Why Is Weight Loss So Difficult - 5 Tips To Make It Easier

Posted by Jessica Ward on July 13th, 2018

With so many weight loss regimens in existence, it’s a wonder that weight loss is still so difficult. To make it easier, we’ve put together a list of the best tips for losing weight and keeping it off in the long-run.

Change Your Attitude

Nothing makes a weight loss regimen more difficult than a negative attitude. Approaching it with nothing but pessimism definitely will not help you see the results you’re looking for.

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean a negative attitude regarding your ability to see results (which also happens). The type of behavior I’m talking about is one regarding your body in general. If you go into a new workout regimen hating your body and everything about it, your attitude isn’t likely to improve with exercise or healthier eating. Instead, it may even become more negative as impatience and anger color how you perceive your progress.

To combat this, focus on reasons for weight loss that motivate you just as much, if not more, than changing how your body looks. Give yourself points for what your body currently CAN do, then set goals that will help you do them better.

The reason changing your attitude is such a big deal is that it’s the key to staying motivated when you’d rather not do anything except binge pizza and Netflix.

Change Your Eating Habits

All too often people expect results without doing anything about their eating habits. This necessary change is part of why weight loss can be so difficult, as our dietary habits are ingrained in us.

Just like it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit, it takes time to make significant changes to your diet. And if you’re one of those people who attempts to completely change your eating habits in one fell swoop, you’re likely to fall off the wagon and return to your old ways.

Why? Because sudden changes are both unsustainable and dangerous.

The body doesn’t take well to changes in routine, and forcing yourself to suddenly stop eating foods you love will only make you resentful of any weight you lose and more likely to gain it back in the future.

Change Your Environment

Don’t worry, I don’t mean you should move somewhere new and start a completely different life. That would be unrealistic. A change in environment means making your home and office space more weight loss friendly. If, for example, you have a bowl of sweets on or near your desk at work, you’ll be more likely to snack on it throughout the day. To prevent compulsive eating of unhealthy foods from boredom or dehydration, try bringing a healthy snack with you to work and taking a break to eat it at the same time each day. I’d also recommend hiding that candy bowl or moving it to another part of the office. The harder it is to get to those sweets, the less likely you will be to eat them.

Set More Realistic Goals

One of the biggest reasons some people find weight loss so difficult is that they set unrealistic goals. Instead of expecting to be able to run a mile in under 7 minutes the first time you go out, you should evaluate your current fitness level and set small milestones that will take you closer to that ultimate goal. A great way to get started is to look into home fitness.

The same goes for your actual weight. You can’t expect to lose 5, 10, or even 20 pounds right off the bat. Successful long-term weight loss takes time and dedication. Don’t mess up your motivation or ability to reach your ultimate goal by expecting it to become reality too quickly.

Doing that will only bring back the negative attitude we talked about earlier.

Don’t give up

No matter where you are in your weight loss journey, it’s important that you not give up. Weight loss is a difficult task by itself, but many of the habits people do make it harder. If you enact these 5 tips in your weight loss efforts, you’re guaranteed to see results.

Remember, when the heart is at ease, the body is healthy. Focusing too much on what you don’t like about your body will only make you dislike it more. Go easy on yourself, and expect to have some failures along the way. Weight loss is a journey, after all, and expecting quick results is unrealistic.