Do you constantly ask yourself why losing weight is so difficult? Many of my clients lament the weight loss process. They want results and they want them yesterday. Let me ask you, how well has the “quick fix” or “miracle weight loss” product has worked in the past? It hasn’t. There are many reasons for this…..
There are no shortcuts in losing weight. I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you about all of the ways you can drop 10 pounds in a week, but I would be lying. For many of my clients, it is those shortcuts that actually led them to gain weight. Diet statistics routinely show that people tend to gain back what they lose and then some. As one of my clients so aptly put it, “I have dieted myself into obesity!”. If you keep trying the shortcut, you will end up with the same results. If we try to force our body to lose weight, it will react as if it is starving (given the calorie allowances in some diets, your body is starving) and it will attempt to retain weight by slowing your metabolism. You can continue to force past this because eventually if you starve yourself, you will lose weight, but as soon as you have access to food, you will gain it back plus some.
There may be underlying barriers. If you have a medical condition such as sleep apnea, hormone imbalances, thyroid issues, low leptin (fullness hormone), or a plethora of other barriers, you will not lose weight quickly and easily. Until the underlying barrier is addressed, you will do everything the experts tell you and losing weight will still be a battle. If you have signs and symptoms of these medical barriers in particular, follow up with your physician.
You struggle with emotional eating. If your barrier to losing weight is emotional eating, no diet or weight loss surgery will take that away. You will still compulsively reach for food when you are struggling emotionally unless you address the root of your emotional connection with food. By getting to the core and identifying the needs you try to meet with food, you can actually change your relationship with food and experience freedom. This step makes the rest of this process so much easier. Granted, it still does not mean it will be easy, just easier. I often have clients complain that after this process, they feel so much better emotionally, but have not lost weight. It still takes hard work and dedication to change other behavior patterns. Some changes will occur naturally when you resolve the emotions connected to food, but you still need to be committed to doing things differently over and over again if weight loss is your goal.
Michelle Lewis
Latest posts by Michelle Lewis (see all)
- Emotional Eating and Self-Care: What Have I Done For Me Lately? - September 13, 2023
- Are You Eating Your Anger? - August 9, 2023
- Stress Management: Everything You Know Is (probably) Wrong - March 7, 2023
Michelle Lewis has been working in the mental health field since 2001. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Weber State University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Utah. She is passionate about helping others achieve their goals.
No comments yet.