[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
Like many people, I struggle with being overweight and have difficulty losing weight. Usually I stagnate after losing a few kilograms. But why can’t I do more? Why can’t I lose weight despite all the advice and books I read? Exercising and dieting left me frustrated.
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
I can’t lose weight: is it because I skip breakfast?
My doctor told me that my difficulty losing weight could be because I don’t eat breakfast.
According to chrononutrition experts, when I skip the first meal of the day, it can harm me. This would explain the hunger I feel later and which pushes me to eat well at lunch. (I’m probably doing too much at this point).
Skipping breakfast means I’m missing out on important dietary benefits. Researchers have found that people who lose weight and stay trim are usually those who eat a healthy breakfast. Eating breakfast can help me lose weight in different ways.
According to the principles of chrononutrition, eating a calorie-controlled breakfast can help reduce late-morning cravings. These cravings, like hair on soup, can lead to unhealthy cravings when the only food available is high-calorie junk food from vending machines or fast-food restaurants. This type of diet is likely to be high in sugar, calories, and starch (which leaves me hungry shortly after eating).
On the chrononutrition diet, eating a modest breakfast and small meals throughout the day helps me strengthen portion control. Eating reasonable portions is not only a smart way to lose weight, it’s the most effective way to maintain the weight once you’ve reached your goal. If you stay satisfied with reasonable portions of food throughout the day, you reduce the chances of overeating at lunch or dinner to make up for the lack of calories.
Eating a healthy breakfast with lean proteins and whole grains helps me feel full and comfortable throughout the day. Protein takes longer to digest, which helps me feel full longer. Fiber also helps increase my satiety. Foods with fiber help me maintain stable blood sugar levels to avoid sugar cravings that derail my diet.
Nutrition books advise trying to eat within an hour of waking up. A breakfast rich in fiber and protein can help you feel full longer. In the morning, try foods like:
- cottage cheese
- fruits
- eggs
- whole wheat toast
- Greek yogurt
- a banana
Is it because I eat late at night?
My nutritionist told me that eating late at night could negatively impact my weight loss. He said it can raise my body temperature, blood sugar and insulin, making it harder to burn fat. He advised me to try to eat dinner at least 3 hours before going to bed.
Be careful with snacks after dinner. You eat more calories than you think when you snack while watching TV or using the computer. You might also be tempted to turn to unhealthy foods like ice cream or chips.
Current evidence shows no physiological reason why eating before bed should lead to weight gain. However, several studies show that people who eat before bed are more likely to gain weight.
According to some chrononutrition books, it turns out that people who eat before bed are more likely to gain weight simply because a bedtime snack is an extra meal and, therefore, extra calories.
Evening is the time of day when I tend to feel hungrier. Bedtime snacks ended up increasing my calorie intake relative to my daily calorie needs.
Chrono diet: can my metabolism penalize me?
My personal trainer confirmed to me that the speed at which you burn calories depends on my metabolism, that is to say all of the chemical reactions that maintain my body. No matter how much I split hairs, my genes will drag me down.
According to chrononutrition diet experts, if you have a slow metabolism, your genes may be the cause. You may also not have enough lean muscle mass. People with lean, muscular bodies burn more calories than people with a higher body fat percentage.
Other factors that can affect how well you burn calories include old age, and eating little. My metabolism slows down by about 2% to 8% per decade. This may be due to a decrease in my muscle mass. This sounds strange, but the truth is that if I skip meals or follow a very low-calorie time diet, it can backfire by making me burn calories more slowly.
To improve your metabolism on a chrononutrition diet, lift weights to increase your lean muscle mass and avoid chrono diets that have very few calories.
Chrononutrition diet: can sleep influence weight loss?
It’s true: lack of sleep can really affect my weight. When I’m sleep deprived, it’s easy to rely on a large latte to get me moving. I’m tempted to not exercise (too tired), get carried out for dinner, and then come home late because I’m busy cutting my hair.
If this cascade of events happens a few times a year, there is no reason to tear your hair out. The problem is that more than a third of city dwellers don’t sleep regularly enough. However, chrononutrition diet experts agree that a chrononutrition diet and physical exercise are also important for health, well-being and weight.
My doctor told me that if I don’t get enough sleep, it can be difficult to lose weight. My metabolism may slow down and I won’t burn calories as quickly as I’d like.
I might also have less energy when I don’t get enough sleep. This can make my exercise sessions more difficult.
When you’re tired, you’re more likely to make poor food choices, like choosing candy over fruit. In a recent study, people who didn’t get enough sleep ate about 300 more calories per day than those who got more rest.
According to chrononutrition diet specialists, sleep is like nutrition for the brain. Most people need 7 to 9 hours each night. Get less than that, and your body will react in a way that will drive even the most determined person.
Too little sleep triggers a cortisol spike. This stress hormone signals your body to conserve energy to fuel your waking hours.
Researchers found that when dieters stopped sleeping for 14 days, the amount of weight they lost from fat decreased by 55 percent, even though their calories remained the same. They felt hungrier and less satisfied after meals.
Is my thyroid stopping me from losing weight?
Despite my time diet, I had enormous difficulty getting rid of my excess pounds. After a thorough examination, my doctor informed me that it was caused by my thyroid.
If your thyroid is underactive, you may have a condition called hypothyroidism. This can lead to weight gain due to a buildup of salt and water in your body.
Hyperthyroidism refers to an overactive thyroid. Many people who suffer from it lose weight, but others gain extra pounds because it can make you feel hungrier.
How the thyroid affects your metabolism, energy and weight is complex. Other hormones and proteins and metabolites may also play a role.
Could this be linked to my genes?
Some bodies are simply best for burning fat that others. It’s something you inherit from your parents or grandparents.
I have no control over the genes passed to me. So I have to work a little harder to burn calories and lose weight.
According to the basic rules of the chrononutrition diet, genetics play an interesting role in body composition, especially when it comes to body fat. Your body is designed to store fat in certain places, based on gender, age, and, of course, your family’s genes.
If I am a woman, naturally, I will probably have more fat than men because fat plays an important role in the reproductive process. The essential fat values for men and women are 3% and 8-12%, respectively.
Genes, however, will determine whether I will have that fat around my hips and thighs, as opposed to retaining fat in my upper body. Men, on the other hand, tend to have fat in their abdomen, but can also have it in other places.
Is stopping smoking the cause of my difficulty losing weight?
After frequent coughs combined with severe chest pain, I decided to stop smoking. (I took at least 30 daily). A few days later, I noticed that I was overweight. And despite my efforts to lose the pounds deemed superfluous, nothing happens.
When I inquired, I discovered that the weight gain was due to the absence of nicotine in my body. Specialists specify that in the body of former smokers who successfully quit, there is no longer any nicotine to curb appetite and increase energy expenditure. It’s true: I admit that when I smoked, my appetite decreased. Now that I’ve stopped smoking, I sometimes snack between main meals.
In my doctor’s opinion, the 4 kilograms gained after quitting smoking brought my weight to its normal level. So I don’t have to submit to a drastic diet. I just need to adopt good eating habits and it will be perfect!
Does my diet consist of fake slimming foods?
For me, eating foods with a low fat content is the solution to losing weight and staying in shape. This is also what is said about “light” meals such as certain biscuits, vinaigrette, yogurt and crème fraîche.
But the problem is that these low-fat foods are not necessarily low in calories since they may contain salt and/or sugar in large quantities. It is better to make sure of the content of everything you eat.
I’m dealing with my hair loss instead of losing weight noticeably
Can dieting cause hair loss? Hair loss can result from a diet lacking essential nutrients. Too few calories or a very restrictive diet can also lead to hair loss. Diets, especially bland ones, can cause this loss. If your diet does not contain enough protein and iron, it can negatively affect your hair growth.
A more likely cause of hair loss when losing weight is telogen effluvium. Sudden or excessive weight loss caused by physical stress can push hair follicles into their resting phase. This is when a lot of hair falls out. Other stressors like high fever, childbirth, and surgery can lead to telogen effluvium. This rest phase generally lasts two or three months. Hair growth returns to normal thereafter.
Here is my little video on the subject:
Sources:
Here’s Why Some People Can Lose Weight While Others Can’t