4 Reasons Weight Loss Is Difficult

At Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care, Dr. James Lee and our team take a scientific approach to weight loss. It starts with a thorough evaluation of your health, so we can identify all of the variables that are unique to your weight loss issues.

Then Dr. Lee develops a weight loss management program that addresses your body’s needs. This may include hormone therapy, fat-burning injections, appetite suppressants, a special diet, and lifestyle counseling. 

Rest assured that any weight loss method — or combination of methods — we recommend are tailored to your body, so they work like no other diet you’ve tried in the past.

Here’s a look at why it’s so hard to lose weight.

1. Weight loss is a literal battle

When you attempt to lose weight, your body reacts as if it’s under attack, so it activates all of its defenses. Your body is programmed to store extra fat for energy it may need later on. 

So, when you change your eating habits and consume fewer calories, it sends a message to your body that times are lean and it had better hang on to whatever resources it can.

The immediate response is hormonal. Studies show that your body slows down the production of the hormone leptin, which normally tells your brain you feel full. At the same time, it ramps up the production of ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger. 

Your hormones are fighting a battle for survival. That’s why you feel intense cravings and hunger when you diet.

Your body fights weight loss on another front, as well. Weight loss — especially if you cut your calorie consumption drastically — slows down your metabolism, which means you won’t burn as many calories as you did before. 

So, even though you’re eating less, you’re not losing weight because your body isn’t burning the calories. 

Finally, if weight loss is accompanied by muscle loss, you have yet another enemy in the war. Your muscles drive your metabolism, so when they shrink, so do your weight loss efforts. 

2. Weight loss is a math problem

The “calories consumed vs. calories burn” formula doesn’t work in isolation for most people, but there’s no getting around it: Calories matter.

The general rule of thumb used to be that you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose one pound of stored fat. But that’s an oversimplification of the formula. 

This formula only works if you know exactly how many calories you burn each day. This is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR), and it’s based on several factors. Dr. Lee can help you calculate your BMR so you know how much of a calorie deficit you need daily to lose weight.

Without this important information, you may think you’re exercising enough or cutting back on enough calories, when you’re really just breaking even.

For example, if you ride your bike around the neighborhood or jog on the treadmill for an hour, the average adult may burn around 370 calories. If you follow your exercise with a typical protein bar at 380 calories, you cancel your workout and you don’t lose weight.

3. Weight loss is different for everybody

One of the reasons so many fad diets have failed for you is that they weren’t designed for your body. It’s easy to be tempted by celebrity endorsements that claim to have found the secret to melting away fat, but the truth is that there’s no one-size-fits-all plan that works for everybody. 

The weight loss program that finally works for you takes into consideration your age, health, family history, gender, activity level, sleep patterns, metabolism, and hormones. 

Dr. Lee explains exactly what’s blocking your weight loss efforts, why men and women lose weight differently, and how to combine cardio with strength training for the best results.

4. Weight loss is less effective when attempted alone

Some people can set a goal to lose weight, make a few changes, and see results. But that’s the exception, not the rule. Most people need help fighting the weight loss battle. Health conditions and other variables make it nearly impossible to lose weight without medical support.

Dr. Lee and our team also help you identify attitudes that may be inhibiting your weight loss. Here are a few mindsets that make it difficult to lose weight:

• All-or-nothing mentality that counts anything other perfection as a failure
• Short-term mindset that leads to yo-yo dieting and long-term weight gain
• Relying on quick fixes
• Not dealing with depression, stress, anxiety, and other emotional and mental disorders

Real weight loss is a lifestyle, not a diet, and Dr. Lee helps you see how every aspect of your life contributes to either weight loss or weight gain. 

If you’re ready to finally win the battle against weight loss, arm yourself with our medically supervised weight loss program. To schedule a consultation, call our friendly staff, or book your appointment online.