REASONS WHY IT’S HARD TO LOSE WEIGHT

Your body is designed to hold onto as much fat as possible to store for times when food may be scarce. That makes losing weight difficult for most people. Factors at play include genetics, age, race and ethnicity, diet, physical activity, hormones, and social factors.

If you struggle with weight loss, you know that there are no shortcuts. One key strategy to losing weight is to burn more calories than you eat. As easy as that sounds, it usually isn’t.

It’s not just about finding time to exercise or choosing the salad over the burger; it’s about making a genuine commitment to your health every day. Here are some things you’ll need to look at in order to get yourself on a healthy weight loss track.

Your Attitude: If you’re only on a health kick to lose weight or look a certain way, it will be hard to lose weight permanently. Weight loss is a fine goal, but finding something else to motivate you can help. One way is to find more reasons to be healthy. Remind yourself of all the benefits of exercise, including increased energy, better moods, and an improved night’s sleep, just to name a few.

Your Workouts: If you don’t work out consistently enough, it’s hard to lose weight. Yes, it’s possible to lose weight through diet alone, but you’ll likely hit a plateau at some point. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym; you only need to set up a reasonable workout schedule that you can follow each week.

Your Diet: Changing the way you eat is another thing you have to commit to for long-lasting weight loss. That means working to replace unhealthy foods with healthier choices and doing that most of the time. It’s not about cutting out everything you love. You can still enjoy your favorite foods, just not every day.

Your Mental Health: If you have other reasons for being overweight, maybe past hurts that you’ve used food to deal with, depression, or other problems, it’s hard to lose weight. For many, food is a comfort and something they have relied on all of their lives to help them deal with emotional problems.

Emily Swaim