Difficulty losing weight?
Diet, exercise, medicine, and a constant battle against the scale. The quest for weight loss is common among people. But why is it so difficult for some to achieve this goal? For experts, weight loss goes beyond visits to the nutritionist and the gym. The problem may lie in a simple habit, an attitude, or even a clinical diagnosis.
It is not very difficult to find someone who wants to but has difficulty losing weight. Fryer Liliana da Silva, 38, has been searching for weight loss for about five years. For this, he has tried diets and taken sibutramine – a medicine used to treat obesity.
Difficulty losing weight – Difficulty losing weight
However, nothing worked. Liliana even points out the cause of the difficulty in losing weight. For her, there are three basic reasons: slow metabolism, lack of exercise, and, mainly, lack of a dietary routine. “I work with parties, I hardly have time to eat. I don’t have time to eat. Like when to give ”, he comments.
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According to nutritionist Kyara França, many people have had difficulty losing weight because of their lifestyle. Long workloads and hasty meals hinder healthy eating. “When you eat at a run, without paying attention to what you are doing, it gives the impression that you are not satiated. We have to recover our grandparents’ habits of eating together with other people and looking for more natural foods ”, he points out.
The nutritionist also warns that, due to practicality, many people have lost the habit of cooking and seek processed or ultra-processed foods, which are great villains of weight loss. Slow metabolism is also pointed out as one of the causes of not losing weight. According to Marcio Dietz, a member of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology (SBEM), people with this condition have less energy expenditure and, consequently, less muscle mass. In such cases, it is necessary to increase the metabolic expenditure with the practice of physical activity.
Despite knowing the possible reasons, Liliana points out that it is difficult to change habits. She says she has already tried to organize meal times but was unable to follow. However, the fryer does not give up, as it is now a health issue. “Today, I am forced to lose weight, because I have difficulty even walking.”
Beyond the diet
The integrative doctor of the Aliança Instituto de Oncologia Tamara Goes, who has a postgraduate degree in neurology, points out that, in some cases, weight loss is not just related to food or physical activity. Sleep, for example, plays a key role in the weight loss process. “When we sleep, we release some substances in our body that promote metabolism. Growth hormone secretion is one of them and is released during sleep, during the night. It is an essential hormone for burning fat ”, he details.
Water also plays a role. The ideal is that each human being ingests at least two liters per day. People who drink little water retain fluid and find it more difficult to lose weight. The impediment to weight loss can also be related to some clinical problems or even some medication.
According to Tamara, many people have hypothyroidism, for example, and don’t even know it. Medications, such as contraceptives and antidepressants, can also contribute to the gain of measures. “The idea is to look for a doctor who will do a total assessment of all nutrients and hormones to seek the best strategy and, if possible, change the medication”, he comments. Difficulty losing weight.
Endocrinologist Márcio also adds genetics as another possible cause. According to him, most obesity cases are related to this factor. “The patient who has a genetic inheritance of obesity finds it easy to gain weight and may even have more difficulty losing fat. He needs to be evaluated more carefully, especially in relation to his lifestyle ”, he points out.
If, after consulting a doctor, no clinical problem is diagnosed, it is necessary to analyze the diet and dietary attitude. According to nutritionist Kyara, the variety of foods is essential for an effective diet. “It is necessary to have access to all necessary nutrients. Sometimes, the lack of certain vitamins hinders the metabolism process ”, explains
For those already on an appropriate diet, it is important to be aware of the options for exchanging food. Generally, prescriptions come with product alternatives, which many ignore. “The person ends up falling into monotony and does not have the adhesion that we would like. It is necessary to know how to exchange foods proportionally in terms of nutrients and calories ”, highlights the nutritionist.
Body and mind
For the weight loss strategist, Mariane de Chiara, from Afine-se, the main villain of weight loss is self-sabotage. “Social life is very active, the family invites to go to a party, has happy hour and, in order not to feel out of the bond, the individual ends up giving in and sabotaging himself. The person needs to keep in mind how important it is and dedicate themselves to that situation ”, he warns.
For Mariane, the solution lies in building new habits so that the person can maintain them in the future. For this, the strategist proposes the REMM methodology – Repetition, Education, Continuous Monitoring, and Motivation. “When you generate a new habit and maintain it for about 20 days, there is a high probability of maintaining it for the rest of your life,” he believes.
Habits that prevent weight loss
• Sleep a bit
• Do not plan to feed
• Eating without paying attention and without chewing well
• Drink fluids with meals
• Skip breakfast
• Do not drink water
Villains
• Ultra-processed foods are great villains of weight loss. Avoid it!
• Goodies in general
• Sugary breakfast cereals
• Cakes and cake mixes
• Margarine
• Cereal bars
• “Instant” soup, pasta and seasoning
• Ready-made sauces
• Soft drinks and soft drinks
• Sweetened and flavored yogurts and dairy drinks
• Energetic drinks
• Frozen products ready for heating
• Bread, biscuits, and cookies made with hydrogenated vegetable fat, sugar, starch, whey.
Source: Food guide for the Brazilian population
