Why is it so hard to lose the last few pounds when losing weight?

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It often happens that you are only a few pounds short of your ultimate goal, but suddenly your weight loss stops completely. And this is despite the fact that you are following the same diet, lifestyle, and exercise plan.

The so-called weight loss plateau has a scientific explanation. This condition is associated with the basic biological characteristics of the body. When the body detects something that threatens its survival, it triggers a series of physiological reactions to protect itself from it.

Therefore, when reducing food intake, correcting nutrition, our body believes that we are in danger. As a result, the metabolic rate decreases, calorie burning decreases, and weight loss occurs. Also, in this case, more appetite hormone (ghrelin) is released, so you want to eat even more than usual.

Scientific studies have shown that such a plateau appears approximately between three and six months of weight loss. And if you need to lose a lot of pounds, you will enter this stage even earlier.

Overcoming a weight loss plateau can be difficult. However, there are still some things you can do. These include reviewing your weight loss goal (the body weight you want to achieve), focusing on the size of your portions during the day, adding strength exercises to your training program, reviewing your diet, and relieving stress.