Why is it difficult to lose weight?

If you’ve been on a weight loss journey for a while with limited success, you may be wondering if you’re doing something wrong.

You might be eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly but there are lots of factors that influence your weight and the way your body looks.

Simply put, losing weight can be complex. But understanding the roles of genetics, metabolism, lifestyle and mindset on your weight management journey can help you manage your expectations and reach your goals.

Genetics and metabolism

Your genes can play a critical part in your weight loss journey. For example, some people have variants, or different forms, of a gene called FTO that makes it more difficult to control your appetite. These differences can also make it more likely for you to store fat and use energy from food inefficiently.¹

Although you may never know your genetic make-up, it may explain why you may be struggling with weight loss. If your parents or close relatives are overweight or obese, it could be part of the reason weight loss is a challenge for you.¹

How quickly your body burns calories (metabolism) can also impact your weight management. Everyone’s metabolism is different – it may be that you have a naturally slower metabolism than others. This means you will burn fewer calories when resting which can make weight loss more challenging. Metabolic rate is also affected by muscle mass, genetics, and age.²

Lifestyle and environment

The everyday choices you make can determine how successful your weight loss journey is. Maintaining consistent, positive habits around food, sleep, smoking, drinking and exercise can make losing weight less challenging.

But it’s not unusual to fall into bad habits. Sometimes these can be conscious choices and other times there are factors out of your control that cause you to do this.

For example, if you work in an office, you may find that you are not moving much throughout the day. In fact, 81% of office workers spend between 4 and 9 hours sitting at their desks.³

This level of inactivity can be harmful to your health – increasing your risk of developing diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease and reducing your weight loss potential. This happens because you are burning fewer calories during the day and, over time, making it more likely that you’ll develop metabolic disorders.⁴

Sleep disruption

Not sleeping well (sleep deprivation) can disrupt the balance of hormones that control your appetite. Leptin, which tells your body when it’s full, decreases with insufficient sleep, while ghrelin, which tells the body when it’s hungry, increases. This hormonal imbalance can lead to increased appetite and cravings, especially for high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich foods.⁵

Not getting enough sleep can also negatively impact your metabolism and insulin sensitivity, making it harder for your body to regulate blood sugar levels and store fat effectively. If you sleep less than 7 hours per night, you are more likely to gain weight and have difficulty losing it, even when following calorie-restricted diets.⁵

Mental health

Your mental wellbeing is just as important as your physical health.

This is certainly true for people aiming to shed weight.

When you feel stressed, have low mood or are depressed it can have physical consequences.

Cortisol, a stress hormone, can make you feel hungrier and encourage fat storage. And depression can change your relationship with food making it more difficult to manage your eating habits.

When your wellbeing is neglected, weight gain, can, for some people, become more likely. It can also lead to negative feelings about your body image or self-worth.

It’s important to remember that you can get help whenever you need it. But you must talk about the way that you’re feeling. Your GP, pharmacist or therapist can give you medical advice. But if you need urgent care, you should go to A&E or call 999.

Living with a mental health condition can cause complex feelings but you shouldn’t feel ashamed. Healthcare professionals are there to listen without judgement and provide meaningful support.