Overview

Obesity is a major health risk and is associated with an increased risk of chronic conditions such as heart conditions, Type 2 diabetes and more. Fortunately, people today are more health conscious and are aware of this risk. More and more individuals are committed to losing weight in order to obtain better health. However, losing weight itself is a major challenge and requires a lot of effort, patience and mental fortitude. In fact a lot of individuals would give up in the process because of the hardships. During the weight loss journey, it is inevitable that one would come across a lot of obstacles and truthfully it can be very disheartening to continue. Despite that, it is important that we look into these challenges and address those factors that make losing weight difficult.

Understanding the challenges 

One of the most common issues with weight loss is that people are too obsessed with the scales. Although measuring your weight frequently is important in monitoring one’s progress, using the numbers on the scale as the only metric for losing weight is misleading. This is because weight is easily influenced by various factors such as water retention, amount of food that remains in the body and body condition. For example, women tend to have high weight fluctuations during different phases of their menstrual cycle.In phases of the menstrual cycle, fluctuations in hormones in the body occur which causes irregularities such as water retention leading to weight irregularities.¹ 

Although exercising plays a vital role in losing weight, it is important to do it in moderation. Exercising helps weight loss by increasing metabolism but overdoing or not doing the correct type of exercise may antagonise the intended effect. Excessive exercise has negative effects on hormones that regulate body functions.²  Furthermore, it is unsustainable to put excessive stress on the body which would in turn make weight loss more difficult. Besides that, inadequate protein intake can also make losing weight more difficult. Adequate protein intake improves weight reduction in a few ways³ such as lowering appetite, helping to achieve satiety easily and increasing metabolism. Therefore, not taking enough protein may lead to issues such as overeating, loss of muscle mass and in some cases weight gain. Certain individuals find it rather difficult to lose weight because of the incorrect mindset. For instance, they would set unrealistic targets and if they fail to achieve those targets they would be demotivated and would discontinue the journey.  Also individuals that go with the “I’ll do better tomorrow” mindset when they fail to do well on the day and compensate by doing better tomorrow or so. This may fail to achieve consistency making it incredibly hard to reduce weight. 

Combating weight loss challenges

As mentioned, losing weight is not easy but there are a few important things that we can do to make the process more achievable. First of all, adopting a balanced diet can help. A balanced diet means the correct amount of food and the required nutritional needs are fulfilled. In this case, calories play an important part in this. If the calories consumed is lower than the calories burnt, you can achieve weight loss. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are losing fat. Without having proper nutrition, it is likely that you are losing muscle mass as well. Therefore, it is important to consume a proper diet that consists of whole foods, lean proteins and fibre while focusing on hitting nutritional goals. For instance choosing foods that are high in protein can make fat loss easier.⁴ Consuming the right amount of calories is also crucial, calorie restriction is a harmful and ineffective way to lose weight as it reduces muscle mass and lowers metabolic rate.⁵ Hence, it is essential that one eats a balanced diet and in the correct amount in order to achieve weight reduction. 

The correct amount and type of physical activities may influence the effectiveness in weight loss. Research shows that a combination of anaerobic and resistance training (weight training) is the most effective method to help to lose weight.^6,7 In fact, resistance training helps to improve metabolism ⁸ and increases lean muscle mass as well as reduce visceral fat.⁹ Therefore, having a combination of different types of training is beneficial as not only helps in weight loss but also helps to improve mental health and lowers the risk of chronic diseases.¹⁰ Psychological factors play a vital role as well. Unhealthy eating habits are usually consequences of stress. In order to maintain healthy eating habits,we need to identify the triggers and overcome them.

Once they are identified, implementing strategies such as journaling, mindful eating and stress management can help to prevent using bad eating habits as a coping mechanism. By seeking professional guidance, one can also overcome challenges in the weight loss journey. For example, dieticians possess knowledge about food nutrition and human physiology. They can personalise a meal plan based on your goals, body composition and lifestyle that not only helps you to lose fat but fulfils your daily nutritional needs as well,improving health. Working with a personal trainer can ensure that the exercise routine is at an optimal level without risking injuries. These trainers would also help to monitor recovery so that the body is properly rested from all the exercises.  

Understanding common pitfalls

One of the common reasons that people do not achieve their ideal goals in weight loss is due to the reliance on fad diets or quick fix solutions. These quick fix solutions act only as a temporary fix and are ineffective in achieving long term weight loss. Although those quick fix solutions may show significant results in the early phase, they are non sustainable in the long run and have a high chance of rebound weight gain. Lack of consistency and motivation also accounts for the reason why people fail to lose weight. Undergoing a change in lifestyle is difficult but if one fails to keep up with the changes,there won't be any noticeable result and one will eventually give up because of the loss of motivation. At times individuals would give up easily on losing weight because of their negative mindset. For instance obese people tend to have  lower self esteem and have a negative mindset.  They may lack the confidence to make changes and feel that it could be too difficult, making them afraid of taking the first steps. 

Tips for success 

In order to achieve our weight loss, the goals that we set should be SMART orientated whereby the goals set are Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Relevant as well as Time bound (SMART). SMART goals are realistic and achievable as we can set our own objectives that are related to our long term goals and ensure that the objectives are achieved within a certain time frame.Using the SMART strategy can also make the journey easier by setting small reachable targets that are aligned with long term goals. By reaching these small targets, they accumulate which will eventually help us to achieve long term weight loss. Having a network of friends or communities can be helpful in losing weight. There are various online communities on social media that promote healthy weight loss. These communities are helpful in sharing knowledge and experiences that can help with weight loss. Some of them even talk about the challenges they faced during their journey and how they overcame them which can be used as a reference to improve on our own weight loss journey. By sharing these experiences and exchanging information, we are able to prepare ourselves on what to expect and how to overcome common pitfalls. Furthermore, having these support systems are excellent in motivating each other throughout this process and making it easier.

Conclusion

The journey towards losing weight is filled with challenges and it is crucial that we understand what  the common obstacles are. Working on the fundamentals, such as adopting a balanced diet, incorporating different types of exercise into our routine as well as having the correct mindset, are a few ways to overcome these obstacles. Weight loss is a long term process and requires consistency and patience. However ,the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. By taking proactive efforts, even though they are  little, can contribute towards achieving weight reduction in the long run. It is also important to focus on long term sustainability so that our general health is not compromised. In conclusion, by taking small consistent steps towards reaching our goals, we can get closer to achieving better overall health.