Because more than half of the adult population in America is overweight or obese, many people try to lose weight, explains Dr. Michael Hall, a family physician in Dagus Mines, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, your "perfect" weight loss plan may contain practices that actually prevent weight loss. Understanding common causes of stubborn weight retention can help you find success.
Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation affects the levels of hormones designed to regulate your hunger, according a study performed at the University of Chicago and published in in the Dec. 7, 2004, issue of the "Annals of Internal Medicine." Lack of sleep can lead to increased levels of ghrelin and decreased levels of leptin in the body. These changes cause increased hunger and cravings for high-carbohydrate foods containing many calories. Proper sleep may help prevent some carbohydrate cravings, making weight loss easier.
Low-Calorie Diets
Your body needs to consume calories to burn calories. A diet limiting calorie intake to 800 or 1,000 calories a day can decrease your basal metabolic rate, explains Lori Bicek, a dietitian, personal trainer and exercise physiologist for the Illinois Dietetic Association. A decreased metabolic rate makes weight loss difficult. To prevent your body from entering the starvation mode and lowering the basal metabolic rate, consume at least 1,200 calories a day as three meals plus two to three snacks.
Food Preparation
Even low-calorie foods like fruits and vegetables can cause problems with weight loss, especially when eaten in large portions or prepared using high-fat or high-calorie additives. Fruits and vegetables found in cans or frozen can have added sugars, heavy syrups or extra salts, which add unnecessary calories or promote fluid retention. Fats added to dishes during preparation also add unnecessary calories. Decrease the amount of fat you add to dishes by finding ways to roast, broil, bake or grill dishes; removing visible fat prior to cooking; draining excess fat prior to serving; using lower fat ingredients; and replacing some meat in the dish with vegetables, the American Heart Association recommends.
Exercise
Your body may lose lean muscle mass as you age or lose weight, if you do not exercise regularly, according to the Mayo Clinic. Less muscle mass means your body cannot burn as many calories each day. For exercise to help you lose weight, you may have to exercise 60 to 90 minutes on most days of the week, the American College of Sports Medicine reports. However, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week and strength training exercise twice a week can help you build and maintain lean muscle mass.
Medical Conditions
Stubborn weight retention can result from various medical conditions. A person with hypothyroidism, poor sleep patterns, nutritional deficiencies, overgrowths of yeast and insulin resistance may have difficulty losing weight, Hall explains. These conditions can slow the metabolism, causing the body to burn fewer calories each day. They may also lead to food and sugar cravings.
References
- Dr. Michael Hall; Dubois Regional Medical Center; Degus Mines, Pa
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Sleep Curtailment in Healthy Young Men Is Associated with Decreased Leptin Levels, Elevated Ghrelin Levels and Increased Hunger and Appetite; Karine Spiegel, Esra Tasali, Plamen Penev and Eve Van Cauter; December 2004
- Illinois Dietetic Association: I Eat Right And Exercise -- Why Can't I Lose Weight
- American Heart Association: How Can I Cook Healthfully
- Mayo Clinic: Metabolism and Weight Loss
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity Guidelines
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