Do we make weight loss harder it should be? Isn’t it just as simple as Food in moderation (calories in vs calories out) and a decent amount of exercise, that sounds easy but to the people I’ve spoken it, it’s much more challenging?
Losing weight might be difficult because it extends just beyond the simple act of eating. According to the people I spoke with, many other factors that influence your ability to shed those pounds.
9 Reasons why losing weight is harder than you think!
Willpower
People fail because they do not have the willpower. The issue here is that willpower is a short-term solution. It takes willpower not to eat a cookie but it takes something much stronger and forceful to make a lifestyle change that includes weight loss. I do not know a single person that has achieved a major life goal thru willpower alone. They WANT whatever it is. The drive of the WANT is much stronger than the drive of the WILL. Most people are not really ready to make the change. They must want it more than will it.
Major lifestyle change
As simple as it might sound to just eat less and exercise more, those two things could be monumental changes to a person’s current routine. It sounds easy when you say it but the act of making it part of your life requires some significant effort. Changing habits is hard. Changing behaviours and how you interact with your surroundings is not an easy task.
Emphasis on frequent eating
There is too much food available to the average person on a daily basis. People are told they need to eat 5-6 times a day (small but frequent meals). The fact is, you just don’t need that much food depending on your situation. Do you really need 75% of your calories in a day while sitting at a desk job with only 25% leftover to spare when you are home or at the being a bit more active? We shifted from 3 square meals a day to 5-6. Are you really that hungry? Do you really need all that food?
Portion control
Over the decades the size of a meal has changed. From bigger plates to bigger portions at restaurants. It now takes a conscious effort to not overeat. That makes it harder to control portions when you are given way to much to begin with or you are not in control to begin with of the amount of food you serve yourself. Portions of food have grown over the decades and so has the unconscious population. This is part of the larger problem of the obesity epidemic.
Constant attention to everything you eat
Losing weight is made harder when you have to pay attention to every bite of food you consume. People want to be able to eat without having to go thru some complicated formula to figure out what that slice of cake or salad is going to cost them. Sometimes doing things correctly still does not induce the change in your body you might expect.
Frequent weigh-ins
Using the scale as a measure of success and having daily or multiple times per day weigh-ins raises your expectations and dashes them just as quickly if you do not get the results you expect. Society has become accustomed to instant gratification. Send a text and expect an instant answer. You don’t gain 50 kg in a decade and expect it to come off in 30 days with a six-pack of abs to boot. But that is exactly what people want and expect. If they don’t loos a 0.5 kg a day, they fret over what’s wrong, why they failed, what supplement they need to take or put forth more effort and revamp their programs. The weight gain didn’t happen overnight and weight loss won’t happen over a weekend.
Food is delicious
And so is wine and beer! One of the reasons weight loss is so hard is that many people like to eat and drink tasty food. It is natural to be resistant to change. Most people do not want to stop eating the things they love. The goal is not to force yourself to eat things you don’t like.
You have to make an effort
People are great at making excuses. They underestimate how much they eat and overestimate how much physical activity they do. Most people just are not willing to invest the time and dedication required. They are too busy with life and so they turn to quick fixes. Get the results you desire without changing your lifestyle (poor eating, lack of exercise).
Doing this alone
Many people start off a weight loss journey in isolation. Their friends and family may not support them and may even be a negative influence.
