{"id":637,"date":"2017-03-28T11:31:48","date_gmt":"2017-03-28T08:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/?p=637"},"modified":"2020-09-27T17:19:25","modified_gmt":"2020-09-27T14:19:25","slug":"otan-to-adynatisma-fantazei-adynato","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/otan-to-adynatisma-fantazei-adynato\/","title":{"rendered":"When losing weight seems&#8230; impossible"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Weight loss <strong>occurs<\/strong> when the energy intake from food (that is calories) is less than the energy consumed by our body.<\/p>\n<p>The larger that difference, the more the rate at which body weight goes down.<\/p>\n<p>Energy intake, isn\u2019t the sole <strong>factor<\/strong> affecting weight loss, but it is by far the most important.<\/p>\n<p>Evidently, one cannot slim down without limiting his\/hers energy input.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/Weight_loss-woman-scale.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-734\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/Weight_loss-woman-scale.jpg\" alt=\"Scale\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/Weight_loss-woman-scale.jpg 2714w, https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/Weight_loss-woman-scale-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/Weight_loss-woman-scale-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/Weight_loss-woman-scale-680x454.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The main reasons for not losing weight<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong> Insufficient information<\/strong>: Foods which are considered \u201chealthy\u201d or conducive to weight loss may be neither. For example, it is common knowledge that olive oil is good for our health. However, few realize that a big spoon packs about 120-150 calories, meaning that if we don\u2019t limit our consumption to a certain quantity per day we shall \u201cpay the prize\u201d. Other foods, we look at as \u201cfruits\u201d, those include fruits but also \u2026fish and rusk! But those aren\u2019t without calories either, hence they have to be consumed in moderation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overestimating<\/strong> <strong>the<\/strong> <strong>calorie<\/strong> <strong>burning effects of exercise<\/strong>: By running for 30 minutes, we burn about 300-400 calories. By swimming for 30 minutes, we burn 200-350 calories. A 30 minute walk, burns 100-150 calories. Those calculations were made with a human weighing about 73 kg in mind. On the other hand, eating a toast adds about 220-250 calories, whereas a pie with cheese adds about 350-450. The ease with which energy intake via food can offset exercise\u2019s energy expenditure should be abundantly clear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Nevertheless, there are times, where continued effort is not rewarded properly on the scale.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why the scale may not be moving<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Exercise<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s imagine a scenario where you\u2019ve adjusted your diet and exercise vigorously in order to lose weight sooner rather than later. Yet, instead of losing you\u2019re gaining. This isn\u2019t uncommon when someone begins to exercise and may be attributed to one of three causes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Muscles are stressed to, an up to now, unusual extent which may lead to a minor inflammation. In order to \u201ccure\u201d this inflammation the body withholds water at the point of the inflammation. This is a short term process.<\/li>\n<li>When we exercise systematically our body stores more glycogen as an exercise fuel, which explains a small weight gain.<\/li>\n<li>After 1-2 months of exercising, given we do it the right way and at the right frequency, muscle mass increases, perhaps so much as to show up on the scale as weight gain. Of course, by then we may have already experienced some weight loss, in part due to consistently exercising.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You may observe a similar \u201cmisapprehension\u201d if you weigh yourself right after exercising. Increased sweating during and immediately after exercise reduces body weight. But this is not a loss in body fat. When body fluids levels\u2019 have been restored, the day after, the scale will have returned at the pre-sweating point. That\u2019s not to say that exercise and everyday movement are not important components of the weight-loss effort and should be overlooked.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/running-woman.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-736\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/running-woman.jpg\" alt=\"Running\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/running-woman.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/running-woman-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/running-woman-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/running-woman-680x454.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Premenstrual Syndrome<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Premenstrual Syndrome develops during the period preceding menstruation. Apart from irritability, melancholy and a tendency to eat, it may cause weight gain due to fluids withholding and bloating. At the beginning of menstruation, or right after, the syndrome subsides and weight is restored.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hypothyroidism<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of hypothyroidism\u2019s symptoms (if untreated) is a small weight gain. The more severe the hypothyroidism the more the gain.\u00a0 Its causes, in this case, are complicated and not always linked to increased body fat, but rather to the accumulation of salt and water. Excessive weight gain is rarely associated to hypothyroidism. In general, hypothyroidism accounts for an additional 2, 5 &#8211; 5 kg.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Constipation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A common \u201cside-effect\u201d of weight-loss diets, prevalent especially when we skip fruits, vegetables and other high-fiber foods, exercise and the recommended water intake is either the development of mild constipation or the aggravation of pre-existing constipation. As a result, weight doesn\u2019t drop and we feel disappointed. However, if we help ourselves overcome constipation and carry on with our efforts we will be rewarded. This is what we should do in order to make it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Eat enough fiber (fruit, vegetables, wholegrain foods, and legume).<\/li>\n<li>Exercise.<\/li>\n<li>Drink a sufficient quantity of water daily.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If constipation persists there are useful foods and supplements that you may find helpful in combination with the above instructions. However, before you use them, consult with an expert.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Medicating<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are several medications, which affect body weight. For example antidepressants, antipsychotics, beta-inhibitors, corticosteroids, hormone therapy, antihistamines and certain diabetes therapies. That\u2019s not to say we are completely helpless when we use one of the above.We just have to be \u201caware\u201d of their effects so that we can minimize them.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Motivation versus relaxation.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes when weight loss comes to a plateau, it is because following a period of strenuous efforts <strong>motivation<\/strong> and <strong>concentration<\/strong> starts lacking. We are thus more prone to temptations, we <strong>procrastinate<\/strong> more, or after seeing some positive results we have now relaxed. In order to not miss a beat we may keep a foods <strong>diary<\/strong> and be motivated by <strong>remembering<\/strong> once more why we started in the first place.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/jjjj.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/jjjj-300x171.jpg\" alt=\"Motivation\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/jjjj-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/jjjj-680x388.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/jjjj.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Weight loss occurs when the energy intake from food (that is calories) is less than the energy consumed by our body. The larger that difference, the more the rate at which body weight goes down. Energy intake, isn\u2019t the sole factor affecting weight loss, but it is by far the most important. Evidently, one cannot slim down without limiting his\/hers energy input.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}