Why do most people’s weight loss efforts fail?
Because the body has an automatic adaptation process.
If you look around at overweight individuals, do they often have the characteristics of being sensitive to heat and resistant to cold? In the summer, they often appear flushed and complain about the heat, while in the fall and winter, they can wear light clothing as if it’s a glitch. This is actually a manifestation of a “high” basal metabolic rate. The body knows it has gained weight, so it increases the metabolic rate to achieve a balance. Therefore, as long as an overweight person isn’t completely driven by the desire for junk food at every meal, it is very difficult for them to become excessively obese.
So, when an overweight person decides to lose weight, they will enter a phase of benefit. They start to actively eat less and exercise more, while maintaining a high metabolic state. At this point, there will naturally be a calorie deficit, and their weight will begin to drop. Encouraged by this progress, an overweight person will be able to sustain this state for a while, leading to continuous weight loss, and everything seems wonderful.
However, the body is capable of self-regulation. After some weight loss, the body will think it is facing a famine and will lower its basal metabolic rate. The once heat-sensitive, cold-resistant overweight person will then become heat-tolerant and cold-sensitive, with reduced resting energy expenditure, thus returning to a balance with their current diet and exercise state. This is known as the plateau phase.
However, the current diet and exercise habits are very demanding, which is the norm for an overweight person who is gritting their teeth to persist. Most overweight individuals think that once they successfully lose weight, they will no longer have to endure this tough lifestyle. Yet, the body doesn’t give individuals that opportunity. During the plateau phase, gritting one’s teeth and persisting doesn’t yield weight loss results, which can greatly undermine willpower. Many overweight individuals return to their previous eating habits at this point. With a low metabolic rate and previous intake, rebound is only natural.
Those who can truly succeed in losing weight treat the operations during the weight loss process as a long-term habit. Either they have gotten used to monotonous meal plans, which isn’t too common as it can be quite dull. However, some people continue to persist in exercising; many begin to enjoy long-distance running for weight loss, gradually developing a love for it, running more and more, and achieving milestones like half-marathons and full marathons. Running becomes a part of their life, with monthly running distances exceeding a hundred kilometers. At this point, even if they return to their previous diet, they can maintain a healthy body shape. This is also quite difficult to achieve, requiring free time and perseverance.
