Why Is It So Difficult To Achieve Long-Term Weight Loss?

Adult obesity rates in the U.S. started rising with popularity of energy-dense convenience foods. Unfortunately, depriving yourself of the foods you love is not a sustainable weight-loss solution and can result in feelings of depression and anxiety. The Cabbage Soup Diet that became popular in the U.S. during the 1950s was an excellent choice for people who wanted to lose a small amount of weight (10 pounds) but were not concerned about regaining the weight once the one-week diet to slim down ended.

Most people are not wired to make weight loss easy, particularly with availability of food in the world in which we live. Americans spend nearly three times the amount recommended on refined grains and frozen or refrigerated entrees, which are common, over-processed food products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Standard American Diet comes with a multi-billion dollar price tag.

Living every day knowing you are on a diet is part of the problem. Dietary studies show that most diets are not designed for dieters to achieve weight loss goals for the long-term due to problems like:

• YO-YO DIETING - Focusing on dieting usually leads to a yo-yo mindset, which does not produce lasting weight loss from an endless stream of starting and stopping. Instead of restricting foods or cramming specific macronutrients, incorporate healthy lifestyle changes for long-term results.
• STARVING YOURSELF - When you drastically restrict your dietary intake, you may consume less calories but your body will likely slow your metabolism. Learning how to listen to your body is an invaluable tool for losing weight.
• DISTRACTED EATING - One of the triggers that promote overeating is distracted eating. Eating in front of the television or working through lunch by eating at your desk are prime examples of how distracted eating can lead to unintended higher food consumption.
• SLEEP DEPRIVATION - Stress, anxiety and sleep play a major role in managing your body weight. Leptin hormone boosts metabolism to control energy expenditure over time. When your body's fat stores are reduced, leptin levels fall and appetite is stimulated.
• MISGUIDED STRATEGIES - People who don't deny that they believe in healthy eating often adopt misguided weight loss strategies like, "I really want to lose weight fast, so I'll follow one of these crash diets and then come up with a more sensible plan for that whole healthy eating thing".
• DIET SELF-SABOTAGE - Diet self-sabotage involves much more than just cheating on your menu plan. Setting unrealistic goals (or failing to give yourself credit for what you've accomplished) are both examples diet self sabotage.

Take a positive approach to dieting and start with a personalized menu plan. To determine if a diet will support your weight loss efforts, you first need to identify the foods that your body needs you to eat and pick foods that taste good to help regulate satiety. Fad diets are unhealthy because the people who are attracted to them are looking for a simple plan to follow. But, after they break one of the diet rules, the guilt and shame drive them to start another diet, which can lead to a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting.

Weight loss is about so much more than a number on a scale. Contact the Metabolic Research Center nearest you for a one-on-one weight loss consultation to discuss your need for a personalized diet.