Maintaining Weight After Weight Loss
Maintaining weight after weight loss?
Maintaining weight is very complex and is often influenced by many factors, both inside and outside of the body.
Let’s look at one factor – hormones – and discover what’s happening inside your body as you are losing weight:
If you have been overweight for a few years, your body has been programmed to think this is your “normal weight” and will work hard to maintain this weight. Once you have lost approximately 5-10% of your body weight, your body may begin conserving energy as it goes into starvation prevention mode.
The role of Hormones
Your body does this by regulating your appetite through hormones (GLP-1, PYY and ghrelin). As you eat, hormone signals from the stomach and gut are processed in your brain (The Hypothalamus) and translate into feelings that make you feel less full and satisfied. (1)
Say you have lost 5-10% of your body weight and noticed your weight loss is slowing down. You notice you start feeling hungrier and you find it hard to stick to your health goals. This is when you have entered your “plateau phase.” Your body thinks you’re starving it and your hormones are fighting to regain the weight you lost.
In response to your weight loss, these hormone changes can persist for many months and can contribute to overeating and weight regain. As a result, only one third of people successfully maintain their lost weight. (2)
My Health Priority recognises these physiological changes as normal body processes. By giving you tools and strategies you need to maintain for the long term, we can help you through the “plateau phase”. We also offer monthly consultations for up to 2 years following your 12 week program.
Want to find out more about maintaining weight and the lasting change program:
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References:
(1) (NHMRC (2013) Clinical practice guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity in adults, adolescents and children in Australia. Melbourne: National Health and Medical Research Council.)
(2) (Mann T et al. Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments. American Psychologist. 2007;62:220–233.)
