Psychological and Physiological Reasons for Gaining Weight Back After Losing It

Embarking on a weight loss journey can be a challenging yet empowering experience. Shedding those extra pounds requires discipline, dedication, and determination. However, many individuals find that despite their hard work and success in losing weight, the pounds gradually creep back on, or sometimes it happens quite fast.

Typically, people associate overweight and obesity with physical body issues, but, as it turns out, the true underlying causes are less apparent and lie within our psyche, our mind. Weight gain or regaining weight after losing it is a consequence and manifestation that has mental or psychological roots.

So this frustrating phenomenon can be attributed not only to physiological mechanisms but also to psychosomatic factors that impact our bodies and minds. In this blog post, we'll explore the reasons behind regaining weight after losing it and delve into both the psychological and physiological aspects of this complex issue. As well, you will find a solution to your issue.

The Role of Psychosomatics in Regaining Weight

The Mind-Body Connection

Psychosomatics offers an intriguing perspective on the origins of excess weight and obesity, suggesting that our psychological and emotional well-being plays a pivotal role in shaping our physical bodies. According to this viewpoint, internal conflicts, unresolved traumas, and emotional distress can be significant triggers that lead to physiological responses in our bodies by weight gain and obesity.

Let's consider this. Just think about it, when a person is pathologically afraid of something, just the thought of it can provoke reactions in the body in the form of increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and goosebumps. And that's just the thought!

When you have constant thoughts about something unpleasant, or when you dislike something or someone, or you don't want something, it’s unpleasant and uncomfortable for you, or an uncomfortable environment, it may cause emotional stress, yet you have to endure it, it may create an internal conflict. So all of it can quite realistically affect the body causing weight gain or weight regain after losing it.

There are numerous triggers that can cause internal conflicts, and each individual has their own set. For instance, an unfriendly work or family environment, a breakup with a loved one, the loss of a dear person, lacking self-confidence, feeling unloved, not worthy due to nonconformity with societal norms, and so on and on.

My psychologist friend told me that some women lose up to 3 kg of weight within a few days after starting therapy due to the reduction of the water that the body retained.

My mom lost 13kg in under a year after we started discussing her personal issues, including old unresolved problems, guilt, and resentment. Addressing these matters brought her relief from many of her concerns. However, I'm not a psychologist. Seeking therapy with a professional psychologist can yield excellent results.

Gaining Fat as a Defense Mechanism

Another fascinating concept offered by psychosomatics is the idea that our bodies may use fat as a protective mechanism. When facing unresolved emotional conflicts, our bodies may interpret them as potential threats, just like they would perceive a physical threat. In response to this perceived threat, our bodies might instinctively accumulate fat as a means of self-preservation. This can lead to the development of obesity as a subconscious defense mechanism against perceived emotional dangers. 

Emotional Eating and Coping Mechanisms

Psychosomatics suggests that emotional eating, driven by internal conflicts and unresolved emotions, can be a root cause of excess weight. When individuals face challenging emotions, such as stress, sadness, or anxiety, they may turn to food as a coping mechanism. Consuming comfort foods, often high in calories, can temporarily soothe emotional pain. This habit of emotional eating can lead to overeating and the accumulation of excess weight over time.

Self-Sabotage

Negative self-beliefs and self-doubt can lead to self-sabotage, where individuals may consciously or unconsciously undermine their efforts to maintain their weight loss achievements.

Unrealistic Expectations

Setting overly ambitious weight loss goals may create a sense of failure when they aren't achieved, leading to feelings of disappointment and abandonment of healthy habits.

Lack of Support

The absence of a strong support system can make it challenging to sustain positive changes, making it more likely for old habits to resurface.

Breaking the Cycle: Solution for Weight Maintenance Challenges

To successfully lose weight and maintain it, you must comprehend and address your internal conflicts that bother your mind and consequently affect your body, prompting it to defend itself. To achieve this, it's essential to consult a psychologist or psychotherapist in addition to following a proper diet and exercise routine. The choice of doctor depends on the complexity of your condition and situation.

The conclusion is that solely relying on diet and exercise for weight loss addresses only the consequences that manifested in the body, while the root causes, which are internal conflicts and traumas, remain unresolved. As a result, the body reacts by gaining weight back after losing it.

Getting rid of internal conflicts —> getting rid of internal tension in the body —> getting rid of excess weight.

Physiological Mechanisms Behind Weight Regain

Here are physiological mechanisms that contribute to the regaining of lost weight:

1. Adaptive Thermogenesis: During weight loss, the body adapts to lower caloric intake, resulting in reduced energy expenditure. When individuals return to their previous eating habits, the body's metabolism may not immediately readjust, leading to weight gain.
   
   
2. Increased Fat Storage: Our bodies have an evolutionary predisposition to store fat as an energy source for survival. After a period of weight loss, the body might interpret this as a threat of deficiency and attempt to protect itself by storing more fat when calories are reintroduced.
   
   
3. Hormonal Changes: Hormones like leptin, which regulate hunger and satiety, can be affected by weight loss. After losing weight, leptin levels drop, leading to increased appetite and a drive to regain lost fat stores.
   
   Internal stress can lead to hormonal imbalances, particularly the release of cortisol, the stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels are associated with increased appetite and the accumulation of abdominal fat, leading to weight gain.
   
   
4. Lost Muscle Mass: During weight loss, a portion of the lost weight can be muscle mass. Since muscles contribute to a higher metabolic rate, losing them can slow down metabolism, making it easier to regain fat.
   
   
5. Environmental Cues: Surroundings play a significant role in eating behaviors. Returning to environments that were associated with overeating before weight loss can reignite old habits.

Final Thoughts

Psychosomatics sheds light on why many individuals struggle to maintain weight loss in the long term. Even after successful weight loss efforts, the underlying emotional conflicts and unresolved traumas persist. As a result, the internal stress continues, triggering the body to regain lost weight as a way to cope with emotional distress.

Understanding the psychosomatic connection to excess weight and obesity empowers individuals to break the cycle. Addressing internal conflicts, resolving emotional traumas, and finding healthier coping mechanisms for stress and emotions are crucial steps towards achieving sustainable weight loss and weight maintenance.