Why is it so hard to lose weight

I have remained seriously overweight despite all my efforts to lose weight. Kindly let me know what to do about this.

Richard (by SMS)

Many factors contribute to weight gain. The obvious ones are poor diet and lack of exercise. But age is also an issue. As you get older, it’s easier to gain weight and tougher to lose it. Why? Lean muscle mass steadily declines over the years, and the change becomes more noticeable after age 40.

Muscles burn calories 24/7. If you have less muscle, your body burns fewer calories, which can lead to easier weight gain.

A man’s ideal weight is usually about the amount he weighed at age 20. Can’t remember that far back? There are other ways to assess whether your weight poses a health risk. Body mass index (BMI) is a measurement that takes into account both height and weight.

Your BMI number indicates whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. However, BMI alone is not always a good indicator of what’s happening to your body. Your BMI might remain relatively stable because you have more body fat and less muscle mass. Still, BMI can offer a clue about whether you need to lose excess weight.

Waist size is another way to gauge weight gain, but focus on how snug your pants feel rather than whether you moved your belt notch. You can often feel weight gain before you can see it.

For diet, focus on limiting unhealthy carbs and excess calories. Research has shown that reducing carbs, especially sugar and refined starches, makes the body burn more fat for energy. A few small diet changes can help curb your carb intake.

First, take a close look at which beverages you drink, like juices, sodas, and other sweetened beverages, and how much. Many unhealthy simple carbohydrates are liquids, which are often high in calories. We often don’t register those calories compared with food, so it’s easy to overindulge. Simply eliminating sugary beverages from your diet is a great way to jump-start your weight loss. Next, switch out refined grains (white rice, white bread, pasta) for whole grains (whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal). Whole grains, especially if they don’t get ground into fine flour, are more slowly digested, which keeps blood sugar levels from spiking. They also have more fiber, various essential nutrients, and phytochemicals.

In terms of calories, focus on not overeating during meals.

You can do this by monitoring portion size and eating habits.

For example ; Change your tableware. Switch to a smaller bowl or a mug for cereal and a smaller dinner plate. Use measuring cups.

Measure out servings of the foods you commonly eat. Don’t eat while watching TV. The distraction tricks you into overeating.

But diet is only half of the battle. You also must stay active to burn enough calories and help build calorie-burning muscle mass. It doesn’t really matter what exercise you do. Consistency is key.

Begin by choosing activities that you enjoy and do them for at least 150 minutes each week. Also, include at least two sessions of strength training per week to help build muscle mass.

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