WEIGHT loss can be challenging.
It might seem as though you’ve tried every diet or wellness hack in the book – but to no avail.
GettyIf you’re struggling to lose weight – then one GP has revealed the 6 things this could be down to[/caption]
While it might be tempting to turn to a crash diet or supplements to aid your weight loss, one GP has said that first, you should understand what lifestyle factors might be making weight loss challenging for you.
Fundamentally, Dr Sameer Sanghvi said that any movement on the scales will mostly come down to calories.
“Essentially, losing weight depends on eating and drinking less calories than we use up,” he said.
Dr Sanghvi, who is the clinical technology lead at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor explained that the NHS recommended daily calorie intake for the average person is 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 calories for men.
“If you’re trying to lose weight, you should aim to reduce your calorie intake by about 600 calories. That means 1,400 calories for women and 1,900 for men – although it depends on factors like your age, size and level of activity.
“To keep track of calories, you can weigh the portions you’re having, check the labels on shop-bought foods, and record what you eat in a food diary,” he said.
While consuming too much is an obvious reason as to why you aren’t losing weight, Dr Sanghvi said there are six other pointers to consider.
1. Not sleeping well
Dr Sanghvi said getting enough good quality sleep is essential for maintaining physical, emotional and mental health.
“Around 7-9 hours of sleep per night is considered a sufficient amount and enough to support good health in adults.
“Sleep deprivation has a multitude of consequences. One of these is weight gain. When we can’t sleep, our bodies release cortisol – the ‘stress hormone’ which can trigger our bodies to store fat reserves ‘just in case.
“Not only that, when we are stressed or sleep deprived, we require energy from food as a replacement therefore may find ourselves snacking and eating more,” he said.
2. Stress
We’ve all seen characters in the movies stress eating a tub of ice cream or a bag of crisps.
Dr Sanghvi said that when we feel more stressed, anxious or depressed – then we are more likely to reach for carbs.
Scientists have found a potential link between carbohydrates and serotonin, the hormone that helps regulate our mood, he explained.
“Subconsciously, when we’re eating carbohydrate-rich foods, we are attempting to boost our mood. But, of course, eating lots of carbohydrates can cause weight gain.
“Further to this, when we feel stressed, our bodies release cortisol- a significant appetite stimulant. Therefore, we may find ourselves feeling increasingly hungry during stressful periods.”
He added that as well as adding numbers to the scale, there are a number mental symptoms also associated with stress.
These include anxiety, irritability and depression, which can lead to unhealthy lifestyle changes like eating more junk food, drinking more booze, skipping meals and staying up late, the expert said.
“Ultimately, all of these are habits that can hinder weight loss,” he added.
3. Yo-yo diets
Crash diets are also known as yo-yo diets and someone who does these will often flit from one to another.
Even though they are popular, they rarely result in weight loss and actually result in long term weight gain, the GP said.
“Skipping meals or eating the bare minimum puts our bodies into ‘self-defence mode’, resulting in the metabolism slowing down.
“When you eventually go back to eating normally, it takes longer to burn off food,” he said.
As well as this, you’re missing out on essential nutrients which could result in you feeling low on energy, Dr Sanghvi added.
“This can trigger cravings for high-fat and high-sugar foods. It’s a slippery slope – even if crash dieting works temporarily, it’s extremely unhealthy,” he added.
4. Thyroid issues
Another reason you might be struggling to lose weight, the expert said, is if you have an issue with your thyroid.
“If you have an underactive thyroid gland, you may experience tiredness, depression and weight gain.
“Hypothyroidism is where your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of the hormones needed to regulate the body’s metabolism. If the thyroid gland isn’t functioning correctly, this can often result in unwanted weight gain,” he said.
Both men and women can be affected by hypothyroidism and it’s usually treated by taking replacement thyroid hormone tablets called levothyroxine, he said.
5. Not drinking enough water
“Not drinking enough water is bad for our health generally, but few people realise that it can also lead to weight gain”, the expert said.
Dr Sanghvi added that being hydrated increases our metabolic function, energy, and decreases hunger so there is a strong correlation between drinking enough water and actually losing weight.
“If we are dehydrated, there is a signal malfunctioning in our brains which can send hunger signals rather than thirst. This means we tend to eat more when we are dehydrated to make up for the feeling of thirst.
“As well as this, if you are dehydrated you will feel low on energy and tired which could encourage snacking,” he added.
6. Gaining muscle
If you’re hitting the gym on a regular basis, and eating a balanced diet, but the scales don’t seem to be going down, you might be gaining muscle, the expert said.
“You may notice your body becoming more toned and stronger. And, you may feel more confident in your appearance despite what it says on the scales.
“The important thing to remember is it’s fine to lose weight as long as you do it as healthily as possible,” he added.
If you’re concerned that you’re struggling to lose weight you can speak to your GP who will be able to help you identify the cause.
“They will be able to look into if there are any health issues relating to your weight gain and help put a plan in place,” he added.