Losing weight is easy–a modern day myth!

It’s a common fallacy that losing weight is easy. All you have to do is find the right diet, run a zillion miles a day or pop a few pills and you’ll be on your way to a trim, gorgeous you– right? Wrong!  The key to weight loss is eating fewer calories and exercising several days a week. But here is a sad truth: that’s easier said than done.  Trying the latest diet du jour may be less work than changing your lifestyle but fad diets don’t work in the long run. We’re here to help you make a meaningful commitment to living a healthy life by understanding the myths that trip us up. And along the way, we think you’ll say goodbye to those extra pounds.

The Painful Truths of Life

According to the Harvard Medical School, it’s hard to lose weight because we are fighting our own biology.[1] When we lose weight, our body lowers our resting metabolic rate, which means we burn food more slowly. This is handy if food is hard to find, or we are starving, but it works against our everyday weight loss intentions.

In addition, as Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD points out, we live in a food carnival where people make an average of 200 food choices daily.[2] Tempting advertising bombards adults and children. When yummy snacks and treats are just fingertips away, it can be hard to resist.

Long Commitments Not Short Cuts

Perseverance is key to getting fit and losing weight but it’s hard to make meaningful change based on attitude alone. These tricks of the wellness trade can help you achieve your weight loss goals and find a lifelong path to wellness.[3]

• Make a plan and find a daily routine: If you’ve decided to bring a healthy lunch to work, you need to prepare. Or if you want to exercise more, think about how you will make time. You get the idea!
• Lose the temptations: Surround yourself with healthy choices like ready-to-eat fresh fruit and veggies and tell the chips adios. If you can’t see it, you’ll be less tempted to eat it.
• Get real: Set possible goals not impossible goals that will make you feel like a failure. In addition, remember we are all different and our genes, metabolism and habits can impact what is possible.
• Read and write your way to a healthy diet: It’s important to understand what you are eating. Keep a food journal for at least a few weeks and write down every bite and nibble. Plus, read the labels on prepared foods and research online to check nutrient density. Finally, take time to do the math on portion sizes.
• Find support: Losing weight and getting healthy is your own journey but it’s important to have professional support from weight loss and wellness experts. Spas and wellness locations like New Life Hiking Spa, and Tennessee Fitness Spa offer programs designed to help people turn their lives around and discover a new way of living and being. In addition, personal trainers and weight loss professionals can make a tremendous difference.

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[1] Harvard Health Publishing, “Why it’s so hard to lose excess weight and keep it off: The Biggest Losers’ experience,” Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., March 2018
[2] Active.com, “Why Is It So Hard to Lose Weight, Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD, 2018
[3]  VeryWellFit.com, “Major Reasons That it Can Be Difficult to Lose Weight,” Paige Waehner, February 2018