Losing weight is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes you lose weight for a short period of time, but it creeps right back after a few months. Other times, it creeps back plus more. However, losing weight is never easy, and there are many factors that can make the process even more difficult.
Chronic stress
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There are many things that prevent people from losing weight, and one of the biggest obstacles is chronic stress. Chronic stress inhibits the weight loss process by preventing healthy eating and exercise. Chronic stress also causes food cravings and excessive drinking, which leads to weight gain. In addition, chronic stress causes the body to produce the stress hormone cortisol, which increases blood sugar levels. High cortisol increases appetite and promotes fat storage.
Negative body image
Negative body image is a complex issue. Many factors play a role, including gender, age, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. However, research on negative body image has focused primarily on the correlations between these factors. Low body satisfaction is commonly associated with higher levels of depression, but the exact causes of these associations remain unclear.
Diet foods high in sugar
One of the most common obstacles to weight loss is consuming too much sugar. While no single food item will affect your weight, certain food combinations can. Luckily, there are plenty of healthy, sugar-free alternatives available.
Exercise boosts your metabolism
Research has shown that exercise improves metabolism but not necessarily weight loss. Many factors affect metabolism, including genetics, age, weight, and underlying medical conditions. Some types of exercise have little effect on metabolism, while others can significantly improve metabolism. For example, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to increase metabolic rate over the long term.
Perceived barriers to continuing a weight loss program
To determine which barriers are most important to adherence to a weight loss program, researchers surveyed people with different levels of obesity. The results suggested that barriers to poor adherence to the program were primarily related to social and situational factors, as well as the participants' level of motivation.
Contextual barriers to adherence to dietary recommendations
A recent study identified situational barriers to adherence to dietary recommendations for weight loss in a sample of overweight or obese women. The main barriers reported were stress, depression, appetite, and time. The study found that perceived barriers were inversely related to obesity. Furthermore, obese women reported fewer barriers than overweight women. This finding may be associated with obese subjects underreporting their barriers.
