Why is sticking to weight loss so hard?

incisron
incisron Posts: 550 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Why is it so hard for me to stick to weight loss? I keep failing. It seems to be harder than other stuff I try to improve on. It's weird.

Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    How steep is your deficit. You could eat 100 calories below your maintainence level.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    ^^^ This

    I have a mantra I tell myself often "make up your mind and your body will follow". This helps me to remember I'm in control of my food intake and my negative thoughts (only I can change them).

    Dont restrict yourself from foods you love, work them in your calorie goal. Eventually you will play with your foods and find the right combo that keeps you satiated on lower calories. For me it was having a carb, protein and fat in every meal.

    After all these years of being there for my family I decided I needed to show up for myself. Show up for yourself and don't give up. It does get easier.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    edited November 2016
    It does get easier. The quickest route to failure, IMHO, is undereating. Sure, everyone trying to lose weight tries to avoid overeating. That's obvious, but less obvious is how important it is to eat enough to sustain you. An appropriate calorie goal really is the key to long term success. If you're having a hard time, re-evaluate your calorie goal.
  • incisron
    incisron Posts: 550 Member
    edited November 2016
    Thanks, everybody. I will retry and will take your advice.
  • Coughlin691
    Coughlin691 Posts: 2 Member
    I don't know what IMHO is, but I do feel there are days that I do not eat enough. I then fall into the horrible cycle of eating too much in the evening ~ stress eating. Too tired to exercise and just want a glass of wine to unwind from stressful day.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    In my humble opinion :)
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Long-term, we (and I include myself) tend to focus mostly, if not exclusively, on the physical, and not as much on the psychological/behavioral component of weight loss. Over time, the same factors that drove you to gain weight in the first place reassert themselves.
  • KrazyKrissyy
    KrazyKrissyy Posts: 322 Member
    edited November 2016
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    are you depriving yourself/eating too low calorie as that's the biggest culprit.

    Depriving, yes. Low calorie, no. They are two separate things. I've been losing weight on low calorie without even trying (while not feeling deprived) and my weight is already on the low end of healthy. Just saying.
  • adamyovanovich
    adamyovanovich Posts: 163 Member
    Most people that get in the mood to diet, they do it extreme, they cut all their favorites, eat only rabbit food and go low calories. Then you hate it and give up.

    The alternative, is eat what you like, but change up how you make it a little and try to cut some calories out of it, and watch your portion.

    This is my 3rd big weight loss attempt, my first time i did p90x, busted my butt, didn't change my diet, once i quit doing the program i gained it all back. My second attempt i cut my calories hardcore, only ate rabbit food, drank smoothies, i hated it so i failed. This time im eating what i want, i just stay under my goal and ive been on it 176 days now!!!! The most i lost before was 15-20 pounds and i did it for 30-60 days and quit. Ive lost 55 pounds this time and feel confident that this is my path to success.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I think for most people it's because they run huge and unsustainable deficits and they have a very myopic view of what constitutes proper nutrition so everything they're eating is boring.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    KrazyKrissyy wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    are you depriving yourself/eating too low calorie as that's the biggest culprit.

    Depriving, yes. Low calorie, no. They are two separate things. I've been losing weight on low calorie without even trying (while not feeling deprived) and my weight is already on the low end of healthy. Just saying.

    Deprivation is about more than a feeling. The body is pretty good at sending signals to the brain encouraging us to start replacing all the things we are lacking. And yes, even on a plant based diet, at too low calories you will be lacking in something, even if it's as simple as adequate fuel/calories for the body to function properly. Lack of protein will lead to muscle loss.

    So everything has to be considered, psychological deprivation and real, potentially harmful actual food deprivation.

    And eating in such a way as to lose as much as you did as quickly as you did is nothing to be bragging about.
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