I remember my teen years, barely. I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted and I never gained weight. My metabolism rocked! Then college came and I gained the “freshman 15”. The great thing was that when I decided to go on a diet I would easily lose the 15 pounds in 1 month. I am not sure exactly when this ability left me, but it did. Somehow my metabolism became sluggish for no apparent reason. And, I know that I am not alone since so many patients tell me that they used to be able to lose their weight quickly but that now they can go on a diet an lose very little. I get story after story of the person who was very strict on a diet and lost four to five pounds in a month. The other common story is that people will lose weight their first couple of weeks and then hit the wall.

The result of this “hitting the wall” is that you typically get discouraged and give up; only to re-visit this same cycle of diet and depression over and over again. The good news is that there may be a very good reason for this new-found ability of yours to not easily lose weight any longer. There is a reason why your metabolism has slowed. The better news is that you can change this cycle and regain the ability to lose weight effectively by increasing your metabolism.

To understand the problem we have to identify what it was that started your metabolic down slide.

Your metabolism is balanced by two aspects. The first is the building of things, known as anabolism. The second is the breaking down or using of things, known as catabolism. There has to be a balance between the two for your metabolism to function properly. Unfortunately, our society forces us to partake in a go, go, go; stress-filled type of lifestyle. We are on the go from the time we wake until the time we go to bed. We do not get enough sleep and our diets are poor. These factors add up to a metabolism that moves towards a catabolic state. In other words, we are using more than we are repairing. Over a number of years, our metabolism as a whole suffers and the result is less energy and the perceived inability to lose weight.

Notice that I said the perceived inability to lose weight. The problem is that you gauge your health by the scale and if pounds are not dropping off you consider whatever diet you are using to be a failure. The problem is that when you diet you usually start exercising and eat healthier. Why is this a problem, you may ask?

The reason is that when you change your diet for the better and start to exercise you stimulate a healing of your metabolism. This healing of the metabolism starts with the re-making of supportive proteins which increases water retention. We have all heard that protein weighs more than fat and it is true. As your body heals its abused metabolism you begin to increase body weight. The scale becomes the enemy and those who weigh in once a week at Weight Watchers starve themselves for a day in hopes that their dehydration will equate to a successful encounter with the scale.

The bottom line is that your weight loss will continue to be sluggish until your metabolism heals. Then your metabolism “kicks in” as we like to say. This could take six to eight weeks or longer to occur depending on the amount of abuse you have dished out to yourself over the years. How many times do you diet for four to six weeks only to find that your will-power is drained and you fall back to your old ways?

My suggestion is that you change your attitude to one of healing your metabolism. Assume that it will take a good six weeks and that you will lose little weight on the scale. Instead of only stepping on the scale, consider buying a percent body fat scale. This will help you to gauge if you are actually becoming healthier as your percent body fat may fall even though your weight may stay the same.