Our bodies were designed primitively to avoid weight loss. In ancient times because of the scarcity of food, our bodies developed a mechanism to sustain energy storage for longer time periods to support our body functions. This was eventually imprinted in our genes. The times changed, our lives became more sedentary and thankfully there is no scarcity of food, especially in the part of the world where we live. We are now challenged with difficulty with increasing energy expenditure and decreasing energy storage. The key player in energy regulation within our body is called “Metabolism”, and our metabolism is impacted by our age, lifestyle (diet and activity), hormones, and our genetic makeup. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the relationship between metabolism and weight loss.
Why does most weight loss attempt fail?
Most weight loss programs guarantee a certain percentage of weight loss in 3 months. While these may have immediate results but soon after the program ends the weight is regained. Moreover, it becomes harder to lose weight afterward and the same strategy does not work. In addition, it wreaks havoc on your metabolism.
Our metabolism is highly impacted by weight-loss attempts. When we lose weight immediately the body mounts a defense against further weight loss by
- Increasing hunger hormones
- Decreasing satiety hormones
- Slowing down the metabolic rate (the rate at which we burn calories)
The effect of a weight loss attempt on metabolism is highly individualized. A person can experience a drop in their metabolic rate anywhere between 100-900 kcal/day after a weight loss attempt. It is therefore crucial to seek medical help earlier to achieve healthier results that are sustainable.
Obesity Canada has stressed the importance of recognizing and being leery of commercial weight-loss programs that promise overly rapid weight loss without diet or exercise while eating as much food as you want, that promise reduction of weight from particular locations n the body, offers reviews and testimonials that seem too good to be true. On the same line, many natural weight loss products are available in the market without prescription. None of these have been proven to provide meaningful sustainable weight loss in high-quality studies
At MetaMed we refrain from making unrealistic promises. We identify the barriers in your weight loss journey and help you overcome the obstacles through evidence-based strategies. These include medications, mindset coaching along with continuous support and feedback throughout the program. We, therefore, focus on providing meaningful weight loss which will help reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome and related chronic conditions.
