I would think that the topic of weight loss has to be one of the most searched topics on Google. It has to be one of the most common areas of interest on social media. Not only tips and tricks, but following along on other people’s journeys. Looking at their before + after, seeing what they ate, what lifestyle hacks they’re willing to share.
As a dietitian I’ve had many people come to me over the years wanting to lose weight. Even if that isn’t on the top of their list, it’s on the list somewhere.
It’s very common for me to hear something like, “I want to improve my relationship with food and learn how to eat better and be healthier. And I’m hoping that my weight settles into a range I’m comfortable with in the process.”
And that’s fine! But it seems like even when weight isn’t the focus, it is.
But, have you ever felt like you’re doing everything right and nothing is changing?
Sometimes, it seems that you hit a plateau despite obvious efforts to try and change your body. I’ve come across it with my clients plenty of times. It seems like they are sticking to the plan yet not seeing results. So, what gives?
Here are some physiology-related reasons you might not be seeing changes, despite following a plan:
- Genetics – your body may adapt better or worse to energy restriction than another person also following energy restriction (or even the same plan you are!). In case you didn’t know by now, our bodies are complex and intricate. We can’t trick them into following a simple mathematical equation and expect to get the outcome we want. Sometimes, our physiology takes over and we don’t adapt the way that we think.
- Metabolic adaptation – the hypothesis is that if you’ve diet cycled or been in a long-term deficit that it’s increasingly difficult to lose weight (using the same methods) down the line. In other words, you can’t fool your body over and over again. Your metabolism might settle into a range that doesn’t allow you to lose weight as easily as before. For some people this might not be the case, however. This hasn’t been found in the short-term as much in the long-term or with those dieting on and off for longer periods of time.
- Medical conditions – you might have something else going on, so get yourself checked out. There is a chance that a medical condition that you have (or maybe don’t know you have) is hindering your efforts. Our bodies use energy different ways when dealing with illness so understanding if something else might be going on is crucial.
And here are some lifestyle-related reasons you might not be seeing changes:
- You’re underestimating your intake – this might look something like this: you keep a food journal but only log on the “good” days, or you don’t log anything you’re eating at night figuring it probably won’t add up to that much. Or perhaps you’re not paying attention to grazing habits. When you’re trying to nudge yourself toward an energy deficit, unfortunately every little bit counts. There are lots of ways you might be underestimating an accurate energy intake.
- Protein is too low – maintaining as much lean mass as possible in a deficit is crucial to keep your resting metabolic rate up. The more muscle you lose, the less energy you’re using at rest because lean mass (muscle) is metabolically active. Meaning, it needs energy to stick around! Your body also uses muscle for energy when you’re in a restrictive phase so protein can be kinda crucial. Protein also uses energy for digestion so that also helps increase your metabolic rate.
- You’re not sleeping enough – studies have shown that adequate sleep encourages fat loss and minimizes muscle fat loss compared to sleep deprivation. Even in a difference of only 1.5 hours! A meta-analysis (linked below) looked at a study where groups who got 8.5 hours of sleep on average had significantly better outcomes than the group that got 5.5 hours. If you’re staying up late watching shows and need to get up early, I’d rethink that habit!
- You’re saving too many calories for evening – people eating more calories in the beginning of the day vs. at the end lost more weight in studies. This is due to energy usage during the day and also the inability to make better choices as we get hungrier. Think about it: if you eat cake for breakfast, you will probably use that energy throughout the day. If you eat cake for dessert after dinner, that cake probably is going to get stored.
And here is something that we need to consider in our fast-paced, results-driven society:
- You’re not giving it enough time – losing 1 lb per week may not be realistic, sustainable or necessary depending on your body. No rule says that’s the expectation, even though that idea has been perpetuated a lot over time. In fact, a slower pace is probably better. It allows your body to adjust and not experience drops in weight loss that will inevitably cause spikes later. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself!
Here is the study URL: https://jhpn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41043-024-00516-4