Because weight loss requires discipline and the correct method, it is not easy to lose weight successfully as intended. Some people have tried every method without any weight reduction, while others find their weight increasing instead of decreasing. The following 5 reasons are what you should know to adjust your weight loss methods to achieve your goals.
1) Lack of motivation to lose weight
This is the most crucial point because a commonly heard phrase is “I don’t know why I should lose weight”, clearly indicating a lack of passion for weight loss. However, when you accomplish something challenging, you’ll realize that if you have enough passion, no matter how hard it is, you can do it. Regardless of the obstacles, you will not give up. The same goes for losing weight. If you have enough passion, you can definitely do it. You should find a compelling reason why you want to lose weight, such as not wanting to suffer from obesity-related diseases because you have young children, fearing you won’t live to see your child graduate, you are about to get married and want to look your best on the most important day of your life, wedding photos will be with you for life, for example.
2) Misunderstanding that eating this won’t make you fat
Fruits are the number 1 food that most people think can be eaten in large amounts without gaining weight. But the truth is fruits contain fruit sugar, which is not low in energy, depending on how much you eat. For example, one orange (the size of a tennis ball) has as much energy as one scoop of rice, or one guava, half a banana, pineapple, watermelon, or papaya 4 slices (that fill a plate underneath a glass) each equivalent to one scoop of rice as well. Think about it, if you don’t eat dinner but eat 5 oranges instead, it means you’ve eaten 5 scoops of rice without touching rice at all. Think about whether that’s a lot. Next are fried foods and stir-fried dishes of all types, including single-serving meals like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Pad Kaprao, etc. The oil hidden in these foods is a lot, making their energy content high. And next are sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sweet bottled green tea, bubble milk teas, coffee with sugar and milk, sodas. Take a look at the nutrition label on the bottle, and you will be shocked. Don’t be ruined by the phrase “It’s fine, just a little bit won’t make you fat”.
3) Too lazy to exercise
Think about it, if you control your diet and eat less but do not exercise, then you won’t know how to burn the fat stored in your body. The more you exercise, the more fat you’ll burn. Therefore, exercising is as crucial as controlling your diet. It’s better to exercise than not at all. The trick is to start with short durations, from 10 – 15 minutes and gradually increase the time until you reach your goal. Try choosing activities that you like or used to be able to do, such as stationary cycling while watching a series; before you know it, you’ve reached the set time. Remember that “Just moving counts as exercising”.
4) Too stressed and find relief in eating
Emotions greatly influence eating habits. Everyone has experienced it, like when working hard, using a lot of mental energy, feeling very stressed, and wanting to relax by eating a large bowl of bingsu, a large slice of cake, or 3 – 4 ice creams. When using eating as a way to relieve stress, it’s certain that we will eat more than usual because before the brain feels relieved from eating, the body has already received a lot of energy. You should ask yourself if there are other ways to relieve stress besides eating, such as exercising, which can relieve stress and help you lose weight, or watching movies or series, but don’t eat while watching, or an easy and quick method to try for stress relief is meditation, take a deep breath in and out slowly, continuously for just 1 minute, and you will see results. If done for several minutes, it will surely relieve stress. Keep in mind that “If stressed, don’t eat, just exercise and breathe deeply”.
5) Trying to lose weight too strictly
Some people manage to lose weight but quit eventually because it was too strict, making them feel stressed and eventually unhappier. Some people think they are stressed enough from work or studies and hate to stress about controlling their diet. However, to lose weight successfully and sustainably is not about losing weight rapidly, such as losing 10 kilograms within 1 – 2 months, and then quitting once the weight is lost. The key is finding joy in the process of losing weight. If balanced well between the joy from eating and regular exercise, a suitable body weight can be successfully maintained in the long run. Another point is, some people strictly control their diet and exercise well but lose less or no weight at all, leading to a loss of motivation and the desire to quit, reverting back to not controlling their diet and stopping exercise, and their weight quickly rebounds. People have different genetics and metabolism rates. Even if we eat the same food and exercise as our friends, our weight might decrease less than theirs. But it is crucial to continue doing the right thing. Eventually, the weight will decrease if you have a strong will and don’t stop until you reach your goal. Remember to enjoy the process of losing weight; if it doesn’t decrease, we don’t quit, or even if (still) not decreasing, we don’t quit.
Many times, attempting to lose weight alone may not be successful due to the lack of assistance. Consulting specialists at a hospital could be the answer you are looking for. Whether it’s specialists ready to identify hidden causes of obesity, evaluate and treat complications from obesity, consider treatment leading to successful weight loss, dieticians ready to assess your diet and specify the type and amount of food suitable for each day, sports scientists who recommend the right type of exercise, intensity, muscle building, fat reduction in the body, and nurses ready to educate on eating behavior, challenges of weight loss, stress relief methods, setting goals, and providing encouragement for weight loss. On World Obesity Day, which falls on March 4th every year, everyone is encouraged to cooperate in reducing obesity for better health and longevity.
