Why it’s so hard to lose weight: difficult truths to know in 2021

Why is it so hard to lose weight? This is a question that many people have asked themselves, probably on many occasions, but especially during the first few months of the year when thousands of people follow health-related. New Year’s resolutions. Apart from the obvious – food is delicious, exercise is difficult and time is short – there are many other factors that influence weight loss and that many people do not even know that they are the victim. These six mistakes can definitely prevent you weight loss progress, but if you are aware of it in 2021, avoid common weight loss pitfalls.

Read more: 6 things you absolutely do not need in 2021 to get fit or healthy

You have a short-term attitude

Everything on this list is somewhat of a hard truth, but it is often the hardest to accept (and change). If you approach weight loss with a short-term attitude, you may not hit it anywhere except in the yo-yo diet.

Without a long-term approach to weight loss, you could lose ten or more pounds within two weeks and then get a setback if you find that the treatment is not working for you. This is all too common when people start strict diets like keto or paleo, or fast diets that promise rapid weight loss. In fact, most people follow a well-balanced diet that includes all food groups and even some delicacies, in the long run.

Part of a successful, sustainable weight loss – that is, losing weight and keeping it off for a good amount of time – is the notion that cravings, excessive exercise and “detoxification” usually do not work. It only lasts as long as your willpower lasts, and I’m willing to bet it’s no longer than two weeks to a few months.

There are no quick fixes, miracle cures or magic pills when it comes to weight loss, despite what the wellness industry believes you are: to lose weight, you need to commit to a plan that supports long-term healthy habits.

The general recommendation for weight loss is a rate of one to two pounds per week, although the initial weight loss may exceed it for people who are very overweight, and then decrease to the suggested one to two pounds per week. Studies have shown that it is an effective way to lose weight without losing too much water or lean tissue – and to prevent a setback.

Read more: The best adjustable dumbbells for 2021

You have an all-or-nothing mindset

Many people who struggle with a short-term attitude also struggle with an all-or-nothing attitude. I myself began my health and fitness journey with this mindset. I cut out all (literally all!) Processed foods: no bread, no pasta, no milk, no cheese, certainly no individually wrapped snacks. I basically insisted on chicken, vegetables and berries.

It was great until it was not, and I ended up on a CVS run for all the chocolate and goldfish I could hold in two hands. Then, because I ‘ruined’ my diet, I would eat as much as I could physically handle, because ‘Why not? I ruined it already. ‘

Then, of course, I will feel bad about the snacks I ate and return to my overly restrictive treatment the next day. It’s a devastating cycle to be in, but it’s something I see all the time with clients with personal training. An all-or-nothing mindset can keep you in a constant cycle of lose-win-lose, not to mention shame and guilt surrounding food.

This all-or-nothing concept also applies to fitness: if you have crushed workouts left and right, but do not feel fitter or stronger, you may be doing too much. Breaking it down can be – counter-intuitively – the answer to improving your fitness (and playing the long game).

You do not have a support system

Supportive friends, family members and important people are critical to successful weight loss. If I were asked to name the most common reason for not sticking to a healthy diet from my personal training clients, I would say stigma.

That’s right. No matter how stupid it sounds, people are really making fun of healthy eating, especially in regions where food is an integral part of the culture. Growing up in southern Louisiana near New Orleans, I experienced this very often when I decided to adjust my diet.

At family gatherings and social outings, I would get comments like, “Is that all you eat?” or, “Are you really not going to eat any dessert?” or, laden with sarcasm, “Next time we have a salad bowl.”

It’s not fun to be mocked or ridiculed, especially not for things you care about (like your health!), So it can be very easy to fall into the trap of eating and drinking for the sake of your social life to trap. This is why a solid support system is the key to long-term weight loss. Without it, the journey can feel lonely and intimidating.

If you currently feel that you do not have a support system, try open conversations with your friends, family and friends about it. You can make it clear that they do not have to change their eating habits if they do not want to, but that your health means a lot to you, and that you will appreciate it if they do not mock or harm your hard work. .

If an IRL support system does not work out, turn to online communities that promote health as well as body positivity. I really love Flex and Flow on Instagram, Health At Every Size and the Intuitive Eating Community. These communities emphasize health without emphasizing weight, which is helpful because if you focus on the health outcomes, you will achieve weight with ease. Reddit also has a great forum (/ r / loseit) where you can find many real weight loss stories.

You think exercise overcomes everything

If you are at all focused on the wellness industry, you will know the saying: “Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym.” Even if your goals do not include a shredded stomach, the proverb is still relevant. You just can not exercise a poor diet.

Exercise should definitely be part of your general approach to weight loss, as it has been proven to promote weight loss (not to mention the long list of other health benefits), but it is difficult to exercise alone. Many people estimate the amount of calories they can burn through their workouts – this is probably much less than you think.

A 154-pound man, for example, will burn less than 450 calories during an intense, hour-long weight-lifting workout. You can easily cancel it if you do not pay attention to your diet. The exact number of calories you burn during exercise depends on many factors, including your current weight, the intensity of the activity, the length of the workout, your age, and your body composition.

Focusing only on exercise can lead to a devastating cycle of extra exercise to burn off calories you feel you should not have eaten. Or you may end up feeling that you need to “earn” calories through exercise. Either way, following this approach can lead to a strained relationship with food and exercise, as well as a set weight loss.

There are exceptions to all rules. Some people, like those who have been using muscle mass for years, can eat a lot of calorie-dense food and not gain weight – but even if you can eat what you want and to lose or maintain weight, it does not mean it is healthy for your.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins and some whole grains will offer you the best in terms of sustainable weight loss and health. Combined with a constant exercise routine, you will experience sustained weight loss and weight maintenance once you have reached your weight.

Your sleep, stress and workload work against you

Losing weight will be much more difficult if you are chronically stressed, sleep deprived or overworked. This scenario may sound familiar to you:

• You are motivated to wake up and ready to seize the day. You have plans for an interval run to work, and your healthy, prepared dinner awaits you in the fridge.
• A few hours a day catches up with your lack of sleep. You grab the afternoon coffee.
• By the time the work is over, you are completely too drained to get going. You decide to skip it.
• You are tired and maybe a little stressed or moody, so you make a healthy dinner and rather make a drive-through – for comfort food.

It’s OK if it happens occasionally (everyone deserves a lazy night every now and then), but weight loss seems impossible if it happens all the time.

The truth is that nutrition and exercise are only two components of a healthy life that can lead to weight loss. While important, an over-focus on nutrition and exercise can cause you to overlook other factors that are just as important: sleep and stress management.

You use supplements instead of eating a healthy diet

I hate to carry the bad news, but the fat burning supplement in your medicine cabinet is not going to do the job for you. Some supplements can help you achieve your weight loss goals, but you need to work to make your supplements work.

For example, incorporating a daily protein shake in the morning may make you feel full during the day. It can help keep cravings at bay. Increased protein intake can also help you build muscle, which promotes body composition.

Certain weight loss supplements do contain evidence to support this, but no supplements have been proven like the method no one wants to take: eat fewer calories than you burn.

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a doctor or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.