7 Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Weight
Embarking on a weight loss journey can be complicated and emotional. You’ve likely tried all kinds of diets that prescribe focusing on certain foods while avoiding others. While you may have experienced early rapid weight loss in the beginning, it is typically followed by a weight plateau and progressive regain. This is because most diets create a restrictive, controlling relationship with food. Weight gain and obesity aren’t caused by any single food or diet, and it’s not simply a question of willpower. In fact, there are many factors that influence our ability to lose weight and keep it off long-term. If you are concerned about your weight and are struggling to keep it off, consider these seven factors that may be preventing you from achieving your weight loss goals.
1. Consuming too many or too few calories.
One of the most common causes of weight gain and obesity is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. If you are taking in more calories than your body burns per day, you will gain weight. Adversely, consuming too few calories can also hinder weight loss. When your calorie intake is too low, your body goes into starvation mode. The metabolism slows to a crawl to conserve energy, and the body begins to store fat because it thinks it is starving. Calories are not the enemy. They are a vital part of a healthy and energetic life. Your body needs a certain number of calories and movement each day to sustain proper function. However, the exact number of calories you need per day depends on several different factors, including gender, age, weight, genetic inheritance, and activity levels.
2. Consuming ultra-processed foods.
Food quality is equally as important as the quantity of food you consume. A recent study revealed that ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is consistently associated with an increased risk for weight gain among adults and children, and an increased risk for adiposity-related co-morbidities in adults. 1 Limiting UPF consumption may be beneficial to your health as UPFs are typically more calorie-dense than nutrient-dense. If your diet consists primarily of UPFs that are high in calories, fat, added sugar, and salt, you will likely struggle to lose weight. Eating a balanced diet that consists primarily of nutrient-dense whole foods can improve your health and well-being. 2 Whole foods are characterized as food that has not been processed, refined, or had any additional ingredients added to them. This includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, meat, fish, and eggs.
3. Consuming too little protein.
Proteins are the building blocks of life and are essential to a healthy diet. This macronutrient makes up the major component of all our cells and provides the essential amino acids that keep our bodies running optimally. If you are exercising and eating well but not getting enough protein, you may still be struggling to lose weight. Dietary protein can positively influence crucial elements of body weight regulation; specifically satiety (how full you feel after eating), thermogenesis, and energy efficiency.3 5 Dietary proteins have a wide range of nutritional and biological benefits. They are instrumental in the regulation of food intake, glucose and lipid metabolism, blood pressure, bone metabolism and immune function. 6 For our bariatric patients, we suggest eating the protein and vegetable portions of your meals first to ensure you fill up on the most satisfying and nutrient-rich components.
3. Not drinking enough water.
Water does more for the body than just quench your thirst. Research suggests that drinking more water can help with weight loss in a variety of ways. One systematic review of water-based interventions showed an average weight loss effect of 5.15% 4, with the most effective strategy being the replacement of more calorie-dense beverages with water. In our experience, liquid calories (like sweetened teas and coffees, sodas, and juices) are a common cause of weight regain in bariatric surgery patients. Water also acts as an appetite suppressant as it takes up space in the stomach, causing a feeling of fullness and sending signals to the brain to stop eating—this is why one of our recommendations to our patients is to drink lots of water in between meals and snacks.
4. Not sleeping well.
Our appetites are controlled by neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) that allow neurons (nerve cells) to communicate with each other. The neurotransmitters ghrelin and leptin are central to appetite as ghrelin promotes hunger, and leptin promotes satiety (fullness). Sleep deprivation can affect the body’s natural regulation of these neurotransmitters. This dysregulation can lead to increased appetite and diminished feelings of fullness. It is also common to choose foods high in calories, sugar, and carbohydrates when we feel sleep deprived.
5. Poor gut health.
If you struggle to lose weight, your gut bacteria could be partly to blame. Your microbiome—the bacteria that help you digest food and absorb nutrients in the intestines—is important for your overall health, including weight. When your intestinal environment is imbalanced, it can cause dysbiosis. Symptoms of dysbiosis can include chronic fatigue, digestive problems, acid reflux or heartburn, food intolerance, gas, bloating, inflammation, skin issues, anxiety, and depression. A healthy microbiome is essential to maintaining a strong immune system, a healthy metabolism, and improved mental health—all of which are integral to weight control and living a healthy and energetic life.
6. It’s biology, not just willpower.
Genes play a significant role in obesity. They give the body instructions for responding to changes in its environment. They affect appetite, satiety (the sense of fullness), energy levels, metabolism, food cravings, body-fat distribution, and the tendency to use eating as a way to cope with stress. Certain medical conditions may also hinder your weight loss efforts. For example, polycystic ovary syndrome, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, hormonal changes and mental health conditions can all cause weight gain or make it more challenging to lose excess weight. This is why health care practitioners collect family health history to help identify people with a higher risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases.
Successful weight management isn’t simply about dropping pounds. It’s about sustainable changes supporting overall health and maintaining your best weight long-term. Long-term weight goals can be reached by a combination of changes in eating habits, diet, exercise, and sometimes medical or surgical intervention. If you’re struggling to manage your weight, know that you are not alone. Our multidisciplinary team of dedicated medical professionals is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support you in achieving your weight loss goals long term.
Sources:
Crimarco A, Landry MJ, Gardner CD. Ultra-processed Foods, Weight Gain, and Co-morbidity Risk. Curr Obes Rep. 2022 Sep;11(3):80-92. doi: 10.1007/s13679-021-00460-y. Epub 2021 Oct 22. PMID: 34677812; PMCID: PMC8532572.
Greger M. A Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Is Effective for Weight Loss: The Evidence. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2020 Apr 3;14(5):500-510. doi: 10.1177/1559827620912400. PMID: 32922235; PMCID: PMC7444011.
Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Nieuwenhuizen A, Tomé D, Soenen S, Westerterp KR. Dietary protein, weight loss, and weight maintenance. Annu Rev Nutr. 2009;29:21-41. doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-080508-141056. PMID: 19400750.
Bracamontes-Castelo G, Bacardí-Gascón M, Jiménez Cruz A. Effect of water consumption on weight loss: a systematic review. Nutr Hosp. 2019 Dec 26;36(6):1424-1429. English. doi: 10.20960/nh.02746. PMID: 31657610.
Pezeshki A, Zapata RC, Singh A, Yee NJ, Chelikani PK. Low protein diets produce divergent effects on energy balance. Sci Rep. 2016 Apr 28;6:25145. doi: 10.1038/srep25145. PMID: 27122299; PMCID: PMC4848496.
Jahan-Mihan A, Luhovyy BL, El Khoury D, Anderson GH. Dietary proteins as determinants of metabolic and physiologic functions of the gastrointestinal tract. Nutrients. 2011 May;3(5):574-603. doi: 10.3390/nu3050574. Epub 2011 May 11. PMID: 22254112; PMCID: PMC3257691.