Why is losing weight so difficult?
Exploring the hidden factors that hold us back.
Common advice says that weight loss may be difficult, but it’s straightforward: eat fewer calories. This is oversimplified for obese people who need to lose dozens of pounds and make lots of transformative changes. Why is it so hard to lose weight? Society, the health and wellness industry, and even how we’re told to track weight loss all make it much harder than it should be.
The health and wellness industry’s (de)motivation.
Every day, we are bombarded with the “cure” for obesity. Influencers who have never really struggled with their weight show off toned muscles, unrealistic, beautiful bodies, and time-consuming fitness routines. The result is the opposite of motivation for those of us living in the real world. They just make you feel bad about yourself.
Crash diets, pills, and weight loss programs offer quick wins in the short term, designed only to keep you hooked and continuing to pay long-term. Lose weight fast, sure, only to have it pile on again quickly. Where is their motivation to transform your life for good? They would no longer have anything to sell you.
Instead, concentrate on the fitness foundations: eating well, sleeping, and exercising. Diets, supplements, and false promises are a distraction. Influencers and weight loss programs promote miracle cures because health fundamentals have to be followed, not sold.
The odds are stacked against us.
Our food choices are unhealthy by default.
73% of American grocery stores contain ultra-processed foods.
Restaurant meals are tasty because they are drowned in salt, fat, butter, and sugar.
School cafeterias serve junk food, leading our kids down the wrong path from an early age.
We can control the food we bring into our homes, but our discipline is challenged and worn down every time we step outside.
We’re told to focus on the number on the scale.
Stepping onto the scale makes sense when you have only a few pounds to lose. But when you’re an obese person, it’s discouraging and makes the situation feel impossible.
The scale is an awful way to gauge progress because many factors affect the number shown at any given time, such as time of day or natural body fluctuations like hydration level. Converting fat to muscle through weight training means sometimes you’ll gain weight, but of course, that’s a good thing!
Since the scale doesn’t reflect an obese person’s true progress, it’s better to measure body composition: chest, upper arm, waist, and thigh girth. Your body’s visible changes may seem negligible, but the impact is tangible. In one recent measurement period, I “only” lost ten pounds, but the results were incredible. My arms became more toned, my XXL t-shirts fit better, and my energy levels increased significantly. If I focused solely on the scale, I would have felt dejected instead of inspired.
Losing weight is tough enough without piling on the stresses of society. Once we understand how society influences our efforts, though, we can begin to fight back, making weight loss more likely.