Why Can't I Lose Weight?5 Keys to Sustainable Weight Loss
Do you ever feel like you've tried to do the right thing for years, but you still can't lose weight? If so, you're not alone. Millions of people struggle with yo-yo-dieting and every increasing pant sizes. From a statistical standpoint, obesity affects more than 40% of U.S. adults.
I'm sure you would like to have more energy, boost your mood, and be able to move your body the way you want to – whatever the number on the scale might be.
The good news is that the same habits that lead to sustainable weight loss will also improve your overall sense of well-being.
But it’s not as easy as following a diet plan and exercising more (clearly)! In this blog post, we’ll first talk about some roadblocks to weight loss. Then, we'll discuss the five S's that help you maintain a health weight: stress management, sleep hygiene, social situations, sunlight, and sugar control.
Why is it So Hard to Lose Weight?
Before we dive into the five keys for sustainable weight loss, let's settle something: it's challenging to lose weight and keep it off!
Although you’ve seen advertising for programs to quickly and easily lose weight, people rarely see instant success. Healthy living and weight loss principles are simple but not easy; otherwise, everyone would be doing them.
Unfortunately, we live in an environment where we're constantly bombarded with unhealthy food choices.
There's a big difference between losing that last ten pounds because you're dissatisfied with your appearance and needing to lose a substantial amount of weight because it's negatively impacting your health.
Conditions related to obesity such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death.
The Best Weight Loss Advice?
When it comes to weight loss advice, you may have heard principles such as:
eat less, move more
burn more calories than you consume
eat whole foods, not packaged, fried, or fast foods
do whatever exercise you enjoy the most, so you're more likely to stick with it
sleep at least seven to nine hours a night
These are all great tips. But if you KNOW all of the above, are you able to DO these things consistently? And if not, what's the missing piece? Why is it still so hard to lose weight?
Five Major Roadblocks to Weight Loss
This gap between knowing and doing is where lifestyle change is tricky. Everyone is different, but chances are that one or more of the following categories of major roadblocks is preventing you from losing weight:
Physiological or biological roadblocks
Your genetics or current hormonal imbalances can affect your cravings, fat storage, and ability to lose weight.
The next step for you may be...
Consult your doctor and run any necessary tests to ensure there is nothing medically amiss (such as hypothyroidism) that may signify a more serious condition or need to be addressed via medication or other treatment.
Emotional roadblocks
Food can be a form of comfort, and many people use it to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, or other emotions. If this is the case for you, know that you are not alone.
The next step for you may be...
Seek out counseling or therapy to help you process painful memories or underlying emotional issues in a healthier way.
Environmental roadblocks
If you live in a place where it's challenging to find healthy food or safe places to exercise, weight loss can be more challenging. Your work or home environment may also be unhealthy if poor food choices surround you.
The next step for you may be...
Find gyms or workout classes near you or at-home workouts you can do anywhere; also, work to eliminate food temptations or keep them out of sight.
Behavioral roadblocks
These are habits you may not even be aware of, such as mindlessly eating when you're not hungry or grazing on unhealthy snacks throughout the day.
The next step for you may be...
Start paying attention to your eating patterns and behaviors and journaling about what you eat, why you eat, and how you feel afterward.
Situational roadblocks
Sometimes, it's impossible to avoid food-filled events like work conferences or holiday parties. But just because the food is there, doesn’t mean you have to overindulge.
The next step for you may be...
Plan for how you will handle these events before going, such as eating a healthy meal before you go or bringing your food, so you know you have something healthy to eat.
Don't Get Blocked By Your Weight Loss Roadblocks
You've probably encountered all these roadblocks to some degree and at some point in your weight loss journey.
Awareness is the first step, so think about which one currently affects you the most. Then, decide on an action step to overcome this roadblock.
You may need to make a mental adjustment: change takes more work, commitment, and consistency than you'd like.
For example, if emotional eating is a trigger issue, you can’t necessarily go to one therapy session or journal for one week and be fully resolved. (Sometimes people see instant deliverance and healing, but God most often works through the process of learning, practice, discipline, and growth).
Although we want "quick and easy tips to lose weight," we need to work through the process from start to finish. This requires working through our biggest roadblocks step by step.
So with an understanding of these general roadblock areas, let's move on to the five S's. These specific habits have a tremendous impact on your ability to lose weight and maintain weight loss long-term successfully.
#1 Stress Management
Most of us are familiar with the term "stress eating." When we're stressed, our bodies release a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol signals our body to store fat, especially in the abdominal area. In addition to promoting weight gain, chronic stress has been linked to many health problems like heart disease and depression.
Stress is inevitable; we cannot eliminate it. In addition, stress is not inherently bad, but how we react to stressful situations will impact our health and eating habits. For example, one study found that women who were highly reactive to cortisol ate more calories on stressful days.
The key to managing stress is recognizing how it affects you and finding healthy coping mechanisms. Unfortunately, some of us operate entirely on autopilot or assume that being busy and stressed is the norm.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE BUSY AND STRESSED!
You are building your reality with your thoughts and expectations. But, first, you have to decide that stress is not your inevitable nagging companion, responsible for dictating your mood and wellbeing.
Instead, you are in control of how you react to stressful situations and thoughts.
You have the power to respond to and positively deal with stress. Some of the best methods for lowering cortisol and handling stress include:
getting adequate sleep
eating a healthy, whole food diet
limiting caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine
exercising (but in moderation and not too close to exercise)
journaling
deep breathing
meditation
mindfulness (awareness of thoughts and emotions)
social support (talk about it with someone you trust)
#2 Sleep Hygiene
If you follow your doctor's recommendations, you should sleep about one-third of your life. This time is not wasted. When we sleep, our bodies heal and repair from the day's wear and tear, clear waste from cells, and process memories.
During sleep, important hormones are released, such as human growth hormone and leptin. Human growth hormone helps maintain muscle mass and leptin signals that we are full to our brains. When we don't get enough sleep, these hormones are impaired, leading to weight gain.
In addition, when we are sleep-deprived, we are more likely to make poor food choices and have less willpower to resist unhealthy foods. We also have less energy to exercise, further contributing to weight gain.
There are a few key things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene:
• Establish a regular sleep schedule and stick to it as much as possible; aim for 7-9 hours a night and go to bed and wake up around the same time
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine, including winding down for 30 minutes before sleep
• Keep your bedroom calm, dark, and quiet
• Limit screen time before bed
#3 Social Situations
Were you rewarded for good behavior with a trip to the ice cream shop when you were a kid?
Do your co-workers bring donuts every Friday?
Do you love celebrating the holidays by eating Grandma's special (cheese and sausage-loaded) Christmas casserole?
Food is a massive part of our history, culture, and social life. Unfortunately, between birthdays, holiday picnics, and girls' nights out, we may constantly find ourselves in these "special" situations where it's tempting to overeat.
The pressure and temptation to overeat and make poor food choices come from both the food available at these events and the pressure to fit in and celebrate.
The key to navigating these situations is to be prepared.
If you know you're going to a party, have a light snack beforehand so you're not ravenous when you arrive.
When at the party, focus on spending time with friends or meeting new people, rather than just grazing on appetizers.
If your office has a weekly donut delivery, avoid the break room that day or bring in a healthier alternative to share with your co-workers.
Let your friends know about your goals. See if you can adjust plans for a better fit.
These small changes will help you stay on track with your weight loss goals and enjoy social situations without derailing your progress.
The mindset shift that must happen, similar to dealing with stress, is that: YOU are in control of your overall plan and your choices. Be thankful you don’t have to simply react to whatever is available, what falls on the calendar, or what everyone else is doing.
Environments and celebrations have to fit into YOUR plan, not vice versa.
Sustainable weight loss is not about iron-willpower or continually depriving yourself of foods you love – it's about making small, consistent changes to your lifestyle and food choices that you can stick with long-term.
Will you be less happy six months from now if you only ate half a piece of cake or skipped it entirely? On the contrary, when you reach your goals, the small sacrifices are entirely inconsequential.
#4 Sun Light
When you hear about sun exposure in a health article, it usually means "wear your sunscreen," but we're not talking specifically about sun protection here.
How much time do you spend outside, and how often do you get natural sunlight? Natural light helps set your circadian rhythms, which regulate your sleep patterns, metabolism, and hormones.
Sunlight stimulates your brain to produce serotonin, which is a mood-enhancing hormone. A lack of serotonin has been linked to depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. The right level of serotonin also affects your body's production of melatonin, which helps you sleep.
In addition to improving your mood, sunlight also provides many other benefits for your health, such as synthesizing adequate vitamin D, boosting your immune system, and improving your skin health.
So how much sun do you need? Aim for 20-30 minutes a day without sunscreen, to get the most benefit. If you can't get outside, try to sit near a window, or if you're in a specific climate or environment where it's impossible to get outside, then you can use an indoor UV light.
We’ve created a society where we can stay inside literally days on end – and that’s a pretty recent development over the course of human history. If you’re always indoors, you’re missing out!
Sunlight is part of the equation here, but there are multiple intangible benefits. When you get outside, also make this a time:
Breathe fresh air
Observe nature and clear your mind
Digital detox (get off the screens!)
There are many benefits to getting outside every day. But if you live on autopilot in the modern world, you may find that you rarely get off a screen and go outdoors to enjoy nature unless you're intentional.
#5 Sugar Control
Weight loss trends have fluctuated over the years to target various culprits.
First, we tried to eradicate fat, then carbohydrates. In addition, we’ve attempted to balance calories, then macros...
But one thing everyone can agree on is that we're eating way too much sugar, and it's contributing to weight gain, diabetes, and a host of other health problems.
The Diabetes Council has a list of alarming statistics on American sugar consumption which include:
About 90% of individuals in the United States eat more than the government's healthy guideline for sugar on a daily basis.
The average sugar consumption per day is 25.28 teaspoons, 11.98 teaspoons more than the US government recommendation.
Clinical studies have found consistent data that the bodyweight changes correlate directly with increasing or decreasing the intake of sugars. Individuals lost an average of 0.80kg of their body weight by reducing sugar intake by 5%. And by increasing sugar intake by 5%, individuals were seen to gain an average of 0.75kg. (BMJ Research)
Sugar is hidden in processed foods under many names, so it can be difficult to avoid if you're not reading labels carefully.
The top sources of sugar in the US diet, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans include:
Sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks)
Desserts and sweet snacks (cookies, ice cream, cakes, doughnuts)
Coffee and tea
Candy and sugars
Breakfast cereals and bars
Sandwiches
Higher fat milk and yogurt
The challenge with sugar extends beyond your meal. Not only does it pack on empty calories, but it can also lead to insulin resistance over time.
Sugar is addictive. When you eat high-sugar foods, your brain releases dopamine, which is a feel-good neurotransmitter.
This can lead to cravings and make it hard to stick to a healthy diet long-term.
If you're struggling with weight loss, take a close look at your sugar intake. Reducing or eliminating added sugars will likely be necessary to see results.
Some people find that indulging in moderation can be part of a healthy diet. But others need to cut out sugar altogether to avoid a chain reaction of cravings.
So How Does This Help Me Lose Weight?
Although weight loss should be as simple as burning more calories than you consume, many people struggle with balancing this equation every day.
Rather than focusing solely on strictly manipulating your food intake and exercise, consider how your overall environment and everyday triggers affect your eating habits and weight loss patterns.
When you're trying to lose weight, it's essential to understand the role of stress, sleep, social situations, sunlight, and sugar intake. Making changes in these five areas can help create a sustainable foundation for weight loss and improved health.
Which of the roadblocks and habits mentioned in this post do you find have the most significant impact on your weight loss efforts?