I have some clients who are celebrating every single time they step on the scale, and I have other clients that get on the scale and end up depressed. The irony of this situation is that both groups of clients are constantly having to shop for new clothes and explain to their friends what they are doing to look so great. So why does one group constantly lose weight, while another group can’t seem to get the scale to budge?
The ability to lose weight varies greatly from person to person. In theory, each of us has our own set point – the genetically determined weight our body attempts to maintain. When we overeat, the body increases its metabolic rate to decrease storage of calories.
When we’re starved, our metabolic rate decreases to conserve energy and store fat. I have a very physically demanding job as a personal trainer so I need to intake more calories to maintain my weight than my clients who sit at a desk and work on computers most of the day.