By Yes, I do hear you loud and clear there. Weight loss is pretty tough and can become a very long and hard road. I have experience in this because anytime I want to lose weight, it takes me about 3–4 months to even shed one measly kilogram of weight! Let me say; it’s beyond frustrating and annoying for that matter. Because I’m used to this, I know that for my body type, I have to stick with my guns and see it through right until it’s my time. Naturally, our bodies don’t want to lose weight. This is a mighty blow for women because we find it challenging in the war of weight loss. Unfortunately for women, we’re built for rearing babies, and it doesn’t matter if we want a baby or not. This is our gene pool, and genetics always win. The good news is that we have specific energy systems and all we need to do is find out what they are, and strategies our diet and workout fo become more suitable for us. I won’t make this a one-sided generic issue, because it can be challenging for both men and women to lose weight. Let’s look at some broader specifics of why it’s hard to lose weight.
Four key factors making it hard for you to lose weight rapidly
- Slower metabolism. One downfall of weight loss is the inclination for our metabolism to slow down. Many people go down the road of a low-calorie diet, which means loss of muscle mass and your bodies need to co into energy conservation. This is a normal reaction, as it’s believed we may be heading into some famine. Our innovative system goes into conservation overdrive. This is why, eventually, low caloric diets fail, and we end up with a metabolism slower than a snail, as well as losing our precious muscle mass. What you can do to prevent this. Stop long term low caloric consumption, as well as long-duration cardio. Opt for a balanced diet, that eliminates processed foods. Always pick natural wholefoods over anything human-made. Better yet, why not Intermittently fast every 3–4 days or every day for that matter. When it comes to exercise, weight training is key to building and maintaining muscle mass for years to come. It will also create a favourable setting to boost your metabolism. One thing we don’t want to lose is muscle mass – especially as we age
- Your appetite increases – this is usually our bodies way of ensuring you bypass the famine stages. Leptin, the bodies primary satiety hormone seems to plummet during weight loss. Usually, you will feel less satisfied with your food choices. This can hurt our weight loss progression because snacking all the time will put an end to our goals. This is both frustrating and eventually, our willpower can only take us so far in abstaining from foods. How to prevent this – It’s essential to make sure you are eating enough protein in your diet. Protein will help to curb hunger and keep you feeling fuller for longer, as well as maintaining your energy levels.
- Less energy – sometimes we get stuck in the low energy zone as soon as we start making nutritional changes, especially if made suddenly. If you work out and suddenly your efforts are cut in half, it can be quite daunting. When I first began fasting, the transition left me lethargic and unable to keep at the pace I once found very easy. This is a normal shifting of your bodies energy systems. Please do allow yourself to rest more if you need to. This is not a permanent shift, but a necessary one. Pushing yourself beyond your current limited will leave you feeling lethargic, and make you a lot more susceptible to injury How to overcome this: I would allow some time fo get used to it, and soon enough, you will be back to your usual self. Do make sure you are always eating enough food to sustain your normal daytime activities, especially when you are training hard.
- The temptations that can occur are challenging to keep your weight loss goals if you are surrounded by people who do not share your vision. I find this a problem with a lot of workmates. Everyone likes to indulge in a drink and some fried food. I think this is fine, and I’m lucky because everyone is aware of my dietary restrictions. But sometimes it’s not so easy for other people. There is a fine line between being social and having to interact when food and alcohol are involved. What you can do: May I suggest that it if you like this kind of interaction, save your cheat meal on days that this occurs. If you are not a fan, politely excuse yourself by perhaps stating you are going out for dinner afterwards, or that you have another event to attend. I go the opposite way and be brutally honest – I don’t eat this kind of food, and I also don’t like beer. It’s the truth, and everyone else accepts it (just as you kindly accept them without judgement). On a serious note, if you don’t like these kinds of environments, slightly decline. You have the right to be your person always.
I know weight loss can be a pain in the backside (so to speak), but you have to keep at it and stay consistent. I’ve given you a few situations which can hold you back big time. But, to bypass any issues, why not just go ahead and fast for fat loss. I have tried and tried many diets before, and nothing has been as successful as fasting. It’s the fastest and best way to lose weight and maintain it for life. If you would like more information, join me on my various social platforms and do go ahead and download your new year’s resolution pack – which has seven days of free nourishing recipes. I’m also on Instagram.