I just ended one diet program and surprisingly it did not work. I paid 6000 Naira to join this widely acclaimed monthly weight loss group that I was so sure would help me shed this extra 7kg I have been carrying. By the end of the first week, I had lost about 3 kg and gained it all back by the last week.
Still smarting from the loss of such a sum, I went all detective on reasons why a diet/ weight loss program will not work and sure did I find out a lot, from how 95% of people who lose weight regain the lost weight and more within 3years to how diets are a fad and psychological reorientation of an individual’s approach to eating is the way to go. In all, these reasons best describe why the weight loss program perhaps did not work.
Lack Of a Clearly Defined Reason For The Diet
I totally agree with this point. I believe this is the main reason why my diet plan achieved no result. Most people just wake up one day and say “Hey I wanna lose some weight” and then they jump on a weight loss wagon only to fall off 5 days later. The reason is because they do not want it bad enough, the motive for that weight loss is not defined. I feel fine carrying this extra weight around but for someone who has a health problem and has 2 options; death or weight loss, and has decided not to die believe me any diet will work fine.
Before you start any weight loss program, think S.M.A.R.T goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely). Write out your target weight and set a realistic period for achieving this target weight, also include your reason for wanting that weight or body, paste it where you can see it daily. Let it be all in your face, constantly reminding you about your goal. Don’t forget to highlight milestones, so the goal doesn’t seem too elusive.
Overly Restrictive Diet
Your body has a mind of its own, when you put your body on an overly restrictive diet, it thinks to itself “Oh, she/he wants to starve me to death, I will not allow this” and then it slows down your metabolism rate, making it more difficult for you to lose weight. It does this by producing more of the stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) because it perceives or “thinks” your reduced calorie intake is a threat to its survival. So next time, you want to lose that extra kg or 2, try buying a portion control plate and no drastic calorie reductions overnight.
Early Life Trauma
Research has shown that out of about 286 obese people, half had been sexually abused as children and in most cases overeating and obesity weren’t the major problem, but attempted solutions. As a result of this, we all need to sit down and be really honest with ourselves, examine our pasts and find out if there is a deeper underlying reason for the unhealthy eating habit. If you have been faced with any form of trauma in the past which could be responsible for this, your first point of call might be a therapist.
At the end of everything, this phrase I is very apt and has helped my weightloss journey, “The best answer to dieting, then, is: A lifelong program of everyday healthy, pleasurable eating coupled with regular exercise”. To lose weight, eat less and exercise more.
How boring! How prosaic! Yet how true.”
Omotola Fasawe
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