Why weight is “worth” when losing weight and what to do about it

Weight stagnation during weight loss, subject to all its rules, is a common phenomenon that happens to most people losing weight, even if they do not violate their diet and regular exercise regimen. There are many reasons for this, related to improper organization of the process, state of mental and physical health, and others. They can all be resolved simply and in a short time, if you approach it wisely.

Why does weight loss stop when you lose weight?

Nutritionists call this phenomenon the plateau effect, which in simple words means a break for the body.

Why is this happening?

• Daily caloric intake is significantly less than the body's basic needs
• Insufficiently effective physical activity or, conversely, excessive physical activity
• Errors in power mode
• Non-compliance with drinking regime
• Premenstrual period in women
• Violation of the daily routine (insufficient amount of sleep)

The above reasons usually cause the release of stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline), which signal to the brain about the need to store nutrients (fat deposits). In this state, the body will not only not get rid of extra pounds, but will be tuned in to regaining the weight already lost.

Incorrectly calculated calorie content

Just going on a diet is not enough. Proper nutrition can also be quite high in calories, which will hinder weight loss. First of all, it is necessary to determine the daily calorie intake depending on height and weight, and subtract 500 - 600 calories from this value. Here is the required calorie content for a calm and smooth weight loss. Everyone wants to lose weight quickly, but it can be harmful to health. It is believed that losing 4-5 kilograms per month is the most correct from a medical point of view. Yes, it will take quite a long time to lose weight, but the result can be maintained for several years, because at the same time the correct eating habits are formed. This does not require any special effective diets; it is enough to provide a low-calorie diet.

If creating a menu is difficult, you can install the Goldline mobile application on your phone, which, depending on gender, age, weight and height, will use a more complex and accurate formula to determine the required calorie content for weight loss and create a menu for it. Personal settings will help you adjust the menu to your personal taste preferences, but everything is within the established calorie content.

How long can weight last when losing weight?

The duration of the plateau is individual and depends on a number of reasons:

• A strict diet and exhausting workouts cause a high level of stress hormones, which will prolong the plateau effect;
• Age - young people who are losing weight lose less weight when losing weight;
• Unstable drinking regime, that is, if there is a lack of water, the body will stock up on it;
• Genetic predisposition, individual characteristics.

Do not forget that adipose tissue is light, but voluminous. And if the arrows on the scales are frozen, and the volumes go down the centimeter tape, it means that the process of losing weight still continues.

I want to lose weight: how?

Let's get it right off the bat. If you are not losing weight, then something is going wrong , since the fat burning process is logical. As we know, the main place of fat storage in our body is fat cells. Most of it is found in something called subcutaneous fat, which is located under the skin (surprise).

There is also visceral fat, which is found inside your body, around your internal organs. In some cases, fat can be stored in “bad” places such as the liver and pancreas, this is called ectopic fat deposits.

Whether fat is stored or used depends on the fat balance: total change in fat stores = stored fat - burned fat The same balance formula can be written for protein or carbohydrates . That's it, the overall change in body stores, whether we're talking about protein or carbohydrates, whether we're gaining, losing or storing, comes down to the balance of carbohydrates/proteins stored versus proteins/carbs burned.

Thus, an increase in fat reserves occurs when the volume of stored fat exceeds the volume of burned fat (technically, oxidized fat). And a decrease in fat reserves occurs when oxidation exceeds storage. But what then are the reasons for failure to lose weight, if everything is so simple?

What to do if the weight has risen

If you are consistently following the diet and physical activity program developed for you by qualified specialists, but you still hit a dietary plateau, do not be upset. Nutritionists characterize this moment in losing weight as an important period, after which the lost kilograms will definitely not return.

To reduce the duration of the plateau, you should take the following actions:

1. Nutrition correction. Review your diet or seek advice from a specialist who will create a new menu with the required nutritional ratio.
2. Drink clean water, exclude tea, coffee, juices and other drinks to a minimum. Drinking water, as well as visiting baths and saunas, can more effectively speed up metabolic processes in the body, which promote fat burning.
3. If your weight stays the same while losing weight, reconsider your training program. It may be worth using combined group classes.
4. Pay attention to your rest so that you get the minimum amount of sleep per day and set aside time for relaxation during the day.
5. Evaluate the results of your diet and training not by numbers on the scale, but by measuring volumes with a tape. Reducing these numbers will definitely lift your spirits.

Diagnostics

In most cases, changes in mass are due to natural causes. If significant daily fluctuations in weight are detected, a consultation with a therapist or family doctor is required. The specialist must collect complaints and anamnesis of the disease in detail, and prescribe clarifying laboratory or instrumental studies. The following diagnostic methods are the most informative:

• Hormonal profile
  . Women need to measure the concentration of estrogen and progesterone on different days of the cycle. The amount of adrenal hormones, which often cause weight fluctuations, is assessed. For detailed diagnosis, the levels of tropic hormones of the pituitary gland and releasing hormones of the hypothalamus are checked.
• Blood test
  . In a general blood test, attention is paid to the level of leukocytes and ESR to exclude chronic inflammatory processes. To assess liver and kidney function, a biochemical blood test is prescribed. Additionally, the blood lipid profile is examined and the ratio of healthy and harmful fats is determined.
• Ultrasound diagnostics
  . Ultrasound is a safe screening method that allows you to identify organic pathology of internal organs. Echocardiography is mandatory to study the contractile function of the left ventricle and ejection fraction. If necessary, duplex scanning of the renal arteries is performed.

Principles of nutrition and physical activity when there is weight

The plateau process does not last forever, so it is recommended to continue following the weight loss program. Let's consider the basic principles of nutrition that will help accelerate metabolism in the body:

• “Zigzag” diet Develop a dietary and high-calorie menu for different days. Alternating such days will not allow the body to get used to the standard energy value of the diet.
• Frequent and fractional meals Do not underestimate this principle. If you follow it constantly, try reducing portions and increasing the frequency of meals.
• Reducing salt in dishes to prevent fluid retention in the body.
• Varied diet

If your weight stays the same, it's likely that your diet is too monotonous. You need the help of a specialist, a nutritionist who can create the right menu for effective weight loss, taking into account your characteristics.

If your diet has been adjusted, but your weight still remains the same, pay attention to changing the training program in the gym: - try other sports, for example, swimming or cycling; - add cardio exercise for at least 40 minutes a day.

If a plateau appears, it is necessary to identify the reason why the scale needle has been standing still for a long time and adjust the weight loss program. All this can be done under the supervision of a nutritionist and fitness instructor at the Gorny sanatorium in the Krasnodar region. In addition to a variety of delicious and healthy dishes from professional chefs, the complex has a range of care and spa treatments that help reduce stress hormones. Around the territory of the sanatorium lies a picturesque mountainous area, conducive to hiking and health path (climbing mountains). At the end of the vacation, guests receive individually designed menus and a weight loss training program outside the resort.

“The right choice of a sanatorium is a significant step towards maintaining and increasing health. “Gorny” is a resort complex that combines the experience and knowledge of Russian and Soviet balneology. The presence of modern medical equipment and innovative installations, the professionalism of the staff and love for their work will serve as the key to extending longevity,” - head doctor of the sanatorium Alexander Olegovich Karaulov.

Weight stays the same: reasons

Weight that stays the same is a situation that most people who have been losing weight for months have faced. This is due to the body’s adaptation to the current lifestyle and non-compliance with diet and exercise. People perceive such stagnation painfully: it leads to loss of motivation and breakdowns, especially if you don’t know how to overcome it.

There are many reasons for this phenomenon, so it is important to identify your own and correctly eliminate it.

High expectations from training

Many people who lose weight, inspired by the stories and examples of others, expect the same effect from their lifestyle. But no one can guarantee the exact number of kilograms that a person will lose, because it depends on many factors.

A weight loss of 0.8 to 1.5 kg per week is considered normal: it is in this case that the body does not experience stress, and the skin has time to adapt to changes in volume.

Often, expecting a phenomenal process, a person weighs himself every day or several times a day. The number you see will not be objective, so it may seem that there is no progress.

Plateau effect

The plateau effect is usually called weight stagnation during weight loss, provoked by any reason. Experts say that it occurs as a result of the body’s adaptation to the chosen diet and type of physical activity. In this case, it is often advised to simply wait 5-10 days. It is after this period that the weight loss process is restored and weight loss continues.

In addition to just waiting, you can try to speed up your metabolism in accessible and safe ways, but there is no guarantee that they will definitely bring results.

Incorrect calorie calculation

The main principle of losing weight is maintaining a constant calorie deficit. Even if you eat unhealthy food, but in small quantities, your weight is guaranteed to decrease, but this will affect your appearance and proportions.

If you lose extra pounds wisely, eating healthy foods, then along with a decrease in volume you will be able to achieve beautiful shapes and smooth, clean skin.

It is necessary to consume 20% fewer calories daily than a person needs.

You can determine your daily caloric intake using the following formulas:

• For men - 88.36 + (13.4*weight in kilograms) + (4.8*height in centimeters) - (5.7*age in years).
• For women - 447.6 + (9.2*weight in kilograms) + (3.1*height in centimeters) - (4.3*age in years).

Considering that to determine this formula it is necessary to take current weight data, the daily calorie intake must be recalculated each time after another loss of 3-5 kg.

According to the rules of all protein diets, foods from the list of permitted foods can be consumed indefinitely until satiation and this will not negatively affect the figure. But doctors say that excessive amounts of protein negatively affect kidney function, and large portions stretch the stomach.

Binge eating

Another important principle of safe and effective weight loss is split meals. Its essence is to consume 5-6 small portions per day. This is effective both for improving metabolic processes and for reducing stomach size, which affects waist size.

Even if you do not exceed the caloric intake required for weight loss, but eat 1-2 times a day in large portions, stagnation is likely to occur because:

• rare meals slow down metabolism;
• the digestive system is not able to cope with a large amount of food eaten at one time, so digestive problems arise and fat reserves are deposited;
• overeating increases the size of the stomach, so a person who has such a habit often has a protruding stomach and a wide waist;
• Long periods of time between meals are perceived by the body as hunger, and under such conditions it begins to accumulate fat in order to survive in conditions of food shortage.

Increased muscle mass

If physical activity, especially strength training, is used to lose weight, then weight stagnation is explained by an increase in muscle mass. At the same time, muscles of the same weight as fat have much less volume.

Therefore, it is recommended that everyone who is losing weight take as a basis not only the results on the scales, but also the girths of different parts of the body: many lose volume, but the weight remains the same or even increases.

In beginning athletes, swelling occurs as a result of chemical reactions that are a response to power loads; this also affects weight. As the body adapts to training, this effect goes away on its own if you follow the drinking regime.

Incorrect training with excessive loads

When a person, following a proper diet, performs excessive physical activity, then she is likely to experience weight stagnation. There are several reasons for this:

• Hormonal background - heavy loads are perceived by the body as stressful situations, and this means they cause the secretion of hormones aimed at combating stress. Their one-time emissions help to cope with difficulties and mobilize strength to overcome stress. Constant ones lead to disruptions in metabolic processes.
• Insufficient recovery - with moderate training 3-4 times a week, all body systems have time to recover. The importance of this stage lies in the fact that the bulk of calories are taken in between workouts.
• Increased Appetite – Spending excessive amounts of calories during exercise causes an increase in appetite.
• A sharp increase in muscle volume affects weight and fluid retention.

Failure to adhere to a healthy sleep schedule

A healthy 8-hour sleep is very important for human health and a beautiful, slim figure.

If a person losing weight sleeps little, but eats properly and exercises actively, he will receive the following consequences:

• defective recovery;
• increased appetite - the need for high-calorie food in the form of fast carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves and normal functioning;
• increased secretion of the hormone ghrelin, which provokes appetite, and decreased secretion of leptin, which is responsible for the feeling of satiety;
• decreased activity and fatigue;
• depressed mood due to an insufficiently restored nervous system, which makes most people want to “eat” stress.

All this leads not only to stagnation, but also to weight gain..

Stress

The reason why weight does not decrease or goes away slowly is often stress. When experiencing negative emotions, a person often tends to “eat up” them with harmful foods, which contain a large number of taste enhancers. Such food quickly fills you up and is considered the easiest way to get pleasure.

In a state of stress, protein tissue breaks down, and fatty tissue increases due to poor nutrition.

A good way to overcome this is to look for sources of positive emotions that are not related to food.

The influence of stressful situations on hormonal levels:

• to combat difficulties, the “hormone of fear” is released in large quantities - cortisol, the constantly increased content of which in the blood leads to a failure of metabolic processes;
• as with lack of sleep, the secretion of hormones responsible for hunger and satiety is disrupted.

A characteristic feature of overweight people who often experience stress is that adipose tissue accumulates in the upper part of the body. It is she who is more sensitive to the hormone cortisol.

Inconsistency of effort

Weight loss may stop or slow down if a person does not exercise regularly:

• rare unsystematic physical activity is perceived by the body as stress with all the ensuing consequences;
• long breaks between physical activity lead to the fact that each workout is perceived by the body as the beginning of sports - the muscles increase in size and swelling occurs, during which the weight increases by 1-2 kg;
• There is no regular expenditure of calories, to which the body adapts, resulting in faster metabolism.

Passion for strict diets

Diets with extremely low calorie content give quick, but not long-lasting results. Literally after 2-3 weeks, weight loss slows down and stops for the following reasons:

• The intake of very little energy into the body for a long time is perceived as hunger. And in such conditions, nature is designed to accumulate fat even from dietary foods in order to avoid death.
• The accumulation of fat is accompanied by a slowdown in metabolism.
• Strict diets include many food restrictions, which inevitably leads to a deficiency of essential microelements with consequent negative consequences for the functioning of various systems and appearance.

Such an extreme as strict diets, in 90% of cases, alternates with breakdowns, during which a person eats a lot of high-calorie and junk food. This is harmful to all organs and metabolic processes, as well as the condition of the skin. Such diets often lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

Health problems

For normal effective weight loss, it is important that a person is absolutely healthy. Otherwise, problems in each organ can negatively affect the functioning of the entire body. This is fraught not only with the inability to lose weight, but also with a worsening of the existing disease.

Deficiency of essential microelements

Vitamin deficiency inevitably affects all metabolic processes, because every vitamin or microelement is necessary for the full functioning of the body. Even absolutely healthy people, experts recommend taking additional vitamin complexes with omega and amino acids, calcium, magnesium to strengthen the immune system and prolong youthful skin.

Taking vitamins is necessary if:

• losing weight involves a strict diet with restrictions on many foods;
• a person exercises regularly - with sweat, not only fluid and toxins are lost, but also substances important for life.

B vitamins are very important for weight loss because they help speed up metabolism. They are found in sufficient quantities in cereals, vegetable proteins, vegetables, fruits and lean meats.

Insufficient functioning of the endocrine glands

Disruption of the endocrine glands is guaranteed to lead to hormonal imbalances, which cause systemic problems in all organs. When a person is sick, weight loss is unstable, often manifested by a worsening of the disease.

Endocrine glands include:

• pituitary;
• thyroid;
• adrenal glands;
• sexual;
• pancreas.

Problems that arise when the endocrine glands malfunction associated with difficulties losing weight:

Allergic reaction to food

Often, food allergies cause a tendency to become overweight and obese. When allergenic products enter the body, they disrupt metabolism and reduce the protective functions of the immune system.

The insidiousness of this relationship lies in the fact that a person may not know for a long time that he has intolerance to a certain food and fight excess weight using general methods. However, all efforts will bring little effect. Experimentally, scientists from Dubai found that the majority of obese people had hidden allergies to certain foods. 2 weeks after they were excluded from the diet, the weight of the experiment participants began to decrease.

To determine the presence of allergies, you need to take a blood test for allergens.

Kidney and heart failure

In case of renal failure, the state of the body is characterized by:

• serious metabolic disorders, which often lead to obesity;
• intoxication of the body with its inherent malfunction of the digestive system;
• deterioration in the functioning of all body systems.

Heart failure is the final stage in the development of all diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The condition is accompanied by impaired blood flow and resulting swelling, and the stagnation of excess fluid in the body leads to the presence of several extra pounds. A swollen, large belly is an eloquent symptom of this pathology.

Diabetes mellitus type 2

Many obese people may not be aware of the presence of type 2 diabetes for a long time. With this disease, a sufficient amount of insulin is released, but it does not have the desired effect. Therefore, insulin accumulates, causing obesity.

The opposite relationship is also common - when excessive weight leads to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Incorrect organization of weight loss

If a person is confident in his own health, but at the same time, due to diet and regular exercise, his weight has stagnated, he needs to make sure that the weight loss process itself is organized correctly.

Skip breakfast

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Experts who promote proper nutrition recommend making it the most high-calorie and carbohydrate-rich.

By skipping it, a person increases the time period of the state of hunger in which the body remains during sleep. In this condition, it accumulates fat reserves from the next meal, even if low-calorie and healthy foods are consumed.

In addition, lack of adequate energy at the beginning of the day leads to overeating during snacks, lunch and dinner.

Low mobility during work

Most modern people who are overweight are office workers with a sedentary lifestyle. Constantly sitting in front of monitors leads to:

• spending a small amount of calories through physical activity;
• depressed state;
• disruption of the functions of all body systems as a result of slow blood flow and incorrect posture.

Skipping morning exercise

Even if intense training is planned during the day, experts recommend performing certain exercises in the morning to start metabolic processes and help the body wake up and become more alert.

Otherwise, increased sleepiness in the morning and the body’s lack of readiness for serious training are likely.

Monotonous cardio

Cardio exercise is considered the best type of physical activity for rapid weight loss due to the breakdown of fat tissue.

But the human body adapts, and after a few weeks it may stop responding to a monotonous load, which will provoke weight stagnation.

Failure to maintain water balance

To maintain water balance, you need to drink at least 8 glasses of clean water a day between meals, starting with 2 glasses on an empty stomach.

A training person needs even more - 10-12 glasses, because a lot of fluid comes out of him through sweat.

Drinking little water can lead to dehydration, the most common cause of metabolic disorders. Also, lack of fluid leads to swelling, which adds several kilograms.

Buying extra food

A very important point in organizing weight loss is breading the menu for several days in advance. According to it, you can purchase only necessary products in strict accordance with the list. To do this, it is useful to keep a diary where you need to write down all ideas, recipes, caloric intake and results.

If a person is just starting his journey to getting a good figure, then it will be difficult for him not to break his diet without taking notes. The lack of discipline and clear plans leads to the fact that, when going to the grocery store, those losing weight begin to buy unnecessary things, although they are more familiar. By consuming this, he increases daily caloric intake and disrupts established metabolic processes, which leads to weight stagnation.

Eating after children

A common problem for women recovering from childbirth is feeding their children. On average, the number of such interceptions is equal to one full snack with a calorie content of 200-300 calories.

On average, the required daily caloric deficit is about the same, which means that if a woman eats leftover food after her baby, then she receives exactly the amount of energy that she needs to maintain weight. For this reason, she cannot lose weight.

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Have endocrinological diseases

Some endocrinological diseases, such as hypothyroidism, Itsenko-Cushing syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, can cause weight gain, as a result, the development of obesity, and subsequently prevent its reduction. Therefore, even if you adhere to proper nutrition, your weight will remain the same. In this case, you need to see a doctor and undergo a general examination. With proper medicinal correction of the underlying disease, the kilograms themselves will begin to disappear effectively and safely.

What are volumes

What is more important when losing weight: the kilograms that go away or the centimeters that reduce the volume? When visually determining the mass of a person, we proceed from an assessment of his proportions. The logic is that the more good a person is, the heavier he is. To clearly understand the progress of weight loss, correctly measure volumes in certain places:

• Shoulder circumference in the armpit area.
• The brush is at its thinnest part.
• The waist is measured at the narrow part of the abdomen.
• The abdominal circumference is the widest part of the body.
• Thigh circumference is measured at the groin area.
• The measurement of the lower leg is carried out in the wide part of the calf muscle.