Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight?

The ever daunting question of “Why is it so hard to lose weight?” looms over your head like the little devil on your shoulder. Always there, always putting you in a bad mood – or at the very least an annoyed state of mind.

Every day you wake up and think to yourself “This is the day! Today I am going to be good.” Your morning starts off great with a healthy breakfast, you get the kids to school and lunch time comes around. You chose a good meal for lunch and feel satisfied that you are sticking to this “diet” plan! Now you’re feeling energized because you’re sticking to the plan and saying to yourself “I can do this!”

The Craziness Starts!

Fast forward a few hours. You rush home to meet the kids getting off the bus and get them a snack before driving them to an after school activity  – The Craziness Starts! You grab a Munchkin that’s been sitting on the counter – just one, though. You won’t blow your whole diet with just one Munchkin. Everyone starts rushing around trying to get out the door so you won’t be late for Girl Scouts and hockey practice. You grab another Munchkin – the first one was really good and two Munchkins won’t really hurt, after all they’re pretty small…and on goes the rest of the evening like that.

Then comes dinner, which may or may not have been planned in advance, and it might be at 9:00 at night. You’re not too hungry, if you think about it, but you want to sit down with your family and actually enjoy real food so you eat a full dinner.

You Just Want Time To Yourself And Relax

The house quiets down, the kids are in bed or doing their homework and you’ve got the munchies and want to relax before going to bed. Popcorn is low in calories so you microwave yourself a bag of popcorn and eat half the bag. Maybe pouring yourself a glass of wine, too.

Now the day is over and you’re not any closer to fitting into those skinny jeans then you were yesterday!

So, why is it so hard to lose weight (fat)?

Here are the top reasons it’s hard to lose weight and how to overcome them to finally drop a dress size.

1.  You eat too many calories during the week and you think “it doesn’t really matter.” In the end, they all add up and when you take in more energy (food) than you need to maintain, you gain weight. When you take in the exact amount of energy (food) you use than you will maintain your weight. Start a food journal. Eat when you are hungry, not because of the clock says it’s dinnertime.

2.  You don’t move enough. Intense exercise and regular movement throughout the day.If you are unlike most Americans, you exercise for about 3 hours per week. The majority of people don’t exercise at all! Those that do exercise for 1 hour three times per week tend to be sedentary the rest of the hours. We are not meant to sit at a desk or in a car for 8-12 hours a day and that inactivity “adds” up in the form of fat. Get moving more throughout the day. Take the long way around. Stand up and work on the computer. Walk around the block first thing in the morning. Anything to add regular movement (this is in addition to planned workouts – in no way am I saying that going for a walk every evening will result weight loss.) You can also join Flemington Boot Camps to get on a regular program to which you will be held accountable!

3.  There’s no plan. At Flemington Boot Camps, we are in the middle of a 21-Day Holiday Slim Down Challenge. It’s a plan. What to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there are recipes and a shopping list.  Write down what you are going to eat and when you will exercise. Stick to the plan.

4. You’re set up for failure. Is your house loaded with snack foods, goodies, boxed and canned/jarred foods? If the cookies are in the cabinet, you’re going to eat them. Throw them out! Have strategies in place to keep you on track. One strategy is NOT having junk food in the house. Another strategy is to put your exercise clothes out the night before (my college roommate would sleep in her workout clothes! – that’s what I’m talking about!) so you’re not fumbling in the dark, early hours for what to wear.

5. You’re not happy or satisfied with your life. Okay, this one is a little sticky and not one you will read in the magazines, but it sure does make a difference in your waistline. Think about it, though. Eating food sets off a bunch of hormones, some that make you feel satisfied, satiated and happy (at least for a short time.) If you’re not doing what you really want to be doing, eat a donut and get a temporary fix. Subconsciously that’s what is going on. Examine your life. Do what makes you happy. Take time to rest, de-stress and enjoy what you do have.