Why Is Losing Weight So Hard?

18 Sept 2025 · 1 min

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1:07

In this video, the speaker explains why fat loss becomes increasingly difficult as you lose weight. He debunks the myth that a broken metabolism is the cause and instead describes a natural metabolic slowdown that occurs with weight loss. Using a push‑up‑with‑a‑backpack analogy, he shows that as the “backpack” (body weight) gets lighter, each push‑up (exercise) requires less effort and burns fewer calories, mirroring how a lighter body burns fewer calories at rest. To counteract this slowdown, he recommends a concrete adjustment: for every 15–30 lb of weight lost, reduce daily caloric intake by 100–200 kcal or add 1–2 cardio sessions per week lasting 15–30 minutes. These incremental changes help maintain a calorie deficit and keep weight loss progressing despite the metabolic adaptation.

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Why does it feel like the more you diet, the harder it becomes to lose fat? Most people think it's because their metabolism is broken. It's not, but it does slow down. And here's why. Imagine doing pushups with a heavy backpack on. At first, because the backpack is heavy, every rep is gonna be harder and burn more calories. But let's say you take one book out of the backpack. And now since it's lighter, the pushups become a little easier. And if you take Another book out of the backpack, it becomes even easier because it weighs less. And when it's easier, your body doesn't burn as many calories. And this is exactly what happens when you lose weight. This is why fat loss will always get harder the more weight you lose. But what you can do to fix it is for every 15 to 30 pounds that you lose, decrease your calories by 100 to 200 per day, or add in 1 to 2 days a week of 15 to 30 minutes of cardio. This way, make the proper adjustment to still keep losing weight.