Current rates of obesity and overweight, as well as weight-related disease, have made weight management a major health issue throughout America. But statistics show that the average weight loss on a regular diet adds 5-8 pounds a year. So why do we find it so difficult to fast? According to a new survey (1), the answer seems to be: because we make 3 important mistakes. We do not have enough encouragement; we allow ourselves to starve; nor can we live up to "bad days". A weight loss survey conducted by annecollins.com asked dieters to choose from three major dietary problems. The most common problems reported are: “Inadequate motivation for weight loss” (76%); “Hunger” (72%); and “bad days” (70%). While these results will come as no surprise to many dieters, they highlight the importance of motivation in the diet. We examine how these problems occur, and what steps can be taken to overcome them.
Why Do We Need Encouragement?
We gain weight because we consume more energy than we actually use. Either we eat too many calories, or we burn too few, or both. So if we want to lose weight, we need to improve our diet and exercise habits. And this is not easy, because let's face it - old habits are not easily discarded, especially if they involve cutting off our favorite management. We need strong encouragement to help us change. Specifically, we need the answer to the question: "How will I really benefit from losing weight?" When faced with this question, many dieters have no answer. Those who do, often respond: "I will feel better" or "my life will be better". Some explain that they are trying to lose weight to please their doctor, or their partner, or simply because they are "obese". Unfortunately, none of these reasons are strong enough to help us succeed. So when temptation comes our way, we cannot resist it.
What kind of motivation is best?
Our motivation for losing weight should be based on selfish, specific gain. A good example might be a future beach holiday, or a family event, or gaining a certain goal of movement or fitness. It should be as clear as possible (general benefits are irrelevant) and well related to the set date. Moreover, there must be selfishness. Losing weight to please others rarely works. The advice I give my clients is very simple. Do not worry about eating unless you have a good motive. Because no matter how good the diet, no matter how important the exercise program is, unless you have a strong reason to change your habits you will not succeed. Hunger Kills Food Many dieters are still convinced that calories are their enemy. So when they eat less, they may quickly lose weight. This is not true. In fact, the less we eat, the more hungry we become and the easier it is to fall into temptation. The human body is trained to eat when it is hungry, and there is no energy to quench that basic need. This is why overeating is a common reaction to low-calorie foods.
How to Avoid Hunger
There is no rocket science here. Avoiding hunger means eating regularly throughout the day, and keeping your calories above 1000-1200 per day. This prevents hunger, thus reducing the urge to overeat, and in addition helps maintain a normal caloric burn. Eat More Than You Have Too Much, We all have days when we feel very hungry, even when we are starving. This is no problem - just eat too much! It is always better to eat less than enough. Could this slow down your weight loss? Yes. But what about it? Taking a few extra days to reach your goal is not a problem. The real danger lies in not eating enough and keeping hungry and depressed. This is a recipe for indulgence. Bad Days and Perfection Problem, No flawless dieter. The fact is, all dieters experience “bad days” or fall into temptation from time to time. Sadly, many dieters insist on "perfection". They can not tolerate this error. So when (they say) they visit a friend and end up eating 2 bowls of ice cream and a box of cakes, they become pieces. “I don't care!” they cry. “I am a failure!” Overwhelmed by guilt over their imperfection, they relinquished their food in disgust. Damage That Damages, In this case, the actual eating is really harmless. I mean, we need to eat a large amount of food (3500+ calories) to gain even one pound of weight. The actual damage is caused by the following case. And this is what we need to fix.
The Case Comes From Trying to Be Perfect, All dieters make mistakes and this is completely natural. Occasional indulgence is not a cause for fear, much less guilt. Even my most successful clients - those who have lost 100+ pounds - have a common mistake. The difference is that they did not consider themselves to be “perfect”. So they felt they had the right to make mistakes from time to time, and so should you. Once you accept this, you will find it much easier to edit.
We Need Support To Make
These Changes To overcome the 3 problems described above, the first important step is to get the right support. This is as important as choosing the right diet plan, because no matter how good the diet is, it will not motivate you to stay on track - only people can do this. Eating is ten times easier when you get encouragement from others. So when choosing an online weight loss program, choose one that has a working forum. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about people. When alone and alone, the smallest obstacle can be seen as a mountain. But if we have people behind us, anything can happen.
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