Why is it so difficult to keep weight off after losing weight?

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An analysis of 29 long-term studies showed that more than 50% of the weight people lost came back within two years, and more than 80% within five years. Usually, we tend to blame this on a lack of willpower. But there is a scientific explanation for this phenomenon.

According to science, there is a so-called weight set point theory. It is the key to long-term weight loss.

Every person has a certain weight, that is, the weight to which you will return after any diet and which you will maintain for a long time in adulthood (over 20 years). This weight is programmed in the first years of life – from conception to 5 years. Genes and environment also play a role in this.

All this means that the body protects us well from losing weight, but not from gaining it.

When we change our diet to lose weight, the body starts a survival reaction. A number of changes occur.

The metabolism slows down and the thyroid gland functions worse.According to research, with each attempt to diet, the rate of food burning decreases by 15%, and metabolism does not recover even after we gain weight. Exercise can help speed up and restore metabolism. Also, the thyroid gland secretes fewer hormones when food is restricted. This reduces the amount of energy a person burns at rest.

Energy sources are used differently.When you lose weight, your body switches from using fat as an energy source to carbohydrates and stores fat. Therefore, less fat is burned at rest.

Appetite hormones work differently. They function in a way that makes you want to eat more and suppresses feelings of fullness. In addition, appetite hormones do not return to their previous levels (which were before the diet). Therefore, even after gaining back your previous weight, you may still often feel hungry.

The adrenal glands function differently. The stress hormone cortisol is produced when a person is on a diet. If there is too much cortisol in the blood, this can lead to weight gain.

The brain works differently. When you diet, the activity of the hypothalamus (the area of ​​the brain that regulates emotions and food intake) decreases. Therefore, a person begins to control himself worse.

In general, it turns out that a person is biologically programmed to protect the set weight value. And because normal diets do not take this into account, you will eventually return to your original weight after losing weight.