heart rate and are very effective in burning fat that accumulates around the stomach, thighs, and arms. Or you can also choose weightlifting exercises that help maintain muscle mass, boost metabolism, and keep the body toned.
6. Overeating
The behavior of overeating (binge eating) is often experienced by dieters who want revenge after limiting eating for a long time. The bad effects of excessive food do not only occur with fast food.
Eating relatively healthy foods such as nuts, dark chocolate, cheese, milk, and too much fruit juice can also lead to weight gain over time. Even though the food is considered healthy, it is consumed in reasonable portions because the calorie value is still there.
7. Consuming Fast Food
Fast food is a practical choice to prop up a hungry stomach when you’re busy. However, according to research, people who often eat fast food more than twice a week tend to gain about 4.5 kilograms more weight than those who rarely eat fast food.
Apart from serving processed food, fast food is served with toppings like sauce, mayonnaise, and french fries, as well as other menu items that have been heavily processed, such as those with added coloring, preservatives, and flavorings that can damage your diet.
8. Lack of sleep
Studies show that sleep deprivation is the biggest trigger for obesity. Adults and children with poor sleep had a 55 percent and 89 percent higher risk of becoming obese, respectively. The reason is, lack of sleep can interfere with the body’s metabolism and make you skip breakfast. Try to rearrange your sleep schedule and avoid staying up late so that your metabolism and blood sugar levels are maintained.
9. Not Reducing Carbohydrates
Research shows carbohydrates can increase weight gain and lead to obesity. Especially for those of you who are on a diet, avoid high-carbohydrate foods such as white rice, bread, noodles, pasta, pastries, and french fries.
These foods contain a high glycemic index, which can stimulate fat production and inflammation. Reduce your intake of these carbohydrates by increasing your intake of protein, vegetables, and fruit so that weight loss is more effective and provides maximum results.
10. Not drinking enough water
Drinking water can be beneficial for losing weight faster. The research tested dieters who drank water before meals for 12 weeks. Those who drank half a liter of water 30 minutes before eating lost 44 percent more weight than those who didn’t.
Not only does it make the stomach feel fuller, but water has also been shown to increase the calorie-burning process by 24-30 percent for 1.5 hours. In addition, resisting the urge to drink sugary drinks and replacing them with water can speed up weight loss significantly.
11. Health Problems
Apart from unhealthy lifestyle factors such as a poor diet and not exercising, medical conditions can also be a cause of difficulty in losing weight.
These health problems can make sufferers gain weight easily and it isn’t easy to lose weight, including:
- Hypothyroidism: A disease condition that causes the thyroid gland to not function properly. As a result, metabolism will be slower and the body will store fatter than it burns.
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome/PCOS): PCOS is a disorder of infertility in women due to excessive production of androgen hormones and high insulin hormones.
- Sleep apnea: This sleep disorder is called reducing leptin or the appetite suppressant hormone and increasing ghrelin so that it can increase the desire to eat calorie-dense foods.
- Stress: When stressed, the body produces the hormone cortisol, which makes the body store fat, especially around the waist, hips, and thighs.
- Depression: Many people with depression turn to eat to relieve emotional distress.
- Hormonal changes: Some women may gain weight during hormonal changes, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.
