Why some people lose weight slower even when eating less
Metabolic adaptation delays time to reach weight loss goals
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When people lose weight, their bodies sometimes burn fewer calories than expected — like a car that gets better gas mileage after a tune-up, but then suddenly gets worse. This study found that women whose bodies slowed down more after losing weight took longer to reach their goal, even if they...
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 540 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When people lose weight, their bodies sometimes burn fewer calories than expected — like a car that gets better gas mileage after a tune-up, but then suddenly gets worse. This study found that women whose bodies slowed down more after losing weight took longer to reach their goal, even if they...
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 540 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
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Claims (6)
After losing 16% of their body weight, women who are overweight and have not gone through menopause tend to burn about 46 fewer calories per day at rest than what would be expected based on their current body size and composition.
Among women who are overweight and have not gone through menopause, those whose resting metabolic rate drops more than expected after losing 16% of their body weight tend to take longer to reach a BMI of 25, even when their diet and calorie intake are accounted for.
People who set specific long-term weight loss goals do not necessarily lose more weight, and may be less likely to succeed if their goals are not realistic.
People who reach their weight loss goal faster or slower than expected may do so in part because of how their metabolism adjusts during weight loss, even when accounting for how strictly they follow their diet, how many calories they cut, and how much weight they aimed to lose.
When people lose weight, their bodies adjust how many calories they burn, and this adjustment can differ greatly from person to person—some burn hundreds fewer calories, others burn hundreds more than expected.