There is no doubt about it, it is hard to lose weight. It is so much easier to just eat whatever you want, enjoy your favorite foods, be a couch potato and generally just take a lackadaisical approach to your diet. But, we all know where that ends up. It’s certainly not the formula if you want to lose some weight.
However, despite how difficult it is to control your cravings, develop a healthier eating plan (and following through with it), and getting some more exercise, none of these are actually the biggest obstacle to you losing weight.
According to this article from Yahoo Lifestyle, which I agree with and have reiterated many times on this site, the biggest roadblock when it comes to weight loss is not any of those listed above. Rather, the single most crucial thing that is holding you back is all in your mind. Yep, it is all mental.
Your Own Mind is Holding You Back
Yahoo spoke with Audra Wilson, a bariatric dietitian at Northwestern Medicine Metabolic Health and Surgical Weight Loss Center at Delnor Hospital, who presents this assertion that it is not diet or exercise (though they play a large role) that are keeping you from reaching your goals. Instead, it is the mindset and mental roadblocks that we set up from following through with a plan that holds us back the most.
As quoted by Wilson, “The biggest obstacle for a lot of people is thinking that weight loss is going to happen really fast.”
On top of that, many are of the belief that they do not have to make any drastic changes to their current diet or exercise habits to start seeing some results. Both of these mindsets are unrealistic and will not help you lose weight.
The first mindset described above, the belief that the weight will come off fast, is a slippery slope. Many think that if they just cut calories for a few weeks or a month, they’ll create a caloric deficit and lose some weight and reach their goal. This is short-sighted because as soon as that dieting period is over, the dieter just goes back to their old ways and puts the weight back on. This is referred to as yo-yo dieting. If you want long-term results, you need to commit to a diet long-term.
In addition to that, you are also prone to disappointment when the weight does not come off as quickly as you’d expect. This discouragement could lead to you jumping off the diet before it has a chance to bring any positive changes. When you aren’t losing weight like you think you should be, it can be easy to give up and go back to your old ways.
What to Do
I have said it all along on this site so many times, but it is worth repeating. If you want to successfully lose weight (and keep it off), it takes a full commitment. You need to make healthy lifestyle changes (in both your diet and exercise routines) and follow through on them for the long-term. You can’t just dip your toes in it. It has to a consistent, long-term change. It won’t be easy to overhaul your lifestyle, but it gets easier the longer you stick to it – it becomes the new norm after a while. Plus, with all the progress you’ll see when sticking to it, it provides encouragement to stay the course.
Adopt a healthier diet, ramp up your physical activity, and if you want a little extra boost you can add a diet pill (PhenQ is my top recommendation) to give a little extra kick to your metabolism and curb your appetite. Put all three of those together, stick with the plan with a full commitment, and you will get the results you seek.
About Shaun Hudson
Shaun Hudson loves sports, being outdoors, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After many unsuccessful attempts to lose weight, he finally was able to drop 25 pounds and keep it off. The secret? He kept a journal of his activity, diet, and daily life. That journal changed his life, and has since evolved into this website. Read his full bio.