Lost weight recently, only to find that it’s found you again? Seems like a hide and seek which one cannot win, most times.
So why does it happen? Why do we regain the weight we lost?( Most times with a tremendous effort and sacrifices) It comes back so quickly and in some cases the regain is more than the starting weight prior to the weight loss journey.
The answer may lie in something known as Metabolic Adaptation.
It means that our bodies actively adjust our metabolism and bring about Adaptive Thermogenesis, which in turn slows down our Resting Energy Expenditure and our Non Resting Energy Expenditure as well.
(REE and nREE are the measures that let us know how many calories an individual uses for daily maintenance)
There are other neuro endocrine factors as well, such as leptin (a protein found in fat cells, that signals the brain that you are full) levels may not stay optimised, resulting in lack of satiety after a meal.
The thyroid stimulating hormone also sees a decline, resulting in lowered levels of essential thyroid hormones that are necessary for balancing energy expenditure.
Simply put, the more weight we lose, at least initially, our body tries to reduce the energy expenditure in an effort to hold on to the weight. This is usually the case in individuals who go through a rapid weight loss.
My take on this Yo Yo weight loss and gain is this:
- The longer one has been at an increased weight, the more the body will oppose a significant weight loss.
- The faster one tries to lose weight, the higher the chances of weight regain, in addition to other neuro endocrine problems.
- Reasonably paced weight loss under supervision, if possible, is the best for long term weight reduction.
- As you are reducing your weight gradually, you needs to ensure that your nutrition is on point (with whole foods first and any supplements needed next).
- Increase your activity levels to adapt to the reduced Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) during your weight loss journey.
Till next time,
Stay Healthy
Stay Happy
Mitun De Sarkar – Best Dietitian in Dubai
