What are some of the reasons people cannot lose weight and keep it off?

If you have ever been frustrated because you can’t seem to lose weight, you’re not alone. There are many reasons why people struggle to lose weight and keep it off. Some factors (like genetics) may be difficult to control. However there are some things that are within your control and need to change.

Here are the five most common factors that have negative effects on your ability to lose weight:

Reason #1: Starvation Diets - When you eat less than your resting metabolic rate, your body will think you
are starving. As a result, you tend to gain weight rather than lose it.

Reason #2: Skipping Breakfast - Studies show that you will “over eat” during the day and night if you don’t start your day with breakfast. I know you’ve heard it many times, but breakfast IS the most important meal of the day!

Reason #3: Stress - Stress releases a hormone called cortisol which causes weight gain. Eating food quickly or while you are stressed out can make you fat. That’s one of the many benefits of exercise: it reduces stress levels, which in turn, reduces cortisol levels.

Reason #4: Eating At Night - Your metabolism slows down during evening hours and burns fat at a much slower rate. Eating before bed causes you to gain weight.

Reason #5: Improper Exercise - People either exercise too long or not enough. There are specific exercise parameters in which your body responds best. If you’re not exercising in your optimum zone, you’re cheating yourself of the gains you could be making with your exercise program.

Bottom Line: The key to successful weight loss is knowing how your unique metabolism responds to diet and exercise.

That’s because each person’s genetic makeup is different. Your body is different from your sister’s and it’s different from your friend’s. How each person’s body responds to various foods and exercise varies drastically from person to person. Therefore it is critical to gather as much information about your unique physiology as possible. How do you get information on your own metabolism? It’s simple. The first step is a test called a “metabolic assessment.” Here’s the data that a Resting Metabolic Test will provide you: Total Caloric Expenditure At Rest, Total Daily Caloric Expenditure, Resting Thermogenesis/ Your Ability To Burn Fat, biomarkers used in scientific and medical research and more. These are the numbers that vary dramatically from person to person. If you don’t know how your body responds, you’re not going to lose weight long term.