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4. Your Calorie Count is Too Low
When you lose weight, you need to ensure that you are taking in an adequate number of calories. Strict, very low calorie diets can work for short periods of time, especially if you only want to take off a few pounds. However, sustained very low calorie diets are not healthy. Your body has a set point for weight. The set point is a safety feature designed to keep you well.
Here is an example of how the set point in your body works. Suppose you weigh 160 pounds and you quickly lose 15 pounds. You now weigh 145 pounds. Then, your body’s set point remains at 160 pounds for a while. Your body essentially goes into starvation mode. This means that your body holds onto pounds because it perceives the weight loss as starvation. In time, your body adapts to a new set point at 145 pounds. It just needs time to catch up and ensure that no harm is resulting from the weight loss. If you do not consume enough calories, your body is more likely to perceive weight loss as starvation. If you are a vigorous exerciser, you may not be taking in enough calories to compensate for your level of activity. This can also prevent you from losing weight.
The set point is what causes dieter to plateau. If you are dieting and fail to lose weight for a couple of weeks, determine whether or not you are consuming enough calories. Consider your activity level. If you need to eat more, increase your caloric intake by 200 calories per day. See if you begin to lose weight within a couple of weeks. If you do, you will know that you were not eating enough.
If you know that you are consuming enough calories, simply be patient. Your body’s set point will readjust.
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