For most people, their weight loss stories go something like this.
- Tired of being overweight, the stigma and the health issues it can cause, you decide to do something about it.
- You find a weight-loss diet that seems promising and that you feel you can accomplish.
- Stoked by visions of your new body and life at a lower weight, you jump into the diet with everything you have.
- Success! The early results are in, you’ve lost weight and you’re on track to reach your goal.
- But you start to notice you have “low energy” moments. You’re always hungry. Nevertheless, you persevere. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
- Still, the pounds stop falling off as they did at the beginning, but you’re trying harder than ever. You feel like you’re failing.
- Whether or not you ever reach your weight-loss goal, you find it difficult to maintain it, especially when the diet is “over”, and you eventually put back on most or all the weight you lost.
- Start again the next time you just can’t tolerate being overweight.
First, you’re not alone. While it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one who’s overweight, there are far more people than you think with stories that are very similar to yours.
Why Weight Loss Diets Have a Low Success Rate
Through no fault of your own, the reason weight loss seems like such an elusive goal is because, well, it’s the wrong goal.
Yes, obesity rates have spiked in recent decades because we’re eating more food and more food that isn’t nutrient-dense. So it’s easy to make the connection that eating less food is the way to reverse the habit of eating too much food.
But the real solution isn’t that simple. While overeating and the extra weight it causes are physical things, the reasons for our eating habits are very often not related to physical issues, but emotional ones.
In other words, while eating a nutritious, balanced diet to create a healthy calorie deficit is the basis of long-term weight loss, many of the changes in your life needed for that to happen can be mental and emotional.
Looking at our “typical” weight loss journey outlined above, we can see a quick example of a mental issue that can make it difficult to continue. When your weight loss plateaus, which it will at some point, even when you’re working harder than ever, it can make you feel defeated; like you’re not meant to lose weight.
In that case, you’re doing everything right physically, but when the pounds don’t come off, now you’re battling a mental issue.
And they can be even more challenging than changing your eating habits.
Whether it’s from a family member, friend or a professional, getting the support you need to meet and beat the mental challenges of weight loss can be the difference between success and failure.
The nutrition counsellors at your local Herbal One Centre are ready to support you through every step of your weight loss journey. From personalizing a Herbal One Diet Plan just for your needs and goals to keeping you motivated along the way, they are ready to help you healthily lose weight and keep it off.
To learn more about how to make weight loss happen for you, check out our article “Why Good Nutrition is the Basis of Successful Weight Loss”.