I can’t lose weight, is it because of my metabolism? Doctor: Beware of Falling into the "Compensation Trap"

I exercise more than others, and I’ve tried fasting and eating less, but why can’t I lose weight? Be careful, maybe you have also fallen into the compensation trap! Nothing is difficult in the world, except losing weight. Losing weight is really difficult. You have to endure hunger and exercise seriously.

Some friends try very hard but still can’t lose weight, so they inevitably start to wonder: “Could it be that I’m getting older and my metabolism is slowing down?”, “Is there something wrong with my endocrine system?” But let me tell you something honest and unpleasant: most people’s problems lie with calorie control.

Can you lose weight by controlling calories using "feeling"?

The average person's mastery of calorie control is actually not as high as imagined. For example, in a study published in the journal "Appetite" in 2020, British scholars recruited 14 young male volunteers to take turns to participate in the following two scenarios:

The subjects in situation one (experimental group) were told on the first day that they would go hungry the next day. Under the influence of the subconscious mind, we make "advanced deployment" and start eating more and exercising less before we get hungry!

In contrast, the subjects in Situation 2 (the control group) received the information that meals would be served as usual the next day.

Not surprisingly, they did not engage in behavioral compensation.

After everyone finished running in Situations 1 and 2, the scholars found that the "expected alternate-day fasting" subjects in Situation 1 (experimental group) showed the following characteristics:

● Day 1: Eat 260 calories more and exercise 156 calories less.

● Day 2 (Fasting Day): Due to fasting, I only consumed 25% of the usual calories, but the amount of exercise naturally decreased by 239 calories.

● Day 3: After finishing my first breakfast of the fasting day, my calorie intake was 14% higher than usual.

It turns out that just knowing that you will be hungry the next day can significantly change people's behavior. They start to increase their food intake and reduce their activity level in anticipation of fasting, and they will also increase their food intake because they have completed the fast!

(Photo provided by Sancai Culture)

"Compensation" makes you feel ineffective, no wonder you can't lose weight even if you eat less!

Although the diet specified by scholars can create a calorie deficit of more than 2,000 calories a day. But because of these compensations from diet and activity, the actual deficit is only over a thousand calories. And the scary thing is that these compensations begin before you even start to feel hungry.

The reason why most people cannot lose weight is not because of slow metabolism or endocrine disorders, but because they have no idea about their diet and activity level. It is easy to take in excess calories without realizing it.

The scary thing is that all of this happens subconsciously. We still believe that we have a strong will and that we have worked hard to lose weight, but our bodies betray us unknowingly and cut the results of our efforts in half by eating more and exercising less.

Why are people who exercise better able to control their body posture and even gain or lose weight and stretch freely? One of the reasons is that they have a better idea of ​​the amount of exercise, as well as the calculation of calories and nutrients.

If people who exercise miss a week, they often do "revenge exercise" and do a few more sets next week to make up for it. Or you accidentally ordered McDonald's at noon, which didn't contain enough protein but exceeded the calorie limit. Take it easy at night and have a chicken breast salad to balance it out. With long-term efforts, your body shape will certainly be different from that of ordinary people.

Dr. Scott's 1-minute reminder

People who are trying to lose weight often eat more and exercise less without realizing it, thus eroding their weight loss results. If you can’t lose weight, don’t blame it on your metabolism!

This article is selected from Sancai Culture's "One-Minute Weight Loss Classroom 2 Dr. Scott's Scientific Guide to Muscle Gain and Fat Loss: The Latest Scientific Research X Seconds to Understand Chart Analysis, Debunking 41 Weight Loss Myths! 》