Diets have been around for decades, and despite the absence of any evidence that they produce significant long-term weight loss, we continue to engage with them.
Why?
Because as a culture, we believe that a perfect body weight is achievable if we do the right thing. However, as anyone who has ever dieted knows, this is not true. Even if all advice is followed, the inevitable happens. You stop losing weight.
At this point, you haven’t failed, but two questions need to be asked:
Could I eat any fewer calories and still enjoy my life?
Could I exercise any more and still enjoy my life?
If the answer to either question is “Yes,” a plateau has been reached.
A plateau happens when your body adjusts to its new food and exercise program. Having lost muscle mass as well as fat, your body slows down its metabolism, or energy-burning system, to protect itself.
This means you burn fewer calories than you did at your heavier weight, even doing the same activities.
At this point, to lose more weight, you need to further increase activity or decrease your food intake. For example, if you started walking 30 minutes daily, you may want to increase it to 40.
If the answer to both questions is “No,” and body weight has not changed in six to eight weeks, then a weight-loss “floor” has been reached.
This means it will be very hard to lose any more weight.
At this point, you may want to consider yourself to be at your best weight, which may not be your ideal weight, but the healthiest weight you can realistically enjoy. Many people fail to accept their biological limitations, and at this point get frustrated and “fall off the wagon.”
Diets have been replaced by lifestyle changes, because unless you can “live like this forever,” you are likely to regain the weight. Eating less and exercising more are useful tools in weight loss but need to be incorporated in a way where you still enjoy your life. Most importantly, when making weight-loss goals, you need to be realistic and respect your body’s limitations.
- Serena Caner is a registered dietician who works at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.