Weight Loss - why it’s not working

If you google weight loss, you get 2,430,000,000 results. After you type weight loss, the following words are suggested:

·        Pills

·        Meaning

·        Foods

·        Calculator

·        Program

·        Tips

·        Drinks

It seems to be everywhere, wanted by many, and achieved by few. Why is it so difficult for people to achieve and, more importantly, maintain?

Well, you can’t be successful at something if you have the wrong tools. There are so many weight loss programs, fad diets, weight-loss challenges, books, supplements, meal replacers, apps, and more, and yet…. the puzzle is still incomplete.

So, why do all these weight loss tips and tricks not work? Because, fundamentally, they’re flawed. The main issue I’ve noticed is that they’re too restrictive. Eat this, don’t eat this, this is good, this is bad, that’s too many calories – it’s too much. It takes the power of choice, the joyfulness of food, and freedom away.

Here’s the thing – the people who create these programs/challenges, etc all know it can’t be maintained for the long run. They know that eventually, your weight loss will plateau and you’ll “fall off the wagon”. So, what do they do? They make their programs short – only a few weeks long at the most. This makes what they’re selling you seem achievable, and you buy-in. And yes, maybe you are able to stick to their rules and you achieve some weight loss. Great! Right?

Two theories explain what often happens next: the Set Point theory and Settling Point Theory.

If you’ve been in a severe calorie deficit – your body goes into “starvation mode”. The restriction of calories causes your Basal Metabolic Rate (the number of calories your body needs) to lower, hormones released in your body change to encourage you to eat more - all to prevent further weight loss. This is a preservation technique the body does to prevent you from losing further weight. If food has already been restricted, it may happen again in the future, and your body wants to ensure you have enough weight to survive future starvation periods. So, after a time of severe restriction, your progress plateaus. You get frustrated, you restrict further – this only makes your body try even harder to maintain your weight. Your physiology eventually wins, and you slowly begin to bring the weight back on because your calorie needs have been severely lowered there is little chance you could maintain such restriction. And then the cycle continues with the blame always placed on the individual for failing.

Many long-term studies following weight-loss attempts found majority regain the weight 1-2 years after losing it with some regaining more weight than originally lost.

The other important impact these fad-diets have is black and white thinking about food, as well as negative feelings and thought about yourself. The rules of which foods are good or bad are super detrimental. When you choose to eat the so-called “bad foods”, you then transfer those thoughts onto yourself and feel guilty and ashamed, say you have low motivation, etc. THE PROBLEM IS NOT YOU! Foods aren’t good or bad. Food is just food, and it takes time and support to re-learn this after a long time of restrictive behaviour.