Why do People Become Fat Again?

It is much easier to gain weight than it is to lose it, which is why it is so convenient to tell yourself that you're not fat and that you could lose the weight if you really wanted to. However, actually sticking to a low-calorie eating plan and making time for exercise can be a challenge. Yet, when you see what the results of your hard work are, it feels worthwhile and so you are able to maintain some degree of enthusiasm. This generally isn't the case once you're at your ideal weight and you no longer have any targets to aim for. When you've reached this stage, it is easy for bad habits to creep back in.

This is why so many people end up getting fat again. They can stick to a low-calorie diet for a few months, because they know that they are going to lose weight; they force themselves to go to the gym every other day, because they know that it is going to speed up their weight loss. However, after their diet has finished and they get back to 'normal' they may no longer have the inclination to monitor their eating habits or to make exercise a priority, and this is when the weight usually starts to make a return.

After all, it is much easier to take a lax approach to eating and exercise than it is to have to practise restraint around food and to make sure that you follow a strict exercise regime. You don't want to have to religiously count calories, because this takes some of the fun out of eating. You want to be able to sit down to a meal with your partner and order whatever you want or to bring home a big bar of chocolate and nibble on it whilst watching television. The trouble is that what begins as a 'one-off' can soon turn into a habit, and this is when you could start to regain weight.

Having managed to stick to a calorie-controlled diet for so long, it is nice to just relax and to not have to worry about what you're eating, but if you're naturally inclined to eat too much of the wrong kind of food, you have to remain conscious of just how much you're eating. Otherwise, you will find yourself consuming an excessive number of calories, which will be stored as fat if you do not make an effort to burn them off. It might be tough to stick to a diet, but it seems that it is actually continuing to follow a sensible eating and exercise plan that people struggle most with.

Thus, when you're trying to lose weight you need to be aware that this is only half the battle. Once you've lost all the weight you need to, you then need to re-focus your energies on keeping the weight off. If you don't, you may simply slip back into your old ways, even though these old ways may have contributed significantly to your weight gain. You certainly don't want to have to keep going on a diet whenever you put on a few too many pounds, as you could find yourself caught up in a cycle of yo-yo dieting, which can be bad for both mind and body.