The obesity prevalence in the United States is roughly 42% today. It’s a problem that hurts people’s health, self-image, and ability to get around. This issue only gets worse as you age, and can lead to swollen joints and other types of pain.
Many people struggle with their weight loss, and either don’t lose it or constantly have a revolving door of gaining and losing.
Below are some reasons that people have issues taking the pounds off and keeping them off.
Why Can’t I Lose Weight?
So, what makes losing weight so difficult? Most people trying to drop weight struggle with the same set of issues.
Here are some of the difficulties people run into on their weight loss journeys:
You Are Experiencing Undiagnosed Hormonal Challenges
We see it every day—patients who come in thinking, “Why can’t I lose weight? I’ve tried all the diets, and I exercise often.”
The reality is that weight and metabolism are often directly linked to our hormones.
More often than not, we discover hormone imbalances in these types of patients with basic hormone lab testing.
Several different hormones can affect the way we store fat or metabolize food. Our thyroid, for example, plays a key role in metabolism. Patients with undiagnosed hypothyroidism have slower metabolisms and can’t lose weight easily, no matter how hard they try.
Blue Sky MD’s medical weight loss program is designed first and foremost to help patients understand the underlying issues preventing them from losing weight. Once hormone levels are optimal, the rest—eating well, exercising, and staying accountable—are all easy.
You’re Taking in Too Many Calories
Weight loss can be hard, but on paper, it’s very simple – burn more calories than you take in. No matter your desire, background, or methods, it really all boils down to a numbers game.
So, if you’re taking in calories of any kind, whether through food, beverages, or candies, it all adds up. If you’re cutting down on calories, but still not burning enough through exercise, you still won’t hit your weight loss goal.
The easiest way to manage this is by keeping track of what you eat. Today, you can download and use mobile apps that let you plug in your food intake and how many calories you burned through exercise.
You Don’t Have a Workout Plan
Trying to lose weight through dieting alone can lead to you feeling like you’re starving yourself. You’ll be better able to eat a normal meal plan when you’re also burning calories through exercise and using the food to fuel your body.
People who get remarkable results with their weight loss typically do some form of exercise 4 to 6 days per week. This doesn’t mean that you need to do all-out workouts or try to hit personal bests each day, but you should be working to move your body, burn calories, and break a sweat.
Here are some of the best ways that you can workout to lose weight:
- Going on walks
- Spending time in the gym
- Jogging and running
- Training boxing and various martial arts
- Rock climbing and hiking
- Swimming and water aerobics
- Resistant training, kettlebell exercises, and calisthenics
- Playing team sports
Get used to burning calories and it’ll become addictive in the most positive ways.
Your Lifestyle Is Sedentary
Another problem that people have is they simply don’t move their bodies enough from a lifestyle point of view. If all you do is get out of bed, get in a car, drive to work, drive home, sit on the couch, eat, and then go back to bed, you’re setting yourself up for significant health issues at worst, and difficulty losing weight at best.
There’s no coincidence that doctors and scientists today compare sitting too much to smoking in terms of how it hurts your health and well-being. It can restrict blood flow, lead to heart problems, and cause chronic obesity and pain.
Even if you don’t work out, make sure that you go for walks every day, especially after eating meals. Buy a bike to take with you on your shorter-distance errands. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Give yourself the best chance possible of burning calories and staying on the move, and healthy living will become your default.
There’s No Accountability
A secret that many people won’t tell you is that few people accomplish things without help. Something as simple as having an accountability circle can help you achieve your weight loss goals.
Find a group of friends, family members, co-workers, or other people that can hold you accountable for the goals you set each day or week. Knowing that you either have to tell someone that you achieved the goal or didn’t is often enough of a motivator for people to get it done. Even better if your accountability group consists of other people on their own fitness journeys.
Many people with the means look for medical weight loss under the guided care of professionals. Paying for the help of professionals provides the ultimate accountability, and will prompt you to show up to each session looking to get your money’s worth.
You Haven’t Addressed Certain Unconscious Behaviors
Health issues often get in the way of people reaching their weight loss goals – and these health issues aren’t just physical. Many people are overweight or obese today because of a bad relationship to food or exercise or use it as a way to cope with stress.
Hiring a mental health or behavioral professional that can help you get to the root cause and help you figure out what it is that makes you overeat or not push yourself physically.
It’s common for people to pay anywhere between $65 and $200 for mental health therapy—money well spent when you consider how effective it is for helping you achieve your goals.
Start Your Weight Loss Journey at Blue Sky MD
Why can’t I lose weight? Now that you have answers to this question, the ball is in your court. Thankfully, it’s not something that you have to do alone.
Blue Sky MD specializes in medical weight loss and hormone therapy and would be happy to help you get results.
We recommend starting with our quick and easy Free Online Health Assessment. It takes two minutes, and helps us understand your symptoms, goals, and how we can best help you.
If you’re ready to schedule an appointment, get in touch online or call us at (828)651-0450.
