Why Diets Often Don't Work

You've probably heard some form of this weight loss equation before: eat fewer calories than you burn, and you'll lose weight. But, most people know that's not as easy as it sounds. Losing weight can be difficult because of biological forces that are at work. According to Traci Mann, author of Secrets from the Eating Lab, here are some ways your responses to dieting make it challenging to lose weight and keep it off.

1. Your brain changes. When you're on a diet, you become more likely to notice and overly respond to food, especially foods that seem appetizing. Food's reward value increases inside your brain, and food becomes even more tempting and harder to resist.
2. Your metabolism changes. Once you start experiencing weight loss, body mass decreases, as does your basal metabolic rate, or the rate at which your body uses energy to keep you alive. This means you need fewer calories and burn fewer calories when you exercise. This can cause the rate of your weight loss to slow or plateau, requiring you to reduce calories even more to maintain the weight you've lost.
3. Your hormones change. As you lose body fat, leptin (the hormone which makes you feel full) decreases, and your brain thinks your body is starving. Meanwhile, ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry, increases during a diet, intensifying hunger and the urge to eat more.

The body must have food to live, so it makes sense that these complex systems exist as survival mechanisms. But here's the good news. For those who struggle to lose weight, there is hope.

The National Institutes of Health recognize bariatric surgery as the most effective treatment to combat severe obesity and maintain lasting weight loss. The surgery works by changing the anatomy of your stomach and digestive tract, which affects the production of intestinal hormones to reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness.

Take the Next Step

Bariatric surgery can be a very helpful tool in achieving long-term weight loss and improving the overall quality of your health. At Lutheran Health Network, our bariatric surgery program guides patients through the entire process. Are you ready to learn more?

Attend a weight loss seminar.

Back