Why Can't I Lose Weight? Top 7 Medical Reasons Science Has Given

The ideal time to practice your healthy living knowledge into action is when you turn 55 years. You carry out adequate exercise, eat well and probably go for routine screening, but yet you are still struggling with your weight.

And like millions of Americans, you wonder "Why can't I lose weight?"

Does this sound like you? The situation is quite stressing.

A report by American council shows that your body resting metabolic rate (ability to burn calories when at rest) reduces by 1 to 2% each decade. To add insults to the already purging injury, our diets rarely change the reduced metabolic rate; meaning the body weight continues to creep slowly every birthday.

Midlife has also been linked to bringing some health challenges to women, but, you can still overcome them and live a productive and vibrant life. Discussed below are seven common issues that could be soiling your weight loss efforts.

1. Lack of Exercise

How often do you exercise? Be it adventurous walking, water aerobics, and biking or just moving up and down the stairs? Those small movements play a significant role in burning calories and losing weight after 55 years. A report published by "JAMA Oncology" in 2015 indicates that daily sixty minutes of aerobic exercise reduced body fats in postmenopausal women.

During the active midlife years, the body muscles and joints get worn out; and that's why you might have noticed some pains in your muscles. Muscles are the primary determinants of the body metabolic rate. Naturally, muscle mass starts to decline at the age of 30, through a process known as sarcopenia and accelerates at around 40 years. With significantly less muscles to burn energy, this is why many of us can't lose weight even on 1200 calories.

By the time you hit 55 years, the metabolism becomes very slow hence regular exercise becomes crucial to managing the weight.

Alongside your regular daily activity, it is, therefore, advisable to set aside some time for regular exercise. High-intensity workouts may assist in more shedding weight, though its effectiveness varies among individuals. And scientists have been trying hard to uncover the truth behind American's stubborn fat. 

2. Inadequate Sleep

Studies indicate that lack of enough sleep is a critical factor that inhibits weight losses. Research conducted by University of Cambridge shown that women that sleep for less than 5 hours are more likely to gain weight as compared to women getting enough sleep.

Scientifically, an adult human should be able to sleep for at least 7 hours. Experts are of the opinion that loose of sleep may make you feel hungry. This undoubtedly leads you to the kitchen to grab something edible.

Lack of sleep has also been noted to inhibit secretion of cortisol hormones. Cortisol hormones are responsible for regulation of appetite. For effective weight loss, get adequate sleep.

3. Stress

Too much stress increases the production of cortisol hormone and thereby causes increased appetite. This makes you have a high craving for your favorite snacks.

When stressed, you also might tend to skip workouts too. It's essential that you try out some relaxation techniques to ensure that you are always stress-free.

With all that stress going on in our lives, many of us will be thinking "I can't seem to lose weight no matter what I do!".

Always ensure that your tension levels are low and you are still calm. Stress might be one of the reasons why you can't lose lower belly fat.

4. High Calories Intake

This is one of the notable contributors of weight gain. The calories you take represent the energy you will get and so is weight. Most calories are found in carbohydrates; either from the natural foods or the processed ones.

The average intake of calories for women above 50 years is 2000 calories daily. This means that you should only take around 300 g of carbohydrates per day. The primary reason why you are not shedding weight could be because your daily intake is more than the mentioned.

Research has found out that when eating out, we are likely to underestimate the calories we take in. Research, available in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that over 70% of adults underestimate calories in your body.

If you can't control how much you're eating, check out our article on how to stop eating when not hungry.

Scrutinize the foods you take and you'll be able to gain some control over your weight.

5. Medical Conditions

Many women develop health issues after 55 years. This calls for prescription medicines. If you are taking antidepressants or corticosteroids, then they could be the reason why you are not losing weight. This is because weight gain is one of their side effects.

Apart from the drugs, you might also have serious illnesses that need medical attention like kidney failure, diabetes or high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor so that the necessary tests can be done. You might reduce your body weight.

6. Industrial Solvents and Chemicals

Found in varnishes, fingernail polishes, and removers, this could be one of the reasons what your weight is stubborn for all measures. A report published by silent springs institute shows that many aged women don't lose weight because they are exposed to these conditions that reduce their metabolism rates.

The chemicals found on consumer products like lotions, creams, hair sprays, deodorants and perfumes also play a significant role in increasing weight among the women. You might have used them during your midlife years, but the results show as year's progress.

Clean your cabinet, check on the chemical products you are using and if possible get the help of a medical practitioner to advise you accordingly.

7. Changes in Body Hormones 

According to research by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, two people out of three Americans were either overweight or obese. (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Overweight & Obesity Statistics. August 01, 2017.)

Hormonal imbalance was the main cause.

For women, your body is controlled by progesterone hormones. For men, that'd be your testosterone. These hormones use your body's fat to produce energy. But these hormones reduce as you age, making it hard for you to lose weight even after regular workouts and dieting.

Also, the brain contains ghrelin hormones. When your stomach produces high amounts of ghrelin, it leads to increased appetite and fat storage. Your metabolism falls as your body enters the sloppy state you often feel, and your body weight goes up.

But further studies traced deeper and revealed the root cause of this obese hormone imbalance...

Your gut health.

When your gut health is in bad shape, your body can't absorb vital nutrients and it gets invaded by harmful bacteria. This messes up your hormones which regulate your energy and body weight.

We at Better Body Co. have formulated a 3-strain probiotics for weight loss called Provitalize. Our users have reported to lose as much as 5 pounds within a week, even without any major change in their diet or lifestyle.