Often times it happens that we hear about a great new diet that has worked amazingly well for somebody, but when we try it ourselves, it doesn't seem to work.
Or maybe there's a diet that we tried years ago and lost a ton of weight. We get back on it expecting to be just as successful the second time around, but the results are disappointing.
There can be many reasons for this type of failure. Sometimes the diet is at fault and sometimes it is not.
For example, if we hear that somebody lost a ton of weight on a certain diet, there are many things that we do not know.
Did they follow the exact same version of the diet that we have? What did they do in terms of exercise? Were they locked up in a health spa where they could not cheat? How long did it take them to lose the weight? Is it even true that they lost so much?
Then we have to take account of differences in individuals. In most cases, a heavier person will lose weight faster than a lighter person. However, the individual metabolism is important too.
There are many factors that affect our metabolism. Metabolism slows down as we age, as we become less fit, or if we have certain health problems (especially thyroid dysfunction or hormonal issues). Diabetes affects the metabolism and so do many medications.
Having a slow metabolism does not mean that we cannot lose weight. It just means that we must be extra determined not to give up. Our weight loss may be slower than for other people. It may be slower than when we were younger.
Remember that improving your level of fitness will speed up your metabolism. This is one of the best things that you can do if you are not losing weight as fast as you expected.
