When you can’t lose weight no matter how hard you try or how little you eat, it can get depressing. You have likely already tried all the fad diets as well, which has only caused more frustration and disappointment and also failed to remove any significant amount of weight. When asking yourself “why can’t I lose weight?" the first step in answering this question is to find out what's happening in your body and why.
There are people who have struggled with weight loss who experience reduced mobility due to health issues - those who want to be active and can't - and there are those without mobility issues - who can exercise but don't. These are the two types of people we are discussing here, but it's important to also note that there could be other medical conditions affecting a person's ability to lose weight.
People with Reduced Mobility
Some people have reduced mobility or reduced activity levels because of underlying health conditions. Perhaps you can relate. Fundamentally, weight loss is a combination of two things: diet and exercise. People with reduced mobility and reduced activity due to a health issue will struggle to burn the calories needed to lose weight.
You may desire to stay active, but due to activity constrictions you simply cannot. Consequently, if you have limited mobility, it can be nearly impossible to lose weight simply by limiting your food intake. Some of the most common medical reasons for reduced mobility and therefore an inability to lose weight include the following conditions:
- Joint pain
- Back pain
- Vein condition
- Inflammatory conditions in the body like an autoimmune disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Find Solutions for Gaining Mobility
If you find yourself falling into this category and know that your weight gain and inability to lose is likely the result of reduced mobility or limited activity, your goal should be to get treatment to increase your activity level in some way. This can include thinking outside the box of the standard exercise regimen and considering ways to get more active while keeping your body safe. Consider lifting light weights, doing low-impact activities like swimming in an exercise pool, or taking up walking. Many people underestimate the impact adding a daily walk can have on their life. Keep your mind open to increasing your activity in different ways than more traditional offerings.
It’s important to note that therapy is directed towards symptoms in most cases, not physical activity. However, your goal is to increase your ability to be active. Modern medicine focuses on treating symptoms, which admittedly might not be your main goal or what’s most important to you. Therefore, your ultimate goal should be improving your overall activity level and your health instead of focusing solely on the symptoms of your condition.
People Without Mobility or Activity Issues
The second most common category that characterizes people who tend to struggle with weight loss is those who do not currently have activity or mobility issues but still are experiencing a reduction in activity. The solution lies in understanding the reason behind the reduced activity, where for whatever reason, you aren't as active as you used to be. Consider the following factors that could be behind your lack of activity when a mobility issue isn’t part of the problem:
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Obesity-associated Leptin Resistance
Leptin is a hormone that is secreted by fat cells. Its function is to increase activity and metabolism and decrease hunger. But with obesity, your body becomes less sensitive to leptin. Your metabolism doesn't rise, your activity doesn’t increase, and your appetite isn’t suppressed as readily. What that means is you must make a conscious effort to burn more calories.
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Reduced Motivation
If you've struggled to lose weight for an extended period of time, it can affect your mindset. You no longer feel the same sense of passion for tackling weight loss that you may have at the beginning. The trick is to stay active, even when you don't feel like it. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins and endorphins cause good feelings. When you don't feel like exercising, do it anyway. You'll feel better afterward. -
Depression
If you struggle with depression, talk with your healthcare provider. Medication may be needed to regulate your body's chemical balances. Exercise also helps improve your mood, gets you outside and in the sunshine, and lowers anxiety. -
Lifestyle Limitations
If you have a job that limits your activity or if you live primarily a sedentary lifestyle, you won't burn the calories needed to lose weight. Make the time, even if it's just 20-30 minutes a day, to get out and do something active. -
Home Restrictions
Some people don't live in areas where it's appropriate to walk outdoors. You can usually find a gym to join or a park to go to that gets you out of the house for a period of time each day. -
Other Medical Conditions
Conditions like sleep apnea, thyroid conditions, certain hormonal conditions, smoking cessation, excess fluid from heart or kidney disease, etc. Talk with your healthcare provider if you think this is what's going on for you.
What You Can Do About It
The way to address this issue begins by determining the reason behind your lack of activity. When evaluating yourself, you might need to reach out to others to get a good idea of what is really going on. Ask your family and friends - people you know will be honest with you - if you fit into the above categories. Ask them if they have noticed a decline in your activity level and find out how you are doing now compared to where you were in years past. In many cases, the changes that take place in our habits are so gradual we don’t even notice them, but others around us might.
Exercise and Aging
Another culprit many people blame for a reduction in activity or a mobility issue is the inevitability of just getting older. It's important to find out if your current struggle with reduced activity is a function of age or of an underlying medical condition. When determining whether your lack of movement is simply part of the natural aging process or you have an issue, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you physically able to do pretty much everything you’ve always been able to do, you just have to do it at a slower pace.
If this is the case, it’s likely that your reduced activity is simply the result of getting older. Age limits the pace at which we are able to be active, and not necessarily the activities themselves. - Do you have the sense that you would have to stop and take a break because you just aren’t physically able to keep up?
If you are unable to do what you used to do and need to take breaks or stop and sit, there could be a reason behind this that is medical in nature and doesn’t have anything to do with your own personal motivation.
The Role of Food in Weight Loss
If you are active and still can’t lose weight, then it’s time to consider the role food plays in your lack of weight loss. Ingesting too many calories is typically the result of partaking in too much alcohol or carbs. Alcohol has hidden calories and is also an appetite stimulant. Carbs are naturally addictive. Therefore, people who eat lots of carbs tend to eat more than their bodies can process, which leads to weight gain and an inability to lose weight. It's best to minimize carbs and alcohol in your diet. Low-carb diets are best.
A Vein Condition Could Be the Reason
It’s important to realize there could be a very real and medical reason behind why you find yourself unable to do as much as you once did and subsequently unable to get those extra pounds. Many people don’t realize that a vein condition could be one of these contributing factors.
To determine if this might be happening in your case, ask yourself if your legs hurt. Are they swollen at the end of the day? Do you want to keep up with your family and friends when engaging in activities, but you just can’t? Do you need to sit down and rest, especially in the evenings and at night?
It’s important to note that you might not always see visible leg veins with this condition, which will cause many people to assume they don’t have a vein issue. With a vein condition, some people will have visible leg veins, others will not.
One easy way to improve your weight loss situation is to increase activity by optimizing your vein circulation. Vein treatments work. There is no downtime after treatment, and most people say they feel better afterward and have more energy than they have had in years.
Knowing The Why Behind Your Weight Loss Struggle
The first step towards solving your problem with weight loss is understanding why you can’t lose weight. Is there an underlying medical condition or is it something else? Once you know this, you can begin taking the appropriate steps toward making positive changes.
