Weight loss ‘twice as difficult as thought’

Losing weight is twice as difficult as official guidelines previously led slimmers to believe, research has shown, which is no doubt one of the reasons many people turn to slimming aids such as weight loss pills to help them shift the pounds.

Advice on the NHS website stated that cutting down by 500 calories per day would lead to a weight loss of 1lb per week.

However, experts now maintain that this guidance is wrong because it becomes harder to lose weight the more pounds people shift.

Cutting down on the number of calories in a diet slows down the metabolism, which means that weight loss will tail off in the end.

Scientists at the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease have created an online calculator to help people lose weight, taking in information about diet, exercise regimes and body shape. 

The team said that a simple guide is that eating 100 fewer calories per day will see an individual lose ten lbs over a period of three years, with 5lbs going in the first year.

Do you find it difficult to lose weight?