Do you strongly wish to lose weight, but for some reason, the scale just doesn’t budge? Have you experienced this? It’s natural to feel impatient and anxious when you’re working hard on a diet but not seeing the results you hoped for.
Perhaps there’s a hidden pitfall in your weight loss method, or maybe unexpected causes are lurking in your physical condition or lifestyle.
This page introduces concrete tips to help you, who struggles with the problem of “wanting to lose weight but not being able to,” identify the causes and achieve your goals in a healthy and sustainable way.
Don’t bear it alone; let’s find solutions together.
The main reason you’re not losing weight! Reasons beyond just body type
Before you give up and say, “I’m just predisposed to gain weight…,” take a moment to pause and review your daily habits.
The reasons you’re not losing weight are usually hidden within your actions and environment, rather than solely being due to your innate body type.
Here, we will delve deeper into the main causes, other than body type, that are common among many people who struggle with weight loss.
Re-evaluating Your Diet: The Trap of Hidden Calories and Nutritional Imbalance
The basic principle of weight loss is that “calories burned exceed calories consumed,” but accurately grasping your caloric intake is surprisingly difficult.
You need to be particularly careful about “hidden calories.”
Sugars and fats lurking in juices, sugary coffee, dressings, and processed foods can unknowingly pile up your caloric intake.
For example, even a smoothie you drink thinking it’s healthy can be high in sugar if you use too much fruit.
Also, even if you choose a salad, loading it with creamy dressing can make it high in calories.
Furthermore, beyond just calories, “nutritional balance” is crucial.
A diet skewed towards specific nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) or lacking in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber can lower your body’s metabolic efficiency and hinder fat burning.
For instance, drastically cutting carbohydrates might lead to temporary weight loss, but it can also decrease muscle mass, lower your basal metabolism, and cause your body to go into energy-saving mode due to insufficient energy.
Conversely, completely avoiding fats can disrupt hormone balance or impair the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
The “timing” of your meals is also important.
Eating late at night or binge eating due to skipping meals can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, leading to excessive insulin secretion and making it easier to store fat.<
Skipping breakfast not only makes your blood sugar more prone to rising after subsequent meals but has also been suggested to lower your morning metabolism.
Eating regular, balanced meals at appropriate times is essential for maintaining metabolism and efficiently burning fat.
For example, if your job is busy and you often rely on convenience store food, you might unconsciously choose fried foods, pastries, and sugary drinks.
These are convenient but tend to be high in calories, have unbalanced nutrition, and are hotbeds for hidden calories.
Instead, combining things like chicken salad, vegetable sticks, a rice ball, and unsweetened tea can make it easier to control your nutrition and calorie intake.
Also, if you eat out often, make it a habit to be mindful of menu choices like steamed or grilled dishes and fish dishes, and check if they include carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables.
Here are some specific points to reconsider about your diet:
- What you’re drinking: Change juices, sweetened coffee, and sports drinks to unsweetened beverages.
- Condiments you’re using: Reduce the amount of dressing and mayonnaise, or choose Japanese-style or oil-free types.
- Snacks: Limit sweets and snacks, and eat small amounts of nuts, yogurt, or fruit.
- Processed foods: Reduce ready-made meals and instant foods, and increase opportunities to cook at home.
- Nutrients: Aim to include a palm-sized portion of protein (meat, fish, eggs, soy products), two palm-sized portions of vegetables, and a fist-sized portion of carbohydrates (rice, bread, noodles, etc., as staple food) with every meal.
- Eating order: Start with fiber (vegetables, mushrooms, seaweed), then protein, and finally carbohydrates, in that order, to suppress rapid blood sugar spikes.
- Meal times: Try to eat meals at roughly the same time every day and avoid eating right before bedtime.
Being mindful of these points alone can help reduce hidden calories and balance nutrition.
Keeping a food diary often reveals unexpected pitfalls.
Not Just Lack of Exercise? The Importance of Effective Exercise Volume and Intensity
We often hear people say, “I walk every day, but I’m not losing weight…”
While exercise is definitely essential for weight loss, the issue might not just be a lack of exercise, but rather a matter of volume and intensity.
First, let’s talk about exercise volume.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends “150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week” for health promotion.
For walking, this means walking at a pace where you’re slightly out of breath for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
However, if your walking is just during your daily commute or at a leisurely stroll pace, the calories burned might not be as much as expected.
For instance, walking slowly for an hour might only burn about 200 kcal, which is often less than the calories in one convenience store rice ball.
Of course, it’s better than doing nothing, but if you’re aiming for significant weight loss, you might need a little more “volume.”
Next is intensity.
Even for the same amount of time, the calories burned vary greatly depending on the intensity of the exercise.
For example, interval training with repeated sprints where you are short of breath can burn more calories in a shorter time than a slow jog.
You can also expect an “afterburn effect” where your metabolism stays elevated after exercise.
Even more important is the type of exercise.
While aerobic exercise is effective for fat burning, strength training (anaerobic exercise) is equally important.
Muscle is a tissue that burns calories even at rest, and increasing muscle mass improves basal metabolism.
A higher basal metabolism means more calories are burned even when you are not exercising, which helps create a body that is less prone to weight gain and easier to lose weight from.
It is recommended to incorporate simple strength training like squats, push-ups, and planks 2-3 times a week, in addition to aerobic exercise like walking.
And, often overlooked when discussing “exercise habits” is NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis).
This refers to the calories burned through activities in daily life other than structured exercise, such as commuting, shopping, housework, and even fidgeting while sitting at a desk.
Consciously using stairs, walking one station further, or diligently cleaning your room can increase your total daily calorie expenditure.
For people with desk jobs, even regularly standing up to stretch or walk around can make a difference.
NEAT can sometimes have a greater impact on overall calorie burn than gym workouts through daily accumulation and can be a hidden key to successful weight loss.
To develop effective exercise habits, consider the following points:
- Ensure Sufficient Volume: Aim to do aerobic exercise at a pace that slightly elevates your heart rate for at least 30 minutes, daily or several times a week.
- Be Mindful of Intensity: Incorporate slightly challenging exercises sometimes to increase your body’s load.
- Introduce Strength Training: Do strength training that works large muscle groups 2-3 times a week. Simple exercises you can do at home are sufficient.
- Improve NEAT: Find ways to increase your activity level in daily life (use stairs, walk further, do housework thoroughly, etc.).
- Record and Set Goals: Track your exercise content and time, and set achievable goals.
Finding methods you can continue without strain is the most important thing.
Try incorporating ways to maintain motivation, such as enjoying the exercise itself, exercising with friends, or listening to your favorite music while walking.
Lack of Sleep and Stress Hinder Weight Loss
“I’m so busy I’m cutting back on sleep,” “Stress from work increases my appetite”… These can also be major reasons why you’re not losing weight.
Sleep and stress are critical factors that influence the success of your diet.
Lack of sleep disrupts the balance of hormones that control appetite.
Specifically, it increases ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, and decreases leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite.
This can lead to intense cravings for high-calorie foods and make you feel less full.
Additionally, lack of sleep impairs judgment and self-control, making you more likely to choose foods you should avoid when dieting.
While 7-8 hours of sleep is recommended, you should aim for at least 6 hours.
Stress is also a powerful enemy of weight loss.
Chronic stress causes excessive secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone, from the adrenal glands.
Cortisol is said to have a tendency to accumulate body fat, particularly around the abdomen.
Cortisol also increases blood sugar levels, which leads to insulin secretion, and this cycle can promote fat accumulation.
Furthermore, stress makes you more prone to stress eating and emotional eating, leading to calorie overload.
Lack of sleep and stress also disrupt the balance of the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system controls various vital functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature regulation, digestion, and absorption, and it is deeply involved in metabolism.
When the autonomic nervous system is imbalanced, energy consumption may not be efficient, and the body can go into an energy-saving mode.
Furthermore, night shifts and irregular lifestyles are known to disrupt the body clock and negatively affect hormone balance and metabolism.
The body is programmed to function in a certain rhythm, and when that rhythm is disturbed, energy metabolism becomes inefficient, making it easier to gain weight and accumulate body fat.
Here’s what you can do for sleep and stress management:
- Ensure sufficient sleep: Establish a habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep.
- Improve your sleep environment: Keep your bedroom dark and quiet, and avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.
- Relaxation: Create time to relax before bed, such as doing light stretching, taking a warm bath, or reading.
- Find stress relief methods: Find methods that work for you (hobbies, exercise, meditation, talking with friends, etc.) and practice them regularly.
- Recognize the importance of rest: Understand that dieting is not just about “keeping going,” but also about “resting properly.”
Sleep and stress management are just as, if not more, crucial to the success of your diet as diet and exercise.
Consciously incorporating rest and taking care of your mind and body will ultimately lead to successful weight loss.
Decreased Metabolism: Changes Due to Age and Body Composition
As you get older, many people feel like it’s harder to lose weight than when they were younger.
One reason for this is the gradual decrease in basal metabolic rate with age.
Basal metabolism is the minimum amount of energy consumed at rest to maintain vital functions.
This basal metabolism tends to decrease gradually after peaking during the growth phase.
In particular, muscle mass tends to decrease with age, and since basal metabolism also decreases when muscle mass decreases, you can become more prone to gaining weight and find it harder to lose weight even if your lifestyle remains the same, because your calorie expenditure decreases.
However, decreased metabolism is not just an issue of age.
Body composition is also heavily involved.
Body composition refers to the proportion of muscle, fat, bone, etc., in your body weight.
Compared to someone with a high body fat percentage and low muscle mass at the same weight, someone with a low body fat percentage and high muscle mass will have a higher basal metabolism.
Extreme dietary restrictions can lead to a loss of muscle along with fat, risking a decrease in basal metabolism.
This decrease in basal metabolism is one of the reasons why it’s easy to regain weight.
Furthermore, people with a high amount of visceral fat also tend to have a lower metabolism.
Visceral fat secretes various physiologically active substances, which can interfere with the action of insulin and cause chronic inflammation.
These factors can contribute to worsening metabolism.
To maintain and improve metabolism, the following points are important:
- Maintain/Increase Muscle Mass: Regularly engage in strength training to avoid losing muscle mass or to increase it.
- Eat a Balanced Diet: Consume sufficient protein, which is the building block for muscles.
Also, ensure you get enough nutrients involved in metabolism, such as B vitamins and minerals. - Be Mindful of Body Composition: Measure not just your weight but also your body fat percentage and muscle mass to understand your current state.
- Improve Cold Sensitivity: Since metabolism tends to be lower when body temperature is low, make an effort to keep your body warm.
Drink warm beverages, promote blood circulation with light exercise, etc.
Metabolism is influenced by overall daily lifestyle habits including diet, exercise, and sleep.
The natural decline due to age is unavoidable, but it is certainly possible to slow down this process or improve body composition to maintain and enhance metabolism by taking appropriate measures.
Potential Influence of Hormones and Diseases
Most dieting challenges can be resolved by improving lifestyle habits, but in some cases, difficulty losing weight may be caused by hormonal imbalances or specific diseases.
If the causes mentioned so far don’t apply, or if you’ve improved the suspected causes but see no change at all, consider consulting a medical institution.
Female-Specific Hormonal Imbalance Issues
The female body is significantly influenced by fluctuations in hormone balance during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.
Specifically, during the luteal phase before menstruation, the hormone progesterone can cause the body to retain water and fat, leading to weight gain or bloating.
This is usually temporary and resolves naturally when menstruation begins, but some people may become discouraged seeing weight gain during this period and feel like they “can’t lose weight.”
Furthermore, gynecological conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can also be related to weight gain and difficulty losing weight.
PCOS tends to be associated with high levels of male hormones and often accompanies insulin resistance (a condition where insulin’s ability to lower blood sugar is weakened).
This can make it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it.
If you have symptoms such as irregular menstruation, acne, or increased body hair, consult a gynecologist.
Additionally, during menopause (generally from the late 40s to early 50s), the secretion of estrogen, a female hormone, rapidly decreases.
Estrogen has the effect of suppressing fat accumulation and assisting insulin function.
Its decrease can lead to an increase in visceral fat, resulting in weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
Since basal metabolism also tends to decrease during menopause, it becomes even more important to pay attention to diet and exercise.
Conditions Such as Hypothyroidism
The thyroid gland is an organ that secretes hormones that control the body’s metabolism.
When the secretion of thyroid hormones decreases, a condition called “hypothyroidism” occurs.
This slows down overall body metabolism, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, feeling cold, and constipation, along with weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
Hypothyroidism can be diagnosed with a blood test.
If you have any of these symptoms and find it difficult to see results from your diet, it is recommended to have your thyroid function checked at a medical institution (such as internal medicine).
Other rare conditions, such as Cushing’s syndrome, where the adrenal glands secrete excessive cortisol, can also lead to central obesity (fat accumulation in the face and abdomen) and difficulty losing weight.
These conditions are uncommon but often present with distinctive symptoms along with weight gain and changes in body composition.
Influence of Medications Being Taken
Some medications can cause weight gain or increased appetite as a side effect.
Examples include certain antidepressants, steroids, some diabetes medications, and some high blood pressure medications.
If you are currently being treated for any illness and feel that you have started gaining weight or having difficulty losing weight after starting medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
It is dangerous to stop or reduce medication on your own.
You may be able to discuss alternative medications or strategies for weight gain.
If hormonal imbalance or a disease is the reason you are not losing weight, simply changing your diet method may not be effective.
The first step towards healthy weight management is to visit a medical institution to identify the cause and receive appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Strategies for Overcoming a Plateau
You were losing weight smoothly, but at some point, your weight stopped moving completely… This is a “plateau” that many dieters experience.
When your efforts don’t yield results, it’s natural for your motivation to decrease and feel like giving up.
However, a plateau is also a sign that your diet is going well, and by knowing the strategies to overcome it, you can move forward towards your goal again.
Diet Period and the Mechanism of the Plateau
Plateaus often occur after a few weeks to a few months of starting a diet.
Generally, they are likely to happen after a weight loss of about 5% of your initial body weight.
Why do plateaus happen?
This is because the body has a mechanism called homeostasis, which aims to maintain the body’s state at a constant level.
When caloric intake is reduced through dieting, the body tries to function with less energy by lowering metabolism and going into an energy-saving mode.
The body mistakes this for a state of starvation.
Also, as weight decreases, the energy consumed when moving the body naturally decreases.
For example, the calories burned when walking the same distance are different when you weigh more compared to when you weigh less.
Thus, a plateau is when the body temporarily stops losing weight as it tries to adapt to the new weight and energy intake.
This is not abnormal; it is a sign that the body is adapting, and in fact, it is a reaction to maintain a healthy state.
Concrete Methods to Break Through a Plateau
A plateau doesn’t last forever.
You can lose weight again by addressing it appropriately.
Here are concrete strategies to overcome a plateau.
- Slightly increase calorie intake (Cheat Day/Cheat Meal):
This is a method to temporarily increase calorie intake to resolve the possibility that your body thinks it is in a state of starvation.
You can designate one day a week as a “Cheat Day” where you can eat whatever you like, or incorporate a “Cheat Meal” where you eat a little more freely for one meal.
This is expected to make the body recognize that it is not in a starvation state and temporarily boost lowered metabolism.
However, even on a cheat day/meal, it’s important to eat in moderation, not without limits.
Doing this strategically can also help relieve stress. - Change Your Exercise Routine:
If you continue doing the same exercise, your body may get used to it, and calorie consumption might plateau.
By changing the type or intensity of your exercise, you give your body new stimulation and activate your metabolism.
For example, if you’ve only been doing aerobic exercise, incorporate strength training.
Change your strength training routine or weights, or increase the pace of your walking or incorporate hills to add variation.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), which involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise, can also be effective in breaking through a plateau. - Re-evaluate Your Diet’s Nutritional Balance:
A plateau could be a sign of nutritional deficiency.
Especially if you’re lacking protein, your muscle mass might be decreasing, and your metabolism could be slowing down.
Make a conscious effort to consume enough protein.
Also, getting enough fiber helps you feel full and aids in blood sugar control.
It can also be effective to switch the types of carbohydrates you eat, from refined grains to whole grains or brown rice. - Keep Detailed Records:
During a plateau, it’s even more important to keep detailed records of your diet, exercise, weight, body fat percentage, and physical changes (swelling, fatigue, etc.).
You might notice that you’ve been unknowingly consuming “hidden calories” or that your exercise volume has unconsciously decreased.
Looking at objective data makes it easier to identify where improvements are needed. - Prioritize Sleep and Stress Management:
As mentioned earlier, lack of sleep and stress are major enemies of dieting.
It’s possible that your metabolism has slowed down during a plateau due to these factors.
Ensure you get enough sleep and actively practice your preferred stress relief methods.
Refreshing your mind and body is crucial for overcoming a plateau. - Don’t Rush, Don’t Give Up:
A plateau is a natural process where your body adapts to changes.
It’s important not to rush or blame yourself unnecessarily.
Believe that “you can definitely overcome it” and persistently continue the healthy habits you’ve established.
Most people will start losing weight again once they overcome the plateau.
A plateau is also an opportunity to level up your diet.
See it as a good chance to review your past methods and explore more effective and sustainable approaches.
If You Feel Like You’re Trying But Not Losing Weight
“I’m watching what I eat, and I’m exercising. But I’m not losing weight at all…”
When you find yourself in this situation, it’s natural to feel like your efforts are not paying off and become disheartened.
However, it’s possible that the direction of your “effort” might be slightly off.
Here, we will provide hints for objectively checking if your current efforts are truly contributing to “weight loss efforts” and how to make improvements.
Check if You Are Practicing Correctly
“Correct methods” are concrete actions taken within a healthy and sustainable range to create a state where calories burned exceed calories consumed.
Let’s check from several angles if the diet methods you are practicing are truly effective.
Diet Checkpoints:
- Caloric Intake Awareness: Do you accurately know how many calories you are actually consuming?
Instead of just making simple calculations, try recording what you eat and finding out the calories for each food item.
It’s very common to realize you were “eating more than you thought.” - Overlooking Hidden Calories: As mentioned earlier, are you overlooking hidden calories lurking in drinks, seasonings, eating out, and processed foods?
Things you consume casually because they are small amounts can add up to significant calories. - Nutritional Imbalance: Are you eating a biased diet, such as eating only certain foods or severely restricting certain nutrients?
Nutritional imbalance can worsen metabolism and risk impairing body functions. - Quality of Food: Even with the same calorie count, your body reacts differently to sweets compared to a balanced meal of vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates.
Are you conscious of eating “good quality” food that is rich in nutrients? - Meal Timing and Frequency: Are you eating in ways that negatively affect your body clock and insulin secretion, such as binge eating due to skipping meals or eating late at night?
Exercise Checkpoints:
- Exercise Volume and Intensity: Is the exercise you are doing reaching the necessary volume and intensity for weight loss?
You can’t expect significant calorie expenditure from exercise that is too easy. - Balance of Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise: Are you incorporating strength training, which helps improve metabolism, in addition to aerobic exercise, which is effective for fat burning?
- Awareness of NEAT: Are you making efforts to increase your activity level in daily life?
Review whether you spend too much time sitting. - Consistency of Exercise: Is exercising becoming a sustainable habit, not just something you do intensely for a short period?
It’s important to make time for regular exercise, even if it’s just a few times a week.
Overall Lifestyle Checkpoints:
- Sleep Duration and Quality: Are you getting enough sleep (7-8 hours)?
Is the quality of your sleep good? - Stress Level: Are you experiencing chronic stress?
Do you have your own methods for relieving stress? - Hydration: Are you drinking enough water every day (aim for 1.5-2 liters)?
Dehydration can lower metabolism. - Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol is high in calories and also has an appetite-stimulating effect.
Are you drinking too much?
Objectively reviewing these checkpoints can help you confirm whether your “efforts” are truly leading to effective weight loss methods.
The Importance of Keeping Records
Keeping records is extremely important for checking whether your diet methods are correct and for overcoming plateaus.
You can gain various insights by recording not only visible numbers like weight and body fat percentage, but also your meal content, exercise, sleep duration, and mood.
Benefits of Keeping Records:
- Objective Situation Assessment: You can accurately grasp how much you are eating and how much you are moving.
You can see concrete data, not just your subjective feeling of “this much should be okay.” - Discovery of Hidden Calories and Nutritional Imbalance: By keeping a food diary, you can realize you’ve been frequently consuming unexpectedly high-calorie foods or that you’re lacking certain nutrients.
- Exercise Effectiveness Measurement: By keeping exercise records, you can see how much your body changes, or doesn’t change, with a certain amount of exercise.
- Motivation Maintenance: Recording changes in weight and body fat percentage makes it easier to notice small changes, which helps maintain motivation.
Even during a plateau, recording your diet and exercise allows you to affirm yourself by thinking, “I’m trying so hard.” - Cause Identification: Records can provide clues to identify problems, such as whether the reason for not losing weight is in your diet, exercise, or perhaps lack of sleep or stress.
For example, you might discover a pattern like “My weight always increases after eating this meal” or “I tend to overeat the day after I haven’t gotten enough sleep.” - Consultation Material for Experts: When consulting with medical professionals or experts, having concrete records makes it easier to receive more precise advice.
You can use a smartphone app, notebook, Excel, or whatever method is easiest for you to continue keeping records.
It might seem troublesome at first, but even doing it for a few days will likely reveal a surprising number of things.
Records are a powerful tool to help you succeed in your diet.
Fundamental Solutions for Healthy Weight Loss
To solve the problem of “wanting to lose weight but not being able to” and build a healthy body that is less prone to regaining weight, you need to reconsider fundamental aspects such as your diet, exercise habits, and lifestyle rather than relying on quick fixes.
Here, we explain the basic principles and concrete methods for sustainable weight loss based on scientific evidence.
Reconfirming the Basics of Calorie Balance
The fundamental principle for healthy weight loss is common to everyone, regardless of body type.
It is to “maintain a state where calories burned exceed calories consumed.”
This is called “calorie balance (energy balance).”
- Calories Consumed: Energy taken into the body from food and drinks.
- Calories Burned: Energy consumed by the body through basal metabolism, physical activity (exercise and daily life), and the thermic effect of food (energy used for digestion and absorption).
To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume.
For example, to lose 1 kg of body fat, you need a deficit of approximately 7200 kcal.
If you want to lose 1 kg of fat in a month, you need to maintain a daily deficit of about 240 kcal.
This can be achieved by reducing your daily calorie intake by 240 kcal, increasing your calorie expenditure by 240 kcal, or a combination of both.
However, drastic calorie restriction is not recommended as it can lead to muscle loss and decreased metabolism.
A guideline that is easy to continue without strain and helps maintain muscle mass is to reduce your daily calorie intake by about 200-500 kcal from your current maintenance calories (the calorie intake at which your weight is stable), without going below your basal metabolic rate.
Start by finding out your basal metabolic rate and estimated calorie expenditure.
Practicing a Balanced Diet
Along with being mindful of calorie balance, practicing a balanced diet is extremely important.
Simply reducing calories is not enough; the type of food from which you get your calories greatly affects your body’s state and metabolism.
Points for a Balanced Diet:
- Include a main dish (carbohydrates), a main course (protein), and a side dish (vegetables, mushrooms, seaweed): By including these three elements in every meal, you naturally tend to consume a variety of nutrients.
- Consume sufficient high-quality protein: Aim for a palm-sized portion of protein (lean meat, fish, eggs, soy products, dairy products, etc.) with every meal.
Protein is not only a building block for muscles but also helps increase satiety after meals and boosts the thermic effect of food. - Eat plenty of fiber: Dietary fiber, found in vegetables, mushrooms, seaweed, beans, and whole grains, offers many benefits for dieting, such as suppressing rapid blood sugar spikes, prolonging satiety, and improving gut health.
- Be mindful of the quality of fats: There are fats you should consume and fats you should limit.
Unsaturated fatty acids found in fish (DHA/EPA), olive oil, and nuts are fats you want to actively consume.
On the other hand, limit saturated fats and trans fats found in fatty meats, fried foods, and processed foods. - Limit refined carbohydrates: Be careful not to consume too much white rice, white bread, noodles, and sweets and drinks containing a lot of sugar, as they can cause rapid blood sugar spikes.
Instead, choosing brown rice, whole wheat bread, buckwheat noodles, and potatoes is recommended. - Meal frequency and timing: Try to eat three meals a day at regular times as much as possible.
If you snack, choose nutritious options and be mindful of the amount.
Avoid eating late at night. - Drink enough water: It’s important to drink water frequently to ensure smooth metabolism and feel full.
Choose unsweetened beverages like water or tea.
As an example of a balanced menu, try combining simple and nutritious options like yogurt and fruit, whole wheat bread, and eggs for breakfast.
For lunch, a rice ball, chicken salad, and vegetable salad.
For dinner, grilled fish, plenty of vegetable miso soup, and brown rice.
Aim for a healthy and delicious eating lifestyle that you can continue for life, rather than extreme dietary restrictions.
Finding Sustainable Exercise Habits
Exercise not only increases calorie expenditure but also helps maintain and increase muscle mass to improve metabolism, relieve stress, and improve sleep quality, making it an essential component of successful weight loss.
However, many people find exercise difficult or lack the time, making it hard to make it a habit.
Finding sustainable exercise habits requires some effort.
Tips for Making Exercise a Habit:
- Set Goals: Set specific goals, such as what type of exercise, how many times a week, and for how long you will do it.
It’s recommended to start with small, achievable goals rather than setting them too high initially. - Enjoy It: Finding enjoyment in exercise itself is the biggest secret to consistency.
Find methods that feel fun to you, such as walking while listening to your favorite music, trying a sport or dance you’re interested in, or making a scenic route your walking course. - Leverage “Incidentally”: If it’s difficult to set aside special time for exercise, incorporate it into your daily life.
Make it a habit to walk one station on your commute, use stairs, stretch during breaks, or do strength training while watching TV.
By being mindful of these “incidental” opportunities, you can increase your chances to exercise. - Keep Records: Recording your exercise type and duration helps you objectively track your efforts and makes it easier to feel a sense of accomplishment.
This also contributes to maintaining motivation. - Find Companions: Exercising with family or friends, or joining an exercise community, can help you stay motivated by encouraging each other.
- Combine Different Types of Exercise: Doing the same exercise every day might become boring.
Combining multiple types of exercise, such as walking, jogging, strength training, yoga, and stretching, can help you stay motivated and train your entire body in a balanced way.
Exercising excessively not only increases the risk of injury but can also be mentally taxing.
It’s better to start by simply making it a habit to “move your body” and gradually increase the type and intensity of your exercise.
Sometimes, exercising for a short time every day can be more effective than exercising for a long time just once a week.
Quality Sleep and Stress Management
Diet and exercise alone are not enough.
Ensuring quality sleep and managing stress well are the foundations of healthy weight loss.
Tips for Quality Sleep:
- Regular Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to regulate your body clock.
Ideally, keep the difference between weekdays and weekends to a minimum. - Relaxation Routine Before Bed: Avoid using smartphones and computers for 1-2 hours before bed, dim the lights, take a warm bath, read a book, or create time to relax.
- Optimize Bedroom Environment: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature.
- Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol Before Bed: These can decrease sleep quality.
Tips for Stress Management:
- Identify Stressors: Start by figuring out what is causing you stress.
- Practice Stress Relief Methods: Consciously engage in stress relief methods that work for you, such as exercise, hobbies, talking with friends, meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.
- Have the Courage to Rest: Don’t push yourself too hard; it’s important to rest when you’re tired.
Quality rest not only helps reduce stress but also aids in physical recovery. - Don’t Aim for Perfection: Dieting itself can be stressful.
Don’t push yourself to “do everything perfectly.”
It’s also important to have a flexible attitude and be willing to make adjustments along the way.
Sleep and stress are critical factors for maximizing the effects of diet and exercise.
By not neglecting these, and aiming for a healthy state of both mind and body, you will ultimately succeed in losing weight.
When to Consult a Professional
If you’ve tried various things on your own but still can’t lose weight, or if you’re feeling unwell, consider seeking help from a professional instead of dealing with it alone.
Getting appropriate advice or treatment can significantly change your stagnant situation.
Signs You Should See a Doctor
If you are struggling with “wanting to lose weight but not being able to” and experience any of the following signs, it’s recommended to consult a medical institution rather than self-diagnosing:
- Sudden Weight Fluctuation: If you’ve experienced unexplained rapid weight gain or loss in a short period.
- Severe Fatigue or Swelling: If you have persistent severe fatigue throughout your body, or swelling in your limbs or face, unrelated to dieting.
- Feeling Cold, Constipation, Dry Skin: If you suspect symptoms of thyroid hypothyroidism.
- Irregular Menstruation, Acne, Excessive Hair Growth: If you are a woman experiencing these symptoms along with weight gain (possible signs of PCOS).
- Depressed Mood or Anxiety: If you’re experiencing persistent mental distress in addition to your weight loss worries.
- History of Specific Diseases or Currently Undergoing Treatment: Especially if you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, or are taking medications with weight gain as a side effect.
- No effect from trying various diet methods: If you’ve made changes to your diet and exercise, addressing common causes, but see no change.
A medical institution can perform blood tests and other examinations to check if an underlying medical condition is contributing to weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
If a cause is identified, you can receive appropriate treatment and guidance on diet and exercise tailored to your condition.
Consider consulting an internal medicine physician, endocrinologist, or gynecologist.
Utilizing Diet Specialists and Registered Dietitians
Even if there doesn’t seem to be a medical issue, if you feel you’ve reached a limit with dieting on your own, consulting a diet specialist or registered dietitian can be very effective.
- Diet Specialist: Professionals like fitness trainers and diet coaches can support your weight loss from various perspectives, including exercise, diet, and mental well-being.
They can help you create a concrete plan tailored to your lifestyle and body type and support its execution. - Registered Dietitian: As food experts, they can analyze problems in your eating habits and create a balanced, sustainable meal plan for you.
They can provide specific advice tailored to your situation, such as if you eat out often or are not good at cooking.
Experts can identify issues you might not have noticed yourself and provide effective advice based on scientific evidence.
Also, regular consultations and progress reviews can help maintain your motivation.
While there is a cost involved, considering the risks of taking a roundabout approach on your own or harming your health, seeking support from an expert can be a valuable choice.
For example, if you consult a registered dietitian, they will first ask about your usual diet in detail and point out any issues.
They might tell you things like, “You’re using too much jam on your breakfast bread,” “You think you’re eating vegetables, but the amount isn’t enough,” or “That chocolate snack is surprisingly high in calories.”
They can then suggest alternative options or recipes that are easy to continue.
If you’re having trouble establishing an exercise routine, you can consult a fitness trainer, who can create a simple home workout plan for you or teach you the correct form.
Don’t struggle alone; having the courage to seek help from professionals when needed is also a crucial step towards successful weight loss.
Disclaimer:
This article is for general information purposes only and does not endorse any specific treatment or product.
Also, the optimal diet method and its effects vary depending on individual body type and health status.
If you act based on the information in this article, please do so at your own risk.
If you have a chronic illness, are currently undergoing treatment, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have other health concerns, please consult a doctor before starting a diet.
We are not responsible for any damages caused by the information in this article.
Summary: If you want to lose weight but can’t, what are the hidden causes and solutions?
Losing weight can be a frustrating journey, especially when your efforts don’t seem to pay off.
It’s a common struggle to say, “I want to lose weight, but I can’t.”
This feeling of being stuck can stem from various factors beyond just diet and exercise.
This article explores the potential reasons behind the inability to lose weight and provides practical, evidence-based solutions for achieving sustainable weight loss.
Whether the challenge lies in subtle dietary pitfalls, ineffective exercise routines, lifestyle factors like sleep and stress, hormonal imbalances, or even underlying medical conditions, understanding the root cause is the first step.
By identifying the specific barriers, you can adjust your approach and pave the way for successful weight management.
This article delves into common culprits such as hidden calories, unbalanced nutrition, the importance of effective exercise intensity and volume, the impact of insufficient sleep and chronic stress, and the natural decrease in metabolism with age and changes in body composition.
It also touches upon less common but significant factors like hormonal issues (especially for women), thyroid problems, and the side effects of certain medications.
For those who hit a plateau, the article explains the physiological reasons behind it and offers strategies to break through, including adjusting calorie intake, changing exercise routines, and meticulously tracking progress.
It emphasizes the importance of self-assessment to ensure your efforts are aligned with effective weight loss principles and highlights the value of consistent record-keeping.
Ultimately, the focus shifts to fundamental, healthy solutions: understanding and managing your calorie balance, adopting a balanced and nutritious diet, finding sustainable exercise habits, and prioritizing quality sleep and stress management.
Finally, it guides you on when and how to seek professional help from healthcare providers or registered dietitians if needed.
By addressing these multifaceted aspects of weight loss, you can move beyond the frustration of “wanting to lose weight but not being able to” and embark on a path towards a healthier, more energized self.
Remember, successful weight loss is a journey, not a race, and it requires patience, consistency, and a holistic approach to well-being.
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