On January 1st, thousands and thousands of people made the resolution to lose weight. And though we’re not even half way through the month, there are already people who find they’re disappointed in their progress. It won’t be long before statistics say that many of the people who resolved to lose weight, will have let that resolution slide. But why – why is this resolution so hard to keep? First, weight loss is so much harder than it sounds like it is. After losing some weight, your body will begin to fight back, trying to hold on to the excess fat it wants to keep. Second, we are surrounded by factors that make this a daily, if not hourly, challenge. From fast food and office lunches to crazy schedules and families who need us, it’s hard to prioritize our own goals a lot of the time. Here are some specific reasons we see smart, determined people struggle with a weight loss goal:
Too large of a goal
If your goal is to lose 80 pounds, and after a few painful weeks of hard work you see the scale is showing a 3 pound loss, you may feel like the end is too far away. After all, 3 weeks covers 63 meals plus plenty of time for snacks. That means you may have felt deprivation over and over… which makes it very hard to picture a long and successful journey to your goal weight.
Frustrated by setbacks
Are you too hard on yourself for a single ‘mistake’? Often people do not reach their weight loss goals because they get stuck on a moment when things didn’t go the way they wanted. If you eat a donut at work, does that mean the rest of the day is ruined? If you buy a big bag of chips, does that mean you’ve messed up your goal of eating for the week, and should order pizza that night since that weight loss week is already lost? So many of us get stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset, so what’s truly a minor moment of eating off track, turns into a bad day or week or month.
Stuck in a rut
When your days are filled, and you’re barely getting enough sleep, it is so easy to fall into routines. There may be a few meals that you’re used to cooking, a few restaurants where you can get take out, and a pantry full of quick-dinners. While we’re not suggesting you try to become a professional chef, learning a few new meals can help get you out of an eating rut. Often people want to see results, but they’re eating the same foods that did not give them results in the past. Expand your repertoire and find a few new recipes with lean protein and vegetables – that change could get you on the right track.
You’re hungry!
During the first few days of a weight loss resolution, you may feel motivated and determined to eat healthy, exercise, and see results. But the reality is that after a week of changing your eating habits, you might be downright hungry. And while hunger is manageable for a little while, it gets frustrating and tiring to feel like food is always on your mind. Especially since the more you worry that you’re not supposed to give in to hunger, the more hungry you feel. Managing hunger is a great aspect to the gastric balloon. Because the balloon takes up room in your stomach, many balloon patients tell us they just do not feel the hunger that they used to feel. This makes eating well, and choosing smaller portions, a whole lot easier.
Do not feel bad about yourself if a weight loss resolution does not become successful. As easy as it sounds to say “I’m going to lose weight,” at West Medical we know that is a significant challenge. Be patient and make lots of small, good choices. And if you are looking to lose 30 pounds or more, learn about your surgical and non-surgical options which are tools that allow your hard work to give you the weight loss results you’ve been working for. We’re happy to answer any questions you have and can be reached at (855) 690-0565.