3 Things Keeping You From Losing Weight
With so many people aiming to lose weight and be more fit and healthy I had to ask myself why most folks find it so difficult. I then had to dig a little deeper because a lot of people actually do achieve significant weight loss but then gain it all back. What’s up with this? Well I’ve boiled it down to 3 main culprits, and the solutions may be much more simple than you think.
Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar: You’re at the job and your co-worker talks about the new diet that they just started. They talk about the failed diet attempts in the past but they are certain that this new program is the one that is sure to work. They excitedly site a buddy of theirs who tried it and now looks great. Your coworker seems motivated and even points out how the new diet has left them feeling so much better and they have even dropped a few pounds already. For a while they seem dedicated, adopting all sorts of new “healthy” rituals. Fast forward months later, said coworker has abandoned the diet and returned to old habits. What happened? I’ll explain exactly what happened and how to make sure that it doesn’t happen to you.
The first issue is a closed mind. I can’t count the number of people I encounter who have a supposed desire to lose weight, are not making progress, yet swear to me that they know exactly how it’s done. The problem with this is obvious. I don’t want to discount anyone’s motivation, so that being said if you knew what to do and how to do it then you would be doing it. Folks who encounter this hurdle typically fall into one of two categories. One of these categories is the cop-out. These folks tend to blame the lack of success on external circumstances such as time, medical conditions, or genetics (think “I have a slow metabolism”). These are simply excuses. No matter what your situation, a person in a calorie deficit will ALWAYS lose weight 100 percent of the time. Period. The second category I find to be more common. There is a lack of desire to let go of previously held erroneous beliefs about fat loss. These folks spin their wheels because they refuse to believe that they have bad information so they continue to do things that don’t work. People in this category often share fitness fables under the guise of conventional wisdom or new science such as “carbs make you fat”, “you won’t lose fat if you eat after 9 PM”, or (my favorite) “If you drop calories too low your body will think you’re starving and you’ll store fat”. These types of comments illustrate a fundamental misunderstanding of the process of fat loss, and in order to make progress a trainee must be willing to let go of all these things that they think they know which are actually holding them back so they can be receptive to more beneficial information.
The second thing holding most people back from their fitness goals is bad programming. It is a mistake to use your friend who adopted a keto diet as the example for you to follow. The reason is because everyone is different, and hence what works for some won’t work for all. Fitness regimens should be tailored to the individual. If a person finds success waking up early, eating mostly protein and fats, and running daily you must understand something very fundamental about that person. For them to find their success they must ENJOY the lifestyle change. The person who gets a later start in the morning, enjoys pancakes (or even oatmeal) for breakfast, and absolutely hates running will be miserable on the previous individuals program and will struggle to see results. It may not be compatible for another person’s lifestyle, preferences, and resources. Picking a program based solely on someone else’s success is a huge mistake. The right system for you is the one that fits you.
The third item preventing fat loss is probably the most prominent and the most important to address. That last item is that your WHY is not strong enough. No matter what kind of system you try to implement, you will never stick with it if your reasons for achieving the proposed goal do not resonate strongly enough for you. We take action on the things that are important to us, so by definition if we don’t take action on something then that means that it is simply not that important. This may be harsh for some and enlightening for others. It is important to make sure that the goal means something to you. This could mean a range of things such as greater self-esteem, improved health and longevity, increased productivity, or being more active with those you love. Whatever it is, it must be a top priority. If your why is strong enough you will have the drive and discipline to overcome whatever challenges you face.
It is imperative that you remember that fitness is really only about 20 percent physical. The rest is about your mentality. A great way to overcome this barrier is to start your fitness journey with a partner that you trust. Share your reasons for your goals and what achieving them will mean to you. Allow that person to give you honest, constructive feedback and apply it confidently. Having these pieces in place is half the battle. Once you get here your victory is all but assured. Until the next one.
-Chris