Imagine this: when you were about to wed and shop for one of the best conservative wedding dresses in your favorite couture, you felt a sense of pride because all of the dresses could easily fit into your beautiful frame. But after years of being married and after having children, your once beautiful body has changed drastically. Now, you could hardly fit in one of your beautiful dresses. You have become obese, and losing weight seems far-fetched even when you have done all you can to get rid of your extra pounds.
You might have wondered why some people seem to lose weight that easily while you struggle to lose even a pound. The truth is, people can lose weight in different ways, and what works for one may not work for all. This means that you might have to go through some trials and errors before finding the best ways to lose those fats that you have always wanted to let go of. Even then, you might never be able to get back to your pre-wedding body statistics again.
Different factors influence how a person loses weight. You have to look into these factors and make some changes in your lifestyle so that you can successfully lose weight just like you have always dreamed of. Some of the most common factors that influence how fast or slow you can lose weight are below.
Age
If losing a few pounds was easy when you were younger, you might have wondered why it suddenly became too hard to get those pounds off now that you have come of age. According to science, age does play a role in how people lose weight. After age 30, it is normal for people to lose muscle mass and gain more fats. This leads to a slower metabolism. Estrogen and testosterone sex hormones also decline with age, which is why people can have a more difficult time losing weight.
Lifestyle
What you eat, what you do, and how you spend your day affect how fast or slow you might lose weight. If you eat more unhealthy foods, you will likely have a harder time losing the extra pounds you have gained. If you have been eating healthy foods but still gaining weight or cannot lose any, it might be because you are eating more calories than your body requires.
Additionally, it might be because you are leading a sedentary lifestyle. To lose weight, you should balance your diet and the amount of exercise your body gets regularly. According to science, a person should perform moderate aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes or vigorous activity for at least 75 minutes to significantly affect weight. When combined with strength training, aerobic activities can lead to more weight loss.
Other lifestyle factors that should be given attention when trying to lose weight are sleep and rest. Lack of sleep leads to less energy required for exercising and performing physical activities. It also increases oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance. Additionally, it leads to overeating, which counterintuitive if you are trying to lose weight.
Genetics
A person’s DNA determines the color of his or her eyes and hair. It also determines a person’s body build, nose shape, height, and weight. This means that your ability to lose or gain weight may be associated with your genes. For example, if your parents are more on the obese side, you will probably get obese easily yourself. This does not mean, though, that you will never lose weight or get the ideal weight for your height and age. Even if genes play a part, exercise and a healthy lifestyle can still help beat the odds and help you lose weight the way you want to.
Hormones
When hormones go whack, your body could take a turn. You can become obese even if you are eating the right types of food and getting the right amount of exercise and sleep. Indeed, hormones play a huge part in weight loss management.
Insulin, leptin, growth hormones, and sex hormones influence a person’s appetite. They also influence a person’s metabolism. If these hormones reach a high level or even an extremely low level, a person can suffer from abnormal metabolism and accumulate more body fat.
Women are more prone to weight gain caused by hormonal imbalance. This is because they face more hormone-related problems compared to men. For instance, 20% of women suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which results in insulin resistance. A rise in insulin levels can make women gain weight uncontrollably and make their weight loss journeys extremely difficult. Hormonal changes associated with perimenopause and menopause stages are also common problems that cause weight gain in women.
If you have been trying to lose weight but have not been getting positive results, the reason could be one or more of the factors mentioned above. Talk to your doctor if you are having a hard time losing weight. The doctor may prescribe some medications or help get you on some weight loss programs that will work for you.
