Discover the reason why you can't lose weight

Almost everyone is trying to lose weight at some point, which means that millions of people are trying out various weight-loss diets that limit what, when, and how you eat. Some do lose weight, but most gain weight. This often leads to the biggest question of all: What am I doing wrong?

Here’s the real truth: It’s not up to you. It's about biology.

The dirty secret of the diet industry is that many diets fail. According to a well-known study at UCLA University, most people not only regain the weight they lost during the diet, but even two-thirds of them gain weight and more. This type of "failure" can have a high emotional cost, says dietitian Alice Ramsey. But in reality, it has nothing to do with willpower.

What really happens to your body when you are on a diet

First of all, it's simple math - if you reduce the number of calories you eat (whether it's counting calories, eliminating certain categories of food, or limiting the hours when you can eat), you will definitely lose weight. But then your body and brain react and try to stop that process. Basically, your body thinks you are starving and tries to save and protect you at all costs.

The main reason for such a response is the hormone leptin, which is produced in fat cells. Leptin tells your brain that you are full - as you reduce the amount of fat in your body, so less leptin is produced and you do not have the same feeling of satiety as before after dinner or lunch. Instead, your body receives hormone messages that say, "We all need to get involved! This person needs to gain weight! ”

Your happy weight

The more you diet, the fewer calories you burn, which means you have to limit your food intake, even more, to continue to lose weight or even maintain your current body weight. This life-saving system is called "weight defense" whose goal is to keep you in the range of 4.5 to 9 kilograms, ie. within the "setpoint" of your body weight.

Losing the right feeling of hunger

Another side effect of dieting: "When you pay attention only to external rules about what and when you eat, you can stop registering the signals your body sends you," says Ramsey, noting that researchers have found the same behaviors, such as overeating and bulimia, in people on a diet and in those who are really struggling with food shortages. "Let's lose the real feeling of hunger, satiety, and fulfillment. "We also lose the feeling that food is something we enjoy, which creates a good feeling in the body," says Ramsey.

But what about all those people who lose weight and keep it down?

Sure, a lot of people ask this question, but obsessively thinking about your body weight every day and considering what you should eat for each meal is a huge commitment. What happens when you go on vacation or when you are too busy to cook? The guilt of losing weight can completely disrupt your diet and lead to a repetition of the decision to be stricter with yourself.

What do you get from respecting your body, no matter what beautiful, healthy shape it is? "There is a real sense of freedom because you don't think about food all the time, you don't feel guilty and you can just eat a meal and move on," says Ramsey.