Why is it so hard to keep the weight we lose off? We (Americans in general) don't have a hard time losing weight, we have a hard time keeping weight off in the long term.
With the abundance of fad diets, doing 30 day challenges, cleanses, dietary extremes are what's readily available and what people gain false hope in. This is not sustainable for long term results. We have to find a way that allows us to get results and adhere to a plan for the long-term.
I've read up on this because personally losing weight is something I can do well but, keeping the weight off and deciding when to stop my dieting phase is something I struggled with. Reading every article, post, books like Layne Nortons "Fat Loss Forever" gave me such great insight and knowledge to make my and ultimately my clients experience the best for their long-term benefit.
It comes down to a few main habit practices that seem to be consistent amongst those who are losing weight and keeping it off. Now, the frequency of those practices are likely daily and may be very difficult for some more than others but let's take things one step at a time.
These key behaviors have been highlighted over the long-term of their success. The habits/behaviors are as follows:
1. Self-Monitoring: They practice some way of accountability with themselves. For some this may be, tracking macros, calories, weighing yourself weekly, taking measurements, having a coach or a personal trainer hold you to a schedule to check-in with them. Being responsible for yourself and your health.
2. Cognitive Restraint: This boils down to the person(s) making a conscious effort (meaning, even when they don't want to) to restrain yourself from consistently overeating and building bad habits that aren't promoting of your long-term goal.
3. Long-Term Focus: This is a tough one but, it means that the successful people were able to sacrifice the short-term goal or satisfaction as a trade-off for their success in the long-term goal. Ex. You are purposely taking time off from dieting but, your friend's bachelor party is coming up in 2 months. The short-term goal would be to diet intensively to look great for that upcoming bachelor party but the long-term goal is to not diet and understand that taking the time off will help you set up a dieting phase in the future that is more successful because you aren't "hand-cuffed" to always dieting. The not so successful person would opt. for the short term goal, while the successful person would stay their path even if it means looking "not-their-best" at some event to ensure their long-term goal stays their number 1 priority.
4. Regular Exercise: Exercise --of any kind, can help you increase your energy expenditure which may help you with weight loss and ultimately maintain your weight loss. Find something fun, find something challenging, and get to work!
5. Social Support: Having a group, or just some friends in general, that help you along the way or maybe even join you on your journey to keeping weight off can help you! It would be very difficult to make a conscious effort day in and day out to lose weight and keep it off if you come home to a roommate/partner/family that doesn't understand the importance and struggle of your journey. That can mean instead of coming home to a family that eats mainly fast foods and other, mainly less nutritious foods, coming home to a family that has the fridge stocked up with foods that may not be as tempting for you to say no to. Surround yourself with like-minded, positive individuals and that may be the help you need!
Getting in shape sure is important and it's definitely a difficult task. I think what most people do when they lose weight is get complacent and feel like they're "done" after they reach their goal (or come close to it). This will only set you up for failure. The goal after reaching your goal is to find a sustainable way to maintain those results. No one plans to go on a diet or purposely lose weight to just gain it back. So, when planning out your next dieting phase and when writing down your goal which might look something like "My goal is to go from 208lbs, 31% body fat to 190lbs, 25% body fat" make sure you add this important piece to it as well...
"My goal is to go from 208lbs, 31% body fat to 190lbs, 25% body fat while finding habits that support my results along the way. Then, practice those sustainable habits so when I reach my goal, thaey promote maintaining my results".
Personally, when I found out about the practices of the successful people I wanted to start doing or practicing everything, every single day. Unfortunately, it's a bit more difficult than it seems. What I suggest is taking things slow and starting with one thing that seems easier for you to practice daily. For me, it was practicing cognitive restraint by tracking macros daily. After I had a grip on that I moved on to other practices like weighing myself weekly then daily. One thing at a time.
The easiest way to start practicing a new positibe habit is to start incredibly small, something so small you can't put it off because its just so easy. Then, slowly focusing on building on that habit daily, weekly, etc. to improve it.
Find a ridiculously easy way to practice a new habit, build off it and slowly let it compound into something supportive.
P.S. Want a resource all about habits, how to break the bad and build the good? I read a book by James Clear called Atomic Habits. It was eye opening and I can see myself re-reading it yearly. Highly recommend!
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