Why You're Not Losing Weight With Weight Loss Medication
There are several factors that can slow down your weight loss progress.
4 Reasons Why
Here are the 4 reasons why you’re not losing weight with Weight Loss Medication.
- Diet & Nutrition.
- Physical Activity.
- Stress Level.
- Comorbidities.
- Metabolic Adaptation.
Diet & Nutrition
A healthy diet typically consists of a balanced mix of various types of foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Eating a variety of different foods can help to ensure that the body gets all of the essential nutrients it needs to function properly.
Some specific examples of healthy foods to include in your diet include:
- Fruits and vegetables: These provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help to support a healthy immune system and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
- Whole grains: These are a good source of complex carbohydrates, which can provide the body with a steady source of energy. They also contain important vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber.
- Lean proteins: These include foods like chicken, fish, and tofu, that can provide the body with essential amino acids.
- Healthy fats: These include foods like avocados, nuts, and olive oil, which can help to support heart health and provide the body with essential fatty acids.
It is also important to pay attention to calorie count in order to maintain a negative balance. To learn more about energy balance and how many calories you need, click here.
Physical Activity
Physical activity is important for overall health and wellness, as well as for weight management. When you engage in physical activity, your body uses energy in the form of calories. By increasing the amount of physical activity you do, you can increase the number of calories your body burns, which can help you achieve a negative energy balance. This means that you are burning more calories than you are consuming, which can help you lose weight.
In addition to burning calories, regular physical activity can also help increase your metabolic rate. By increasing your metabolic rate, you can burn more calories even when you are not actively exercising, which can also help you lose weight.
Stress Level
Stress can have a number of negative effects on the body, including disrupting the balance of hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. When the body is under stress, it produces cortisol hormone, which can lead to increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie, high-fat foods. This can make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight and can even lead to weight gain.
In addition to increasing appetite and cravings, stress can also lead to changes in the body’s metabolism, making it more difficult to burn calories and lose weight. Stress can also interfere with sleep, which can further disrupt hormone balance and metabolism, making weight management more difficult.
Managing stress levels is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight and preventing weight gain. Engaging in regular physical activity, practicing stress-reducing techniques and getting enough sleep can all help to reduce stress and improve weight management.
Comorbidities
Certain underlying medical conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid disorders, can affect weight management because they can disrupt the normal function of hormones that regulate appetite, metabolism, and weight.
PCOS is often associated with insulin resistance, a condition where the body can make insulin, but can’t use it effectively. This can lead to increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods. It can also affect the body’s ability to metabolise glucose, leading to changes in metabolism and weight gain.
Thyroid disorders, such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, can also affect weight management. The thyroid is a gland that produces hormones that regulate metabolism, and when it is not functioning properly, it can cause changes in metabolism that can lead to weight gain or weight loss. Hypothyroidism, or an under active thyroid, can slow down the body’s metabolism and cause weight gain, while hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, can speed up the metabolism and cause weight loss.
Metabolic Adaptation
If you’re losing weight but noticed your progress has come to a halt or not progressing as much as you were, there is a possibility that you may experience a plateau due to metabolic adaptation.
Metabolic adaptation refers to the changes that occur in your body’s metabolism when you create a calorie deficit and start losing weight. Your body tries to conserve energy by slowing down your metabolic rate, which is the rate at which your body burns calories. This adjustment can make it more challenging to continue losing weight over time, resulting in weight loss plateaus or a decrease in the rate of weight loss.
In simple terms, it’s your body’s way of adapting to the changes and trying to hold on to its energy.
To tackle metabolic adaptation, consider these tips:
Changing the types of exercises you do and varying the intensity can help give your metabolism a boost. Try incorporating both cardiovascular exercises and strength training into your workouts. This way, you’ll not only burn calories during your exercise sessions but also build muscle, which can help rev up your metabolism.
It’s important to stay mindful of your calorie intake as you progress in your weight loss journey. Sometimes, as you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to function. So, reassessing your calorie needs and adjusting your intake accordingly can help you stay on track.
Remember, weight loss is not always a linear process. It’s normal to experience plateaus along the way. Stay consistent with your healthy habits, maintain a positive mindset, and be patient with yourself. Celebrate non-scale victories, like improvements in energy levels or clothes fitting better, to stay motivated.
If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to seek support from a trained healthcare provider (ideally from a healthcare provider that has been monitoring your progress). They can provide personalised advice and help you navigate through the challenges of metabolic adaptation.
