Why is Losing Weight So Hard & What To Do About It
Reviewed by Dr Mitra Dutt
What are the 3 most common reasons why people fail to lose weight and keep it off?
The advice doesn't work!
“Portion control” and “just eat less” are a recipe for disaster. Everyone can try that for a short time, but the body soon detects a warning signal that food is scarce and sends you into a tailspin looking for high-fat, high-sugar foods to eat before the famine sets in.
What to do instead?
Avoid ultra-processed foods, make as much food at home as you can, and make sure your meals fill you up so that you don’t have to snack.
Starch is sugar
Eating starchy foods like rice, pasta, bread and cereals due to their low calorie count doesn’t factor in the hormonal effect of foods like these. Starch, in fact, delivers glucose into your bloodstream, stopping you from burning excess body fat and keeping you in fat-storage mode.
What to do instead?
Choose protein-rich foods like meat, eggs, fish and tofu – these
are low in glucose and very filling. Add a good helping of green and colourful vegetables to get the best results.
Stress & sleep matter
Most of us are stressed-out and not paying attention to our sleep. Stress releases glucose into your bloodstream, resulting in more glucose being turned into fat for storage. Lack of sleep makes the effects of stress worse and also leads to unhealthy food choices.
What to do instead?
Find your calm peace – use breathing exercises, meditation, prayer, yoga or other ways to unwind. And train your body to know when it’s daytime and when it’s nighttime: get outdoors in daylight hours and establish an evening routine where you switch off your screens and avoid late-night snacking
Above all, realise that if you're not managing to lose weight or keep it off it's not your fault!
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