You wake up one day and decide to shed those extra pounds. Unfortunately, you suffer from uncontrollable weight loss followed by periods of regaining. It’s frustrating, demoralizing, and prevents you from reaching your desired weight. What’s the reason for your inability to lose weight? Let’s take a quick look at the possible causes.
Lack of Knowledge
You’ve probably heard of the expression ‘ignorance is no excuse’ and assumed that it pertained to your weight loss efforts. While this might be true in theory, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to educate yourself about the matter. Many people, including medical professionals, don’t know much about obesity. As a result, they might recommend certain behavior modifications or medications without understanding the underlying reasons for your weight problem. For this reason, it’s highly advisable to do some research on the subject, acquire some knowledge, and form a solid foundation for your weight loss journey. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to fight against your own weight issues. You should also try to educate your loved ones about the matter so that they don’t hold any of the outdated beliefs about overweight and obesity that you might have encountered growing up.
Lack of Self-Worth
You’ve probably been there before. You wake up one day and decide to lose weight. As you embark on your journey, you feel motivated, determined, and confident. You start seeing noticeable results, and your self-esteem rises along with your confidence. You begin to believe that you can, in fact, lose the weight and be the perfect version of yourself. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Your confidence and self-esteem gradually start to wane as you experience repeated failures followed by short-lived victories. It’s difficult to deal with, and it prevents you from being your best self.
One of the reasons for this phenomenon is that your brain, which is responsible for assigning values and priorities to experiences, continues to tell you that you’re not good enough even though your body is changing to match your new self-image. The truth is that you are inherently good enough, and there are thousands of people who would love to be your friend, family member, or lover simply because of your wonderful spirit and humanity. Remember that, and you’ll be able to push away those low feelings of insecurity.
Emotional Reasons
The primary role of emotions is to serve as a guide, helping you make better decisions and understand the consequences of your actions. On the surface, your emotions might tell you that you’re not good enough, but what’s happening beneath the skin is slightly different. If you feel discouraged, demeaned, or down-trodden, there’s a good chance that these feelings are causing you to lose weight. The problem is that, when you finally do decide to look within, you won’t be able to clearly identify the root cause of your dissatisfaction. You might feel guilty about your weight problem because you associate it with certain bad habits that you’ve formed. You might even feel like a failure because you haven’t been able to fix your weight issue yet. When you peel back the layers of your emotions, you’ll discover a combination of factors that have led to this point. Once you understand why you’re feeling the way you are, you’ll have a better chance of changing it.
Physical Reasons
Your body needs adequate food and water to function properly. When you don’t eat properly or drink enough fluids, you’re more likely to struggle with weight loss. Your body isn’t able to efficiently process food, and it begins to hoard the calories, preventing you from losing weight. Your digestive system might also be causing you problems by not functioning properly. If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort when you eat, it’s a good indication that something’s wrong. In most cases, the physical reasons for weight loss failure are simple to diagnose and fix. Just make sure that you consult with your personal physician so that he can rule out any serious health issues.
Societal Reasons
Your society places a certain value on thinness, and if you fit the mold, you’ll have no trouble losing weight. If you don’t, you might feel as though you’re not good enough with your body as it is. You might also feel the need to overcompensate for your perceived flaws by binge eating or engaging in unhealthy habits. For these reasons, it’s important to understand that societal factors play a role in your weight loss failure. If you feel as though you lack support or understanding, chances are you’ll continue to have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight. If you decide to fight back against societal expectations and let your amazing spirit shine through, you’ll be able to turn your life around and achieve your desired goals. Just remember to keep your head up and your heart open.
Money Reasons
Losing weight can be financially difficult because many insurance policies don’t cover the costs associated with weight loss surgery or medication. If you have a low income and you’re struggling to make ends meet, this might prevent you from seeking the help that you need to shed those extra pounds. The good news is that there are alternatives. You can get an HSA (health savings account) or FSA (health benefits account) loan, which will cover the costs of approved weight loss surgery and prescription drugs. In most cases, the money will be deposited directly into your bank account.
Confidence Reasons
When you have a healthy self-image, you automatically have confidence. You might not always feel this way, but when you do, it’s extremely easy to convince yourself that you’re perfect just the way you are. In order to improve your confidence, it’s vital to form a positive impression of yourself. One of the best ways to do this is by regularly engaging in activities that make you feel comfortable in your own skin. If you feel that you lack confidence, it might be difficult to convince yourself that you’re capable of changing, even though you believe that you can. Once you start seeing improvements in your everyday life, you’ll start to feel more confident, leading to positive feedback and, ultimately, increased willingness to change for the better.
Stereotype Reasons
There’s a stereotype for people who struggle with their weight. They’re usually associated with laziness, vanity, or depression. If you possess any of these characteristics, it might be difficult to lose weight. You’ll likely encounter a lot of judgement, and it might even be hard to find sympathy. Be sensitive to the fact that even though you have a problem, you’re not obligated to share it. It’s not your fault that you were born with a larger than average amount of adipose tissue. You’re allowed to experience your weight loss journey without having to justify it to anyone.
For years, you’ve probably believed that there’s something wrong with you. You might not be able to put a finger on what it is, but you know that it’s there. The stigma and social rejection that you might encounter doesn’t have to be a part of your life. You’re stronger than you think, and you’re definitely capable of changing for the better. When you reach your goal weight, you’ll feel empowered, and the rejection that you might experience will feel more like a compliment.
Willpower Reasons
It takes a lot of willpower to lose weight. If you lack self-control, it could be difficult to keep off the extra pounds. You might set a goal to eat healthier and exercise more regularly, but it’s still up to you to follow through. Once you make the decision to change, it might be difficult to keep going. Even when you succeed, it still takes a lot of willpower to maintain your new, healthier lifestyle. When you finally give up, it’s not because you lack the willpower; it’s because you lack the motivation. When you’re feeling down about your current situation, it becomes easier to convince yourself that you’re not capable of overcoming it. You have to ignite the spark within yourself, otherwise, you’ll never be able to push through to the other side.
Overall Reasons
There are many reasons why you might lose weight. Some of them are physical, while others are emotional. It’s important to remember that none of them are individually sufficient to cause weight loss failure. It’s only in combination that you’ll begin to see the difficulties that some people experience when trying to change their lifestyles for the better. If you’re looking for a quick fix or want to blame someone else for your weight problem, don’t. The truth is that you’re not bad enough and you’ll never be acceptable. You’re a brilliant, wonderful human being, and you deserve to live a happy and healthy life, no matter what your size.