Do you know why most people fail at losing weight? A lot! A lot of people decide every year to lose some weight, yes that is their New Year resolution but due to the weight loss challenges, they fail to do so. So some people just exaggerate and say 95% of people fail to lose weight. The percentage of people failing to lose weight is high but not as high as 95%.
So, if you are one of those who are thinking of losing weight and a small part inside you is saying that you will fail, DO NOT LISTEN to it!
Weight loss is a process; all you need is patience and the will to get your life on the path of health, fitness, and well-being. The weight loss journey is tough and becomes overwhelming, especially when your goal is to reduce a specific and big amount of weight from your body. But hey, hold on, you will get there gradually, you just have to keep going.
In this article, we will discuss the weight loss challenges that people face and end up without results. Apart from that, we will also discuss how to overcome those challenges. So, let’s start!
Understanding weight loss
You lose weight when the number of calories burned is more than the number of calories you consume. The calorie deficit in your body helps you to shed some pounds of your body. How?
Well, your body burns stored fat for energy when it does not have enough calories to burn to produce energy.
Burning calories is the basic principle of weight loss but it also depends on different factors like your current lifestyle, your physical activity, metabolism, hormones, and your current weight.
In order to burn calories effectively, you make some dietary changes, involve yourself in physical activities, and opt for some lifestyle changes. These rapid changes could be hard for people thus making them fail at their weight loss attempt.
But if the principle of weight loss is so simple why does it fail? It fails because we fail to understand the other aspects of weight and the factors that influence it. Once underestimated, these factors result in weight loss challenges. Let’s get more insights into this topic.
Weight loss challenges
You will have to face many barriers when it comes to weight loss. It will help you if the challenges you might face or are facing during weight loss are categorized so you can easily recognize them. So, here is a list:
1. Emotional and psychological barriers:
Emotional eating and stress:
People indulge in consuming more food to cope with their emotions, mainly stress, anxiety, sadness, or boredom. Yes, people do eat out of boredom. “There is nothing to do, let’s eat”, this leads to consuming more calories which leads to weight gain.
What happens exactly is- that when you are stressed, your body releases a stress hormone called cortisol which increases your appetite and you end up consuming more food. You will get caught in the cycle of overeating and weight gain. This could be difficult to break.
Mindful eating can help you manage your emotional eating.
Lack of motivation:
Do you want to lose weight? You need to be motivated for the cause to see the effect. Yes, you did decide to lose weight but what are you doing to have patience? Visible results could take time and in that time the enthusiasm often wanes.
The lack of motivation could be the result of various factors including unrealistic expectations, lack of visible results, or the monotony of the routine.
Start with small steps and integrate little changes in your life. Like giving up on refined sugars, avoiding eating out, not munching snacks, going for walks, working on your sleep schedule, etc.
Body image issues:
You want to lose weight, that’s amazing. But remember you are doing it to stay healthy. Do not stem your motivation to reduce weight from a negative body image. Negative self-perception could lead to opting for unhealthy behaviors such as extreme dieting or over-exercising which could lead you to give up on your weight loss efforts.
First of all, you have to change the perspective of why you are losing weight. If you want to lose weight because your current body does not look to you, you are on the wrong track. Your weight loss journey should start with a positive thought. You want to get a fit and healthy body and not a body that is befitting to the standards of society.
2. Physical and biological barriers
Metabolic differences
Metabolism plays a significant role in weight loss. A fast metabolism will help to burn more calories while a slow one would take time with the process. There are factors like age, muscle mass, genetics and activity level that influence your metabolism.
Hormonal imbalances:
Hormonal balance is another factor that can significantly impact your weight loss journey. A few hormones like insulin, thyroid hormone, estrogen, and testosterone play vital roles in regulating metabolism, appetite and fat storage.
For example, if your body is less responsive to insulin leading to a condition called insulin resistance, you might find it difficult to lose weight and you might end up gaining some pounds instead of shedding them.
Medical conditions:
Certain medical conditions could lead to weight gain no matter what your health goal is. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, and certain genetic disorders can lead to weight gain.
For example, PCOS can lead to insulin resistance; thus leading to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen.
3. Environmental and social barriers
Availability of unhealthy foods:
Why do we eat out so much? Well, because the food out there is tasty with a blend of flavors. The readily available junk, processed, and “tasty” food is the reason why we find ourselves ditching our weight loss goals. You love to eat the cheeseburger from your favorite restaurant and do eat it often. You can dine out, get it delivered, or order to takeaway. All these foods and easy access would definitely be a hurdle if you want to eliminate them from your diet.
Social pressure and eating out:
Social pressure and gatherings can lead to overeating or consumption of unhealthy foods because of encouragement from family and friends. Dining out often involves large portions of food and the meals are prepared with butter, oil, and sugar than home-cooked meals.
Lack of time and busy schedules:
A busy lifestyle won’t allow you to dedicate specific time to your weight loss regime. This could lead to a break in your routine; hence failing at weight loss. Also, a busy lifestyle leads you to eat out because of the lack of time constraints.
If you have a busy schedule you can opt for healthy meal plan services. This can help you stay on track without extra effort for managing your schedule just to have healthy meals.
Common weight loss pitfalls:
1. Fad diets and quick fixes:
Fad diets and quick fixes are not the answer to weight loss challenges. People fall for fad diets thinking they would experience better and more visible results but that is totally not the case.
Extreme dieting is not going to help you in fact it will lead to more issues related to health because it restricts calorie intake. Yes, you need to create a calorie deficit for weight loss but that does not mean you don’t eat at all.
2. Unrealistic expectations:
People set unrealistic expectations and goals of weight loss that is why they push themselves to extremes. Keep in mind you can’t lose 1 kg weight in 1 day, that is just unrealistic. Also if you see people promising you that you can easily lose 20 kg in a month, just do not listen to them.
You should aim to lose 0.5-1 kg of weight in one week. The results will take time to be visible depending on multiple factors including your current lifestyle, eating habits, metabolism, your medical conditions and your current weight.
3. Inconsistent habits:
People also fail at weight loss attempts because of their inconsistent habits. Once you have decided to lose weight you will have to constantly work on it to see the results. If you have developed the pattern of being inconsistent, then start once again, but this time do it strategically.
Be patient, and start to bring little changes to your lifestyle. Start with one step at a time, like moving your body frequently. You can start by taking stairs instead of elevators. Eliminate sugary drinks and sip on herbal teas instead. These small changes will help you stay consistent and gradually you will get to a disciplined weight loss regime.
Overcoming weight loss challenges
You feel weight loss is challenging at every step, yes it is but you can ensure to smoothen your path of weight loss. You can overcome weight loss challenges with a strategic approach to weight loss. Here is how you are going to do it:
Developing a healthy relationship with food:
You need to first understand why you are on the weight loss journey. Yes, losing fat is the ultimate goal but it should stem from the thought that you want to take care of your body and ensure a healthy and fit body.
Your perspective towards your body will help you develop a healthy relation with your food, to ensure you are feeding your body the right food and practice mindful eating. Listen to your body while eating, if you don’t feel like eating, do not. If you find yourself hungry eat and ensure to eat healthy food which is nutritious and makes you feel that you actually ate.
Do not choose highly saturated foods or snacks to curb your hunger. Instead choose a fruit, seeds, or a balanced meal packed with nutrients.
Address your emotional eating:
Emotional eating is the result of hormonal imbalance. Whenever you are in stress your body will ask for food because cortisol increases appetite. If you find yourself indulged in emotional eating, ensure to address it. See what could be the root cause and how you can fix it.
Tailor your diet and exercise plan:
Every human body is different and to attain a specific health goal, in this case, weight loss, one needs to address the specific needs. Get advice from professionals instead of doing it on your own. Have certified nutritionists and personal trainers at your side who can give you a personalized and sustainable diet and exercise plan respectively to help you achieve your health goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can weight loss have side effects?
Ans. Yes, weight loss can have side effects, especially if you rapidly lose weight. The main side effect will be nutrient deficiency because if your body won’t get enough nutrients. Other side effects of weight loss include muscle loss, hair loss, fatigue, weakness, digestive issues, and psychological effects. Women may encounter menstrual irregularities.
Is it possible to lose weight without exercising?
Ans. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise by making changes to your dietary approach. But weight management could be a bit difficult with only a dietary approach. Also, the results would take time to be visible. So, if you want to witness visible results and for effective long-term weight loss management, you need to consider losing weight by exercising.
Is losing 2 kg a week healthy?
Ans. Ideally, you should focus on losing 0.5-1 kg of weight loss in a week. This means you can lose around 2-4 kg in a month. Weight loss also depends on multiple factors like your activity level, your eating habits and lifestyle.
