This blog is, in part, a response to another that I read but also to address an idea that people are being made to believe that is holding us back. That weight regain is inevitable and not our fault. Lets discuss…
I have lost a lot of weight to begin with
So I feel that I am qualified in writing this post, both as a professional and also as someone who has gone from a size 22 to a 12. What is crucial here is that I have both done and seen people lose weight and successfully keep it off. This is a thing that can be done.
So lets address some points from this post here.
1. “Research shows us that the vast majority of people who lose weight gain it all back within 5 years”
This is true.
A lot of people do gain the weight back that they lost and when we consider the most popular methods for weight loss it’s easy to see why.
People go on “a diet” to lose weight, cutting calories and being extreme with exercise. These methods do encourage fat loss, along with muscle loss, increase in stress – both physical and mental and leaves you feeling exhausted and tired of trying at the end of it.
You end the diet with your new body and assume that you will be able to maintain it forever.
No.
The truth is that if you lose weight through a method that you cannot maintain for the long term then yes, you will gain weight.
Is this your fault? No, it’s a faulty way of trying to lose weight.
2. “Only a tiny percentage of people succeed at long-term significant weight loss, and many of those people lead lives based around food and exercise behaviors that are indistinguishable from the behaviors that are considered red flags for eating disorders.”
No.
Do some people lose weight through extreme calorie counting and continue to keep that technique going long term in their lives thus creating a disordered eating pattern? Absolutely.
Will they gain their weight back eventually after they stop calorie counting? More than likely.
Is that your future if you choose to lose weight? Not necessarily.
It is possible to lose weight without resorting to dangerous fad diets or supplements and it is much more likely that this approach will help you to keep it off.
3. “Weight regain isn’t your fault, it’s what was always going to happen”
This is where I disagree.
Yes, the diet industry is based on selling you products that don’t work long term to make you keep coming back to spend money on stuff that doesn’t work. This happens time and again cos these quick fixes are sexy and exciting and promise you the world.
If you lose weight through these methods and then go back to eating the way you did before hand, you will gain weight.
BUT, if you modify your eating behaviours then it is easier to keep the weight off. Conventional diets and fat loss products are not the only way to lose weight and it is not inevitable that you will regain any weight lost. If this was the case there would be no-one like me walking around having successfully lost weight and kept it off long term.
So what is the secret to keeping it off?
People will argue all day and night about what causes obesity, what is the best way to lose weight and how we can best keep it off. The definitive answers to these questions would help our obesity crisis.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, what I can tell you is what worked for me and works for my clients.
1. We need to change our habits
What we do consistently leads to long term results. Our habits and everyday behaviours help us to lose weight if we are consistent and focus on actually changing for good.
This doesn’t mean weighing out your food forever more. This can be things like, slowing down when you eat. Eating to 80% full. Adding more vegetables into your meals. Three simple habits that will give results over time.
2. Action, Consequences, Choice
Every action has a consequence and then you make your choice.
Do you want to go out and get drunk and eat pizza on Fridays? Ok, sure. Do you want that more than you want to lose some weight?
Do you want to skip the gym for two weeks? Ok. Do you want those rest days more than the change in muscle tone that you wanted?
Do you want to binge watch Netflix til 3am? Ok, but lack of sleep makes your weight loss harder – are you ok with that?
This doesn’t mean you need to live a life without pleasure, miserable at home eating broccoli and drinking water and going to bed at 7pm. It does however mean that you are aware of what behaviours help and which hinder your goals.
3. Embrace the suck
Weight loss isn’t really all that enjoyable. Some days you won’t notice you’re eating less, some days you will feel good. Some days you will feel deprived (physically and/or emotionally/mentally) and other days you will want to give in and give up.
Be aware that this will happen, understand it is part of the process and go with it. Sometimes life is uncomfortable, we gotta get through that without eating our feelings.
4. My clients do nutrition coaching with me
I use the Precision Nutrition curriculum with my clients because it works on developing healthy habits and long term behaviours over time. No crash diets, no quick fixes and most importantly, shown in trials to help people lose weight long term.
In Summary:
Successful weight loss is out there. The ability to keep it off and avoid weight regain is possible. Don’t believe it when people tell you that you’re doomed to fail. Perhaps you just need a different approach.
Ainzlie
p.s – looking for a more balanced approach to weight loss for good? Check out my online coaching. Taking clients on now.
