Why is it So Hard to Lose Weight?

There are a lot of myths surrounding why is it so difficult to lose weight. For most people, the biggest question is, "What can I do?" The truth of the matter is, the only way to permanently shed unwanted pounds is to adopt a permanent lifestyle change. This change must include eating healthier and engaging in regular physical activity.

The real reason it is so difficult to lose weight is because, unlike dieting, food actually has little to do with your ability to lose weight. In fact, there are far more variables involved than simply cutting out calories. Without a long term plan for weight loss, you will most likely shed 10 or more pounds within two months and then suffer a shock when you find that the new regime was not working for you. What goes up must come down, and the same applies to dieting. The only difference is that dieting requires a short-term attitude and an all-or-nothing attitude.

Why is it so hard to adopt an all-or-nothing attitude? It's because our minds operate on all-or-nothing thinking patterns. All-or-nothing thinking usually leads to bingeing and bingeing usually results in failure. This is why it is so hard to make lasting changes.

Think about it this way: When you have an all-or-nothing attitude, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. When you adopt an all-or-nothing attitude and embrace a permanent lifestyle change, suddenly the world is stacked against you. No longer will you be able to keep those extra pounds off by just watching what you eat. No longer will you be able to rely on willpower alone to maintain your new healthy lifestyle. You need to break free of this all-or-nothing attitude.

You see, all-or-nothing thinking does not work for everyone. There are always exceptions to the rule. Those who refuse to accept that all-or-nothing attitude are the losers in the game of life. They are the ones who believe that the diet-focused, workout-based, healthy, attitude is the only one that works. They are the ones who say, "You can't just lose weight by doing this won't help you get thinner."

If these people had access to all the scientific data related to why is it so hard to lose weight, they would be very happy indeed. Sadly, most of them do not have such information. So even though they may want to diet, workout and watch their nutrition, they have internal mindsets that say differently. The answer to the question "why is it so hard to diet" then, lies in changing the way that they think about weight loss in general, and about losing weight in particular.

How can you get over your all-or-nothing attitude when you are trying to change your lifestyle? One way is to learn everything you can about how your body works. Then, and only then, will your new attitude regarding losing weight become a reality. Once you understand how your mind and body work together in controlling hunger, how metabolism works, and how you can use these principles to your advantage, then change becomes second nature.

The good news is, however, that most people who have overcome their all-or-nothing thinking are the same people who always wanted to diet, workout and maintain a healthy lifestyle but had no idea how to go about doing it. They were so accustomed to their all-or-nothing attitude that they had convinced themselves that they were destined to be overweight or obese for life. Once they realized that they could alter their thinking, and that they did have control of their weight, then they began to change. Today, thanks to the great information and support available on the Internet, more people are overcoming their all-or-nothing attitude and achieving great success in their weight loss goals.