What are the reasons for the appearance of extra pounds? Why does the weight not go away: with proper nutrition, while dieting, during physical activity? How to get past the weight plateau?
Why the weight does not go away is a question that worries more than 40% of women and more than 30% of men. To shift the weight indicators, you need to understand the reasons for the appearance of extra pounds, analyze your actions to combat them, and, if necessary, consult with specialists. Reckless actions and experiments on your own body are unacceptable. For a healthy harmonization of appearance, it is necessary to approach the issue thoroughly.
Causes of excess weight
Researchers all over the world are concerned: the 21st century is tacitly called "the stage of rejection of one's body." More than 60% of women and 40% of men are dissatisfied with themselves and evaluate their partner's body in the same way. According to surveys of Russian researchers, 42% of men and 35% of women consider thinness to be an indicator of health and greater sexual attractiveness of a partner. Only 11% of respondents consider modern beauty standards to be unrealistic and imposed on society.
During the polls, it was also found that the majority of respondents are not guided by how much weight is considered excess, and which is a slight deviation from the norm. For each person, such a norm is individual and is measured by the body mass index according to the formula: Weight / Height2… The weight of a person must be taken in meters, and the weight in kilograms.
Normally, this indicator is 19-25, overweight is called an index up to 30, obesity - up to 40. If the indicator is more than 40, then a person can be diagnosed with severe obesity. At the same time, indicators above 30 indicate high risks to human health and require a systematic approach to solving the problem with the involvement of specialists.
When the weight does not go away, check your own body mass index first, perhaps in a particular case you should not worry, since the indicators fluctuate within the normal range. If you really have excess weight, and this is displayed on the indicators, then before taking active steps to quickly lose weight, you should analyze and, if possible, eliminate the causes of its growth and delay.
There are two types of reasons for the accumulation of excess weight - physiological and psychological. But more recently, there has been a third criterion for gaining weight - lifestyle.
The physiological reasons for excess weight include:
- Body constitution … Physique is a genetically determined factor, with the same height, two different people can weigh and look different. The individual muscle-to-fat ratio will also be excellent. So, in the case of fighting overweight, for some, the volumes go away, but the weight is worth it, while others will see the difference on the scales faster.
- Individual metabolism … The metabolic rate affects the processing of food into fat stores or energy.
- Age … Individual metabolism slows down over the years, which affects the rate of accumulation of kilograms.
- Hormonal changes … During pregnancy, menopause or adolescence, hormonal changes lead to natural weight gain and are not considered a deviation. Pathological hormonal surges and the related questions of why weight does not go away on the scales require specialist consideration.
Psychological reasons began to be identified not so long ago. However, the researchers note that in this case, there is no need to talk about the influence of human physiology. Overweight can be maintained under the influence of the following factors:
- Substitution therapy … This term refers to situations when a person, not feeling hungry, takes food. As a rule, such scenarios develop during periods of increased stress, however, without proper control, actions become habits and lead to systematic excessive consumption.
- Diet abuse … Too frequent food restrictions and non-observance of the elementary rules of rational nutrition in some cases leads to a slowdown in metabolism and the opposite of the expected result. Women who have not achieved weight loss are disappointed in diets and switch to "substitution therapy".
In addition to physical and psychological reasons for a slow metabolism or excessive calorie intake, weight gain and weight retention are triggered by low energy expenditure. In turn, a decrease in the number of calories burned is caused by a sedentary lifestyle, a calorie deficit, a lack of a modern person's nutritional culture, and additional stimulation of appetite.
A sedentary lifestyle as a cause of excess weight includes sedentary work, hobby for passive rest (online games, watching TV), lack of systematic physical activity. It is noteworthy that the lack of rest, as well as the lack of exercise, leads to the fact that the weight goes away slowly or stands still. Without adequate rest, the brain requires a “reset” and energy to function further, and therefore consumes more. A person is trying to fill the arising deficit with fast carbohydrates - desserts, chocolate and other foods. Appetite stimulants include a number of dishes - salty, spicy, smoked, as well as pickles and chewing gums.
It is important to understand that in rare cases, only one of the named reasons for excess weight acts on a person, as a rule, a whole complex of factors is activated. The more negative criteria it was possible to identify and eliminate, the more effective the fight against excess weight will be.
Note! In some cases, having achieved results with fast diets, women feel "omnipotence", expecting that it will be easy to lose weight next time, and therefore they are psychologically ready to move away from rational nutrition and eat again. Such people are more willing to subject themselves to uncontrolled "substitution therapy".
Why doesn't the weight go away?
Active struggle with kilograms includes not only identifying and eliminating the causes of weight gain, but also measures to normalize it. The main actions that can be taken to lose weight include the transition to proper nutrition and correction of dietary habits, severe restrictions (diets) and increased physical activity. Already in the first weeks, a person can notice when weight starts to go away. Moreover, the more extra pounds, the more striking the first changes. However, after 2-4 months, situations are possible when the weight has risen and does not go away. This period of stagnation is called the "plateau effect". To step over the reached limit, it is necessary to understand the reasons that influenced the weight retention.
Weight does not go away with proper nutrition
The transition to proper nutrition, refusal of unhealthy foods, additional appetite stimulants, as a rule, leads to a decrease in the number of daily calories consumed. For example, you consumed and consumed 2,000 calories daily. By giving up snacking on a sweet bun and tea with sweets, you have reduced their daily consumption to 1700. At the same time, the body continues to spend 2000, expecting that the restrictions are temporary. In 2-4 months, the metabolism will be rebuilt to a new rate of energy consumption / expenditure of 1700 calories, and the person will begin to wonder what to do if the weight does not go away.
The above-described adaptive metabolic mechanism is the main reason why weight does not go away with proper nutrition, and indicates that nutrition alone is not enough to get back into shape. However, supporters of PP (proper nutrition) also reveal other reasons for the stagnation of the indicator on the scales:
- Insufficient information preparation … For those who are just getting acquainted with the rules of PP, it can be a discovery that although fruits are healthy, they have a lot of simple sugar, which means that it is better to use them in separate methods. Dried fruits are very high in calories, and a monotonous diet, even with healthy products, "slows down" metabolism. If the weight does not go away on the PP, then perhaps you have not clarified certain aspects of the new diet, continuing to consume in excess of the norm.
- The main meal is left for the evening.… Energy food should be consumed in the first half of the day (before 18). The conditional prompt says to divide the morning (up to 12) calories by 2, daily - to add up without changes (from 12 to 18), and multiply the evening ones by 2. Even if you eat right, but only in the evening the excess weight does not go away.
- Indigestion … In some cases, switching to the right foods can cause constipation, and as a result, weight retention for a long period.
In addition, it should be understood that the transition to a new diet for the body is stressful, which means that you will need to control your own impulses to "substitution therapy".
Retaining weight on a diet
The main reason for not losing weight on a diet is the abuse of the diets themselves. The initial limitation of the amount of calories consumed is perceived by the body as a temporary phenomenon. However, a prolonged diet can lead to a slowdown in metabolism and postponing of reserves for a rainy day.
An improperly selected diet or non-compliance with it is another reason why weight slowly goes away. Often, from the lips of a person with overweight, one can hear complaints like "I don't eat anything, but the weight does not go away." At the same time, an analysis of the food consumed per day shows that a person does not take into account snacks on the go or nibbling (eating for small children, a morning sandwich instead of a full breakfast, a coffee donut instead of lunch).
By the way, a complete refusal of food for a certain period can also lead to stagnation of the readings on the scales. The reason that the weight does not go away on intermittent fasting can be either a banal lack of tracking of dietary habits (snacks), and low quality food during fasting periods. But such stagnation can also indicate serious violations at the physical level and require further medical intervention, so it should not be ignored.
If, while following the diet, the volumes go away, and the weight is in place, but at the same time the person has a deterioration in well-being, swelling begins, the reason for this condition may be fluid retention in the body. This condition is triggered by the stress hormone cortisol and requires a smooth release. Fluid retention in women also depends on the menstrual cycle. Before your period comes, the weight does not go away, since the body retains fluid in itself. Such a period is possible one week before the start of a new cycle.
Important! An improperly selected diet can harm the gastrointestinal tract and the body as a whole, therefore, before you cut back on your own diet or completely refuse to eat for a while, it is recommended to consult a specialist.
Weight stands still during exercise
Paradoxically, however, most often the question of what weight does not go away with nutrition and training is asked by a person who makes maximum efforts to lose weight. For beginners, appetite increases in the first months after exertion. Wanting to pamper himself for a job well done, a novice athlete eats a high-calorie product, for example, a bar, which crosses out the result of the entire workout or even several.
The effect of training is achieved by increasing energy expenditure, which, when nutritionally controlled, creates a calorie deficit. However, over time, the metabolism adjusts to such a systematic load, which means that you stop spending more energy. If you do not change your exercise programs at least once every 6 weeks, you will not lose weight during training.
Another reason why you do not notice the effect of sports is to reach a new level of your form. With an active specific load, the fat mass decreases, and the muscle mass increases, as a result, the weight does not go away, but the volumes decrease, because muscle tissue is heavier than adipose tissue.
What if the weight does not go away?
The first step of a person striving for an ideal figure is to identify and eliminate the causes of overweight. Next, you need to take active measures to combat. If excess weight does not go away in the first 3 weeks after the start of a new program, it means that the set of measures was chosen incorrectly. You need to reconsider your eating habits, control the level of load and rest.
If you stop losing weight after 2-4 months of regular training and following the rules of the PP, then you have reached a plateau. The following rules will help you to move to the next level:
- Start counting calories … Counting calories is a tedious and long task, even if you started doing it, then, most likely, after a few months you switched to intuitive eating. Go back to counting your calories and cut them down a bit while maintaining physical activity.
- Give your body a swing … Metabolism adjusts to different levels of energy expenditure and consumption, however, to trigger such a mechanism, in some cases, fasting days will be needed. In this case, the "swing" should be in different directions - from a deficit of calories to a decrease in their consumption and rest from training. The system is best developed with the help of an experienced trainer.
- Change your training plan … After a little rest, increase the load or add a new type of activity to which the body has not yet had time to get used to.
Important! If the weight does not go away with a calorie deficit, adherence to all the rules of the PP and the training regimen, the cause may be a violation of the thyroid gland. In this case, a doctor's consultation is required.
Why the weight does not go away - watch the video:
Why does the weight stand still is a multifaceted question, a person will find an answer to it only by honestly analyzing the degree of his involvement in the fight against extra pounds. Here, one cannot exclude not only the mildness shown during dieting and exercise, but even deviations in the state of health. Therefore, it is very important to respond to weight plateaus and be able to overcome them, and, if necessary, seek help from specialists.
