Why it’s so difficult to keep weight off
There’s probably been a time when you’ve had great success cutting down and have really seen results. Unfortunately, you often find that weight returns in time and within six months or a year, you’re back where you started. It feels awful, but help is here. I’m going to explain why this keeps happening and what you can do about it.
I think the big problem here is time. We’re often focussed on the short-term.
That big event coming up, the holiday or the new diet plan we’re following. We do things right for a bit, but then go back to normal. This short-term focus can also result in us overlooking the things that have caused the problem.
So what’s the answer? For me, it’s simple. We need to take a long-term approach to losing weight if we want to see long-term results. I think it helps to consider a few things.
We’ve evolved to adapt to food shortages
Throughout history, it’s often been boom or bust in terms of food for our species. Aside from the seasons, we've always had to deal with famines and climate changes.
This all results in us quickly getting used to eating less. The body adapts to less food the best it can to keep us alive. This is obviously a problem when things go back to normal after cutting down. That’s why we need long-term changes.
If I’m trying to lose weight, I pad it out and cut down in stages. When I relax a bit, I do the same thing.
For me weight loss is like deep-sea diving, where they have to carefully adapt to the pressure in stages. Just think of what happens when they get that wrong and try to move too fast.
We are internals or externals
There are two types of people. Firstly, there are internals who usually eat in response to what their body is telling them. It’s simple, they feel hungry and they eat. Then there are externals, who are usually drawn to what’s around them. Tasty treats that offer some kind of gratification and reward.
I’m sure you’re already aware of what you’re likely to be.
Personally, I’m an external. I know that a lot of my issues with food and weight come from using it as a comfort or reward. In my case, I know I can respond to this by acting like an internal. I can try ‘mindful eating’. This is simply a practice where you do your best to focus on what your body is telling you, when it’s hungry and needs food.
While I’m aware we often have to eat on a schedule, it helps if you can work out where you have some control. It also helps to just challenge yourself when you’re tempted to eat for the wrong reasons. You can keep asking yourself, do I really need this?
In time, this discipline can really start to take hold. You can also be a little easier on yourself if you know you’re an external. It’s not all your fault.
We have a set weight we keep coming back to
This sounds odd, but I got this from an expert. In her book, Why Diets Make Us Fat Sandra Aamodt suggests we all have a set weight we keep coming back to. That’s why so many people keep finding themselves back where they started.
She argues that unless there is a health issue, it could be an option accepting where you are. This could be better than continually putting yourself through this process of boom and bust. It’s also a reason why the weight loss industry is so lucrative.
My response to anyone who is sceptical is simple. I came across her work almost a decade ago and it’s very clear to me that I have a natural set weight.
If I’m overdoing it and I expect a nasty surprise when I get on the scales, it’s often close to this number. When I’ve been cutting down and I ease off a bit, guess where I’m likely to be when I weight myself.
Following her advice, I know I need to take a long-term approach to losing weight. I strongly suggest reading her book, or at least listening to her TED talk on YouTube.
So, if you're thinking about losing weight remember:
We’ve evolved to adapt to food shortages
We are internals or externals
We have a set weight we keep coming back to
We have to think long term. This starts with being honest with yourself. Working out what’s likely to be causing the problem. Asking yourself if a short-term diet is going to address it. Going a lot easier on yourself if you need to.
I hope this helps. I’ll be focussing on diet and weight loss a lot more in future. I know how it can impact our mental health and wellbeing. I’m developing a helpful guide to this subject and there will be more on this blog. Please keep checking back.