A few weeks after starting a diet, the body reacts by consuming less food and increasing the production of the hormone that makes you hungry. How to counteract this mechanism and restart the metabolism
In a balanced program for lose weight that works there is a moment called “weight loss plateau”, which is one stall “unexplained” on the balance. Despite the same diet, the same lifestyle and physical activity habits, there is a period in which can’t go down anymore after a steady progression. This situation discourages those who have managed to lose weight and can be difficult to counteract, but there is a definite one physiological reason why it happens. Knowing the causes is the first step in order not to give up, not to give up on the objectives and to overcome this particular phase which in any case requires a slight modification of the diet.
The body consumes less
A calorie restriction it is taken by the body as a danger: after millennia of famine and food shortages, our bodies are programmed to store. When the “low food” alarm goes off, the bodies go into “saving” mode e they dispose of less. Your metabolic rate reduces, fewer calories are burned, and weight loss stops. In addition, more ghrelin, the hormone that is produced it increases the appetite and promotes the preservation of fat reserves. Research has shown that deadlock occurs over a period of time between 3 and 6 months from the beginning of a diet. «The stalemate is the mechanism that allows us to survive – recalls Michela Barichella, professor of food science at the University of Milan and director of UOS Dietetics and clinical nutrition Cto Gaetano Pini of Milan -, so it is normal for it to appear. Not for everyone it arrives at the same time as the diet: those with slow weight loss may not notice it for a very long time, it is easier to have it in those who lose weight very quickly”.
Do you really need to lose weight again?
What to do? First of all, really understand what is the right weight to reach in a more “scientific” way. In fact, the scale does not “tell” exactly how many kilos you need to lose. It is also important to analyze, with respect to your weight, the percentage of fat mass and lean mass of the body (it is easily done with an exam called bioimpedancemetry). After a low-calorie diet that involves eating healthier foods and doing more sports, it may happen that the weight on the scale does not change, but it could be due to the increase in lean mass and the simultaneous decrease in fat mass, a process that is equally important for health as much as weight loss, even if not immediately visible. Muscles weigh more some fat.
Also there distribution of body fat can change without changing the weight on the scale: the fat located around the navel is dangerous because it promotes a series of diseases, therefore, if the waist after the diet measures approximately 88 cm (for women) or approximately 102 cm (for men) you may not need to lose weight yet.
The metabolism
«There is also the examination of “indirect calorimetry”, which measures the basal metabolic rate more precisely than what is usually estimated with standard formulas – clarifies the specialist -. When we see that a person has difficulty losing weight despite following the instructions well, we analyze whether his metabolism has changed to adapt the dietary advice ». Once the objective has been well established with a more precise analysis of the body, in fact, if the desired weight loss is still far off, action is taken on nutrition and sport. Here are some tips.
Food strategies
Focus on size of meals during the day, favoring the Breakfast and gradually reducing calories at lunch and dinner. The easiest way of intermittent fasting is to skip breakfast, but since breakfast burns calories two and a half times more efficiently than at dinner time, the proposal is to eat more at breakfast and less in the evening. «In some cases we also resort to replacement meals, especially when it’s lunches away from home”, adds the expert. Dietary nutrient deficiencies can result in muscle loss along with body fat, but muscle consumes calories even at rest, so not having them slows down your metabolism and makes it harder to maintain weight long-term. Any physical activity will therefore contribute considerably to preserving muscle mass and it will be important not only to choose cardio workouts aimed at burning calories (which are good in the first phase of diets): exercises for increase strength they will help, because they increase muscle mass.
«special» diets
Finally, the size of meals and caloric intake should be reviewed during a diet, especially if there are many kilos to lose and the diet takes several months: as it decreases, in fact, the body needs «less fuel”. In general, you have to consume 10% less when the weight has decreased by the same percentage. «Sometimes it is useful to change the diet and act on the macronutrients – explains Barichella -, normally favoring proteins compared to carbohydrates. You can also follow ketogenic or high-protein diets or intermittent fasting for short periods. They are all dietary strategies to overcome the deadlock mechanism». “We also use the food diary, especially when people have been on a diet for months – concludes Barichella -: writing helps to quantify and evaluate yourself better. In the long run, maybe people stop weighing food, counting the spoons for oil… the food diary is used to make a more accurate nutritional history and correct mistakes».
January 26, 2023 (change January 26, 2023 | 3:59 pm)
© Time.News