Struggling To Lose Weight? This Is Why

You’ve been doing all the right things. You’ve cut back on all those glorious sugary treats, steered clear of takeaways and even blasted out a workout or two, but still that post-Christmas tummy doesn’t seem to be budging.

So what gives? Well the good news is that it’s not because you aren’t trying hard enough, its all because you body is programmed to cling on to fat. Yuh-huh, life-changing we know.

It can be difficult to move excess fat as we are going against everything our bodies have been taught to do over the years.

“Body fat was a vital part of survival to our ancestors when food availability was restricted and incidental exercise in the form of hunting and gathering was a given,” explains PT Amanda Moroney. “For this reason, our bodies have been programmed to store fat for protective reasons. It can be difficult to move excess fat as we are going against everything our bodies have been taught to do over the years.”

What does this mean for new year’s dieters?

“When people try to lose weight, leptin [an appetite suppressor] falls even further in attempt to prevent any further weight loss and this is usually when people binge or fall off their dieting bandwagon,” explains Amanda. That means it’s a physiological response from your body, not a lack of will power that’s derailing your efforts.

The lesson? Don’t beat yourself up. Losing weight takes time so for now try and appreciate the other benefits of eating better, like clearer skin and more energy. Stick at it and you’ll see results before you know it.

• body
• diet
• fitness
• health