Why can't I Lose Fat?

I believe in a HEALTH first approach to wellness. Weight loss isn't everything - there are many unhealthy ways to lose weight - at the expense of your overall health. With that said, a healthy body composition is a byproduct of a healthy body, and it is important to take this approach!

A common phenomenon that occurs when people exercise to lose weight is that within months (or even weeks!), their weight loss plateaus. This can be frustrating, and even discourage people to keep moving forward with their health journey. For many people, it is a constant back and forth of weight loss, plateau, and weight gain.

The reason for this plateau is metabolic adaptation. Before modern life, this was a good thing! When food was scarce and energy expenditure was high, our metabolism slowed down to adapt to these changes. Without this adaptation, we would have starved to death easily. While this was what our bodies were meant to do, we are no longer dealing with the same environment. Instead, we have calories readily available and energy expenditure is at an all time low- both of which contribute to weight gain, obesity, and other related chronic conditions.

To avoid these symptoms of modern life, we must find a way to work with metabolic adaptation. Instead of chasing weight loss, we should be chasing metabolic health. The result of a healthy metabolism is a healthy body fat percentage and body composition! Here are some things you can incorporate into your lifestyle to avoid the vicious cycle of weight loss-plateau-weight gain:

Mindset

It's easier said than done- but we need to shift our mindset from a constant battle with ourselves and the scale. Take care of yourself, and incorporate new habits out of self love. Chase feeling better; having more energy; resolving your symptoms; increasing your mobility and physical abilities; reducing your joint pain; improving your quality of life; nourishing your body... CHASE HEALTH!

Patience!

Rapid weight loss is not only more difficult to sustain behaviorally, but also biologically. Anything that provides a "quick fix" or rapid weight loss in a short amount of time is likely worsening your health, and the weight loss doesn't even last in the long term. Studies show that slower weight loss from long term, healthful habits maintains more lean body mass aka muscle, which by itself decreases body fat percentage and helps maintain a faster & healthier metabolism.

Get enough protein

The beloved macronutrient of the fitness industry didn’t get its good reputation for nothing! Protein helps with satiety and feeling full, maintaining lean body mass during weight loss, and other vital functions like healing and hormone production. The more muscle and lean body mass we maintain/gain, the healthier our metabolism becomes. This helps our body to naturally shed any excess body fat.

NOURISHING movement

When people are looking to lose weight, they typically turn to cardio because of its fast calorie burn. As stated above, our body adapts over time, meaning weight loss plateaus, and the only option you have is to add more cardio or eat less calories. This can’t go on forever! Plus it is severely depleting - the result is fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and gut issues. When there is underlying dysfunction behind the scenes, the body will struggle to lose excess fat. Instead, prioritize movement that NOURISHES your body rather than depletes it - walking, hiking, steady state activities, mobility, and strength training.

Metabolic adaptation isn’t a bad thing; it is our bodies way of protecting itself. With this in mind, we must address underlying dysfunction that might be contributing to the weight gain / retention in the first place. We must nourish the body with quality movement and nutrients, rather than restricting and depleting. Chase HEALTH, overall wellness, and longevity - and a healthy metabolism and body composition will follow.

Source used:

A. Aragon. Metabolic Adaptations to Weight Loss: A Brief Review. Alan Aragon’s Research Review. April 2021.

https://alanaragon.com/download/4026/