You would think that keeping the weight off after going on a
diet would be the easy bit, but this appears not to be the case. Whilst many
people have no problem following a diet until they reach their goal weight,
maintaining that weight is another matter. The problem is that diets don’t
really get you to learn how to eat healthily and you get trapped in the mindset
of losing weight as fast as you can without thinking about how you’re going to
cope once you have reached your goal.
Old habits die hard
When you first start a diet you are excited about the prospect of watching the weight fall off. You don’t mind that you have a limited range of foods that you’re ‘allowed’ to eat or that you have to restrict the quantity of food you consume, because you are able to see your efforts pay off whenever you step on the scales. However, once you are on your way to achieving your weight loss goal it can be more difficult to stay motivated.
Whether you reach your goal or not, eventually old habits will creep back into your routine. If you have been severely restricting the amount of food and the range of foods you have allowed yourself whilst on a diet, you may decide to make up for lost time when you come off it. Consequently, you could find yourself bingeing on large quantities of fatty, sugary foods that if you continue to eat enough of will lead to weight gain.
Lack of motivation
When you’re losing weight you are able to step on the scales and see what progress is being made. You are able to watch the numbers going down on the scales and on the measuring tape and you are able to enjoy feeling your clothes growing looser before finding yourself having to go shopping for smaller sizes. You also receive praise from other people about how good you are looking, which keeps you motivated.
However, once you are at your goal or nearly at your goal, the excitement wears off. There is no reward for eating less and avoiding certain foods and you start to wonder whether it is worth it. If you have lost weight quickly by going on a crash diet you may feel lethargic and depressed, so that all you can think about is food. One day, you might just snap so that any plans to adopt healthier eating habits go out of the window.
Life gets in the way
When you decide that you want to try to lose weight you obviously have to prioritise weight loss, as otherwise you might just continue to make excuses about why you can’t lose weight. You therefore make an effort to plan your meals and to go to the gym because you know that this is the only way you’re going to achieve the results you want.
When you’re at your goal weight, though, your weight might just fade into the background a bit, so that you no longer spend as long planning your meals and going to the gym. Instead, you may decide to dedicate more time to your job, family and friends, so that the weight you lost starts to creep back on.
It is better to lose weight slowly but surely
The impatience to lose weight quickly can often undermine the desire to lose weight for good, because you never embrace the habits that will make maintaining a healthy weight possible. Thus, it is better to focus on leading a healthier lifestyle and losing weight at a gradual rate, rather than losing lots of weight, but regaining it all within a short space of time.
Old habits die hard
When you first start a diet you are excited about the prospect of watching the weight fall off. You don’t mind that you have a limited range of foods that you’re ‘allowed’ to eat or that you have to restrict the quantity of food you consume, because you are able to see your efforts pay off whenever you step on the scales. However, once you are on your way to achieving your weight loss goal it can be more difficult to stay motivated.
Whether you reach your goal or not, eventually old habits will creep back into your routine. If you have been severely restricting the amount of food and the range of foods you have allowed yourself whilst on a diet, you may decide to make up for lost time when you come off it. Consequently, you could find yourself bingeing on large quantities of fatty, sugary foods that if you continue to eat enough of will lead to weight gain.
Lack of motivation
When you’re losing weight you are able to step on the scales and see what progress is being made. You are able to watch the numbers going down on the scales and on the measuring tape and you are able to enjoy feeling your clothes growing looser before finding yourself having to go shopping for smaller sizes. You also receive praise from other people about how good you are looking, which keeps you motivated.
However, once you are at your goal or nearly at your goal, the excitement wears off. There is no reward for eating less and avoiding certain foods and you start to wonder whether it is worth it. If you have lost weight quickly by going on a crash diet you may feel lethargic and depressed, so that all you can think about is food. One day, you might just snap so that any plans to adopt healthier eating habits go out of the window.
Life gets in the way
When you decide that you want to try to lose weight you obviously have to prioritise weight loss, as otherwise you might just continue to make excuses about why you can’t lose weight. You therefore make an effort to plan your meals and to go to the gym because you know that this is the only way you’re going to achieve the results you want.
When you’re at your goal weight, though, your weight might just fade into the background a bit, so that you no longer spend as long planning your meals and going to the gym. Instead, you may decide to dedicate more time to your job, family and friends, so that the weight you lost starts to creep back on.
It is better to lose weight slowly but surely
The impatience to lose weight quickly can often undermine the desire to lose weight for good, because you never embrace the habits that will make maintaining a healthy weight possible. Thus, it is better to focus on leading a healthier lifestyle and losing weight at a gradual rate, rather than losing lots of weight, but regaining it all within a short space of time.
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