Losing weight is no walk in the park. It can take months to years of good nutrition and exercise to achieve the physical results you desire. If you are experiencing difficulty losing weight, take the time to understand the changes occurring in your body and how to make these body adaptations work for -- not against -- you.
Cutting Calories
There are many changes that occur in the body while attempting to lose weight. One of these changes is a reduction in your metabolic rate from cutting calories. When you reduce your daily caloric intake, your metabolism may actually slow down, making it seem more difficult to lose weight. This reduction is part of a natural survival mechanism hard-wired into our bodies. When you are not consuming an adequate number of calories, your metabolism will slow down in order to conserve energy and help you survive. For better weight-loss results, women should consume no fewer than 1,200 calories and men no less than 1,500 calories a day.
Exercise Plateaus
An exercise plateau can create a huge road block in your weight-loss program. An exercise plateau occurs when your body has adapted to the exercises you've been doing. When your body has mastered certain movements, it requires less energy to perform them, which results in fewer calories burned. This can happen in as few as three weeks into your program. To avoid exercise plateaus, change your workout program every three weeks and make sure the exercises that you choose are challenging for you to perform.
Good Nutrition
Following good nutrition and eating habits can make losing weight less difficult. If your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs, it will enter starvation mode, and your metabolism will slow down in order to survive on what you feed it. Consume proper nutrients through a well-balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein and fat, and eat small meals every three to four hours to maintain a steady metabolism rate and prevent food cravings.
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