4 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight
Fad diets and weight loss programs make big money every year, especially because weight is one of the top health concerns in almost every age group. Trying to lose weight can feel like an unclimbable mountain; believe me, I know. I’ve been on that goal-setting loop too. In my early 20s, I lost nearly 100 lbs. Then, for the following decade, I repeatedly lost and gained what felt like the same 50 lbs. Slowly it became apparent that I had an unhealthy relationship with food. I used food as a way to avoid my problems or to celebrate. I was also a yo-yo dieter, and I had no idea how to change. I wanted to feel healthy and happy in my body, but the short-term reward of an unhealthy snack or treat always won.
I, of course, am not alone. Whether it’s because many unhealthy foods are less expensive or more readily available, or that eating our emotions can help us numb out or feel good, or just because we don’t really understand how food works in our body, many of us struggle with achieving or maintaining a weight that makes us feel comfortable. Globally, adults experience years of unhealthy relationships with food and, what's more, over 30% of children under the age of 17 are overweight. The data predicts that “if nothing is done to reverse the epidemic, more than 1 billion adults are projected to be obese by 2030.” Being overweight can impact all areas of our lives. It affects our mental health through food addiction and unhealthy self dialogue, it can impair our sleep, and it’s inflammatory, which can lead to several health conditions including a weakened immune response, diabetes, and heart disease. It’s incredibly common; yet many of us either don’t know where to start to make a change, or we feel like everything we’ve tried hasn’t been a real solution.
Both through my own weight loss journey and in my experience with the many people I have supported, I’ve learned about some very important factors that get in the way. Let me explain the four most common reasons you’re not losing weight:
Genetics account for 40-70% of our weight. Appetite, how we process calories, and our subsequent weight are all related to genetic variants that are responsible for hunger hormones, snacking, fat burning ability, and the formation of fat from food. This information once took a huge burden off me, and it’s made me emotional when I’ve explained to clients that their struggles have nothing to do with a lack of willpower or a character defect. Yes, some people can eat more and not gain weight while some of us eat little and do gain weight—this isn’t just casual observation, it’s the genetics part. I can’t stress enough how paramount genetic profiling is for our diet and metabolism. We need to know how our body reacts to saturated fats, carbohydrates, and proteins before we get into bed with a diet that may or may not work for us. Some of us require half the protein of others and some can handle high amounts of saturated fats. It’s not you, it’s your genetics.
Sleep. Simply put, if we are not sleeping, we aren’t losing weight. We are 27% more likely to gain weight when we are sleep deprived. Sleeping more than 8.5 hours or less than 6.5 hours can contribute to weight gain, especially in women. So getting the right amount of sleep—that magical 8 hours per night—is the goal.
Stress can drive us to the snack cabinet or make us lose our appetite altogether, but whatever it does, our bodies will still hold on to any fat it gets. When we are in fight or flight (our stressed state), our body prioritizes which functions it can slow down so it has more power to assess danger. One of the systems it slows down is our digestion and metabolism. When we’re stressed, our body produces 80% less digestive enzymes, so properly digesting foods is off the table. Our stressed-out bodies don’t know when we’ll be able to eat again, so they hold on to the fat in the foods we eat to ensure we have enough to survive. Unfortunately our bodies haven’t got the message that these are no longer hunter-gatherer days, so, even though we’re stressed, we still have access to food…and lots of it! Often I’ll address and support my clients’ stress level before everything else on this list. And I always say: if it’s between causing stress and eating the thing, always eat the thing.
Conflicting advice. Bernstein says one thing, Weight Watchers says another; keto is working for your friends but paleo works better for your sister. Every weight loss program has conflicting information, but they all seem to work for some people. That’s because we are all different and a one-size-fits-all approach does not work. Some of these diets are more successful as marketing campaigns than weight loss strategies. The only true way to understand what your body needs is by examining your genetics. We all need different types and amounts of food at different times to achieve our health goals. While a fad diet may help you lose weight initially, you’ll often end up plateauing, or reaching your goal weight but being afraid of regaining, or feeling constantly hungry or lackluster due to the foods you eat every day. This is not the way. Finding out what works best for you by analyzing your genetics doesn’t leave you feeling any of those things; instead, it gives you loads of food options that create a happy, sustainable lifestyle.
If you’re thinking “AAAHHHH, I have issues with all of these things!” Don’t sweat it. We’re all on this wild ride together. Even though learning about my genetics has absolutely improved my life, I am often stressed and sleep deprived myself (hellooooo, I have an 8 month old child and not a lot of support or child care thanks to COVID!). However, I do know my way around supporting or mitigating everything on this list, and my methods and strategies have worked for me when I’ve accessed them.
If you want to learn how I can support you, please book a free 15 minute consultation with me now.
And, if you want to learn more about how genetics affects your weight, here are some helpful resources:
Fix Your Genes to Fit Your Genes
Educational Videos with Dr. Penny Kendall-Reed, ND and Morgan Knull, RHN
Get started by purchasing a 23andme Health & Ancestry Kit