Weight Loss Not Working? Here Is What Dr Longevity Says

We all yearn to stay in a perfect shape but sometimes despite putting all efforts the weight-loss efforts go in vain. You need not worry if you see your weight loss strategies getting backfired or not reaping any rewards. It is important to assess your eating habits, stress level, sleeping patterns, and even the daily routine when you notice that scale has stopped budging. Sometimes hormonal changes, medications, and even daily movement can prevent weight-loss.

Losing weight and remaining in shape is crucial for maintaining long term health. Maintaining a healthy weight ratio can significantly alleviate the risk of chronic disease, enhance quality of life, and improve mental and physical well-being. Even a moderate decline of 5 to 10% in weight can lead to potential improvement in overall health like reduced blood pressure, improved cholesterol, and better blood sugar control.

Recently, Dr Thomas Paloschi, popularly known as Dr Longevity, shared key reasons responsible behind not losing weight. He took to his Instagram handle and shared a post titled, “Weight regulation is influenced by far more than diet and exercise alone. If progress has stalled, it is worth looking at the bigger picture: sleep quality, insulin resistance, food quality, ultra-processed food intake, daily movement outside the gym, medications, hormone shifts such as PCOS or menopause, and overall metabolic health.” 1

You eat well, you exercise, you stay consistent. And, still fat loss feels harder than it should be. Sometimes the issue is not motivation. It is biology, added Dr Longevity. When the weight stops decreasing despite eating healthy and indulging in regular physical workout, the situation is called weight loss plateau.

What Is Weight Loss Plateau?

It is a situation when your weight stops changing. Witnessing weight-loss plateau can occur to anyone trying to shed those extra bulges. The situation may leave many surprised and demotivated as they are still doing exercises and eating healthy diet regularly. 

He listed the following reasons below when you hit weight loss plateau:

1. You May Be Moving Less Without Noticing: Dr Thomas Paloschi stated that you may be burning lesser energy outside your workouts by moving less without noticing. It may include reduced walking, reduced standing, and decreased spontaneous movement. You may keep the same workouts and still burn lesser calories across the day.

2. Sleep Loss Changes Appetite Biology: Poor sleep can change hunger, food cravings, and food intake. A systemic review discovered that sleep restriction enhanced daily calorie intake by nearly 300 kcal/day on average. If sleep apnea is present, the problem may even get aggravated, emphasised Dr Longevity.

3. Ultra-Processed Food Alters Satiety And Intake: Consumption of ultra-processed can enhance calorie intake and bring down satiety. In a controlled trial, people who ate approximately 500 more kcal/day on an ultra-processed diet. They ended up gaining 0.9 kg in 14 days while consumption of unprocessed foods led to weight loss. Possible reasons include faster eating and weaker satiety level.

4. Insulin Resistance Changes Fuel Handling: The doctor disclosed that insulin resistance can change how the body stores and uses energy. It is often associated with visceral fat, fatty liver, high triglycerides, and poorer glucose control. It can make fat loss harder and worsen metabolic health.

5. PCOS And Menopause Can Change How The Body Responds: PCOS is strongly linked to insulin resistance. In menopause, lower estrogen often shifts fat storage toward the abdomen. That is why the same strategy that worked earlier in life may stop working later. 

6. Some Medications Make Fat Loss Harder: Some medication can make fat loss harder, including some specific antidepressant, antipsychotics, glucocorticoids, insulin and some diabetes drugs, and blood pressure medications. If body weight changed after a medication change, that is clinically relevant and should not be ignored.

7. Mitochondria: Dr. Longevity said mitochondria helps cell produce energy efficiently. When mitochondria function gets impaired, metabolic health is likely to suffer. This is often associated with insulin resistance and poorer energy regulation. Mitochondria matter, but they are usually part of mechanism, not the whole diagnosis.

If fat loss feels unusually difficult, you need to assess the following factors given below:

• Sleep duration and sleep apnea risk

• Ultra-processed foods

• Liquid calories and alcohol

• Movement outside formal exercise

• Medications

• Signs of insulin resistance

• PCOS or menopause-related changes

What Blood Tests You Should Discuss with Your Doctor  

• A practical first metabolic screen often includes

• HbA1c or fasting glucose

• Fasting lipid panel

• ALT/AST

• Creatine, electrolytes, chemistry panel

• TSH when thyroid symptoms or history fit

Then personalize from the phenotype:

• PCOS/androgen workup if there are irregular cycles or androgen-excess signs

• Sleep apnea evaluation if there is snoring, fatigue, or witnessed apneas

• Additional endocrine testing only when the history or exam suggest it

The doctor concluded the post saying, “do not reduce fat loss to calories and exercise alone. When progress stalls, the issue is often deeper. Sleep hormones, insulin resistance, satiety, medications, and metabolic adaption. Sometimes the answer is not pushing harder. It is correcting the biology that is holding you back.”

FAQs

References

1. Dr Thomas Paloschi, popularly known as Dr Longevity via Instagram|Weight loss regulation

Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health or treatment options.