Calories in – calories out = weight loss?
Once you’ve put it on, it’s hard to get off. But weight loss is a simple calculation of calories in versus calories expended, right?If we are struggling with losing weight then we must be doing something wrong.
Did we miscalculate our calorie intake?
Are we sleepwalking and raiding the fridge unconsciously?
We can often end up feeling defeated and deflated when our efforts to lose weight go unrewarded.
Seven reasons it’s hard to lose weight
The truth is there are reasons that losing weight can be hard . If you’re finding the path to a slimmer you a bit tricky then read on.Not all calories are created equal
Some calories encourage your body to store fat while others help with fat-burning.If you eat a meal of refined carbohydrate your blood sugar will rise and insulin will be released. This encourages your body to store fat.
Blood sugar imbalances can lead to heavy weight gain in your mid-section.
A meal containing protein and a little fat enables a slow release of glucose into the blood stream. This allows blood sugar to remain stable and so doesn’t provoke hasty fat storage.
Inflammation
If you are carrying extra fat this can produce a high level of inflammation.When your body is in a state of inflammation, it releases the stress hormone cortisol which leads to the storage of more fat, usually around the middle. It becomes a catch 22 situation.
Metabolism
Very low calorie diets can slow down your metabolism. The less you eat the more your body attempts to adapt to your new energy intake.What’s more, if you then increase your energy intake your body will store the extra energy in fat cells. It is preparing for the possibility that food intake might be low in the future. So when your calorie intake creeps back up your weight could rise further still.
Cortisol
Cortisol is also released during long bouts of cardiovascular exercise. Again, it encourages fat storage as your body works to preserve energy.Blame it on the blood sugar
If you are substituting sweet foods with artificial sweeteners in order to cut calories then you’ll be surprised to learn that these will have the same effect on your blood sugar as sugar itself.They will upset blood sugar levels and encourage fat storage.
Thyroid
Your thyroid might not be functioning well.Despite getting the all-clear through GP blood tests, many people who struggle to lose weight still find that their metabolism is a little sluggish due to sub-optimal thyroid function.
A nutrition programme to support thyroid function can help.
Gut flora
Your gut flora might be imbalanced and this can encourage fat storage.This is a relatively new discovery but it seems that overweight individuals have more of a certain type of gut bacteria than their slimmer counterparts.
Factors that affect your gut flora include overuse of antibiotics and poor diets.
