The formula is not as simple as eating right and exercising; the pounds will fall off for everyone. Some of us are doing all the right things, and the scale won’t budge. It’s frustrating when you try your best and don’t get the desired results. But there may be some other underlying reasons you aren’t losing weight. Read on for some other possible culprits.
Perimenopause and Menopause
Women in their 50s often are baffled by unexplained weight gain. But Dr. Gabrielle Francis, a Naturopathic Doctor, says things started to change a decade earlier. “In your 40s, the engine’s winding down, and a lot of women have thyroid and adrenal depletion from go, go, going, and never recharging,” she explains. “This period of perimenopause, which is the ten years before menopause, can often feel like the rug’s being pulled out from underneath you if those backup generators are not doing the work that they need to do. A lot of the imbalances people feel in their 40s are coming from thyroid and adrenal issues and fluctuating hormone levels. And then there are factors like weight, lifestyle, diet, genetics, how our body metabolizes hormones.”
Lack of Sleep
A good night’s sleep to support the optimal health of someone 18-60 is between seven and nine hours a night. Those of us who are sleep deprived are more likely to have a poor lipid-protein profile, an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and are at risk for premature death.
Chronic sleep patterns of less than six hours in our community are associated with higher BMIs.
Not Consuming Enough Calories
No, we’re not talking about intermittent fasting, which last year was linked to a 91% increased risk of cardiovascular death. We’re talking about metabolic starvation or slowdown. When you skip meal after meal, you may lose weight at first, but the body adapts. It holds on to the fat it has and reduces its basal metabolic rate (BMR) in response to less calorie input and weight plateaus. And there are some noticeable side effects, too. Some symptoms to look out for include:
- bloating or constipation
- dry skin
- brittle nails
- hair shedding
- loss of appetite
Self-Criticism and Negative Thinking
Finding early success with a weight loss program and then hitting a wall can cause some people with obesity to begin thinking negatively about themselves. According to a study published in Obesity Facts, “Many individuals enter weight loss regimes with cycles of early success followed by relapse, which can be associated with a sense of failure, inefficacy, shame, and self-criticism.”
The study authors believe that any approach to weight loss should consider a more comprehensive approach that includes ‘psychological issues, such as body confidence or attitude, depression, anxiety or self-esteem’ and ‘wider lifestyle factors such as sleeping patterns and stress management.’ They point out that few studies have examined clients’ self-evaluation process and the emotions that are tied to them.
Sometimes, we can block our success by how we talk to or about ourselves, and we need to reframe our mindsets for success. Too much self-criticism and anxiety could lead to gut issues.
“Well-being is a multidimensional, dynamic phenomenon that includes not just the absence of physical and mental illness but a subjective sense of happiness, satisfaction with life, positive psychological functioning, a perception of being connected to and accepted by others, and self-realization.” Self-care has to be an essential part of the solution.
Weight loss is a journey—tracking which, if any, of these factors is slowing your progress. Engage a healthcare professional to help you address your obstacles and give yourself some grace. Every small step you take toward healthy weight management pays dividends.
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