Useful and Practical Tips to Overcome the Challenges Hindering Weight Loss
Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post, for which I may receive a small compensation. Thanks for reading!
Are you trying to lose weight? Let’s be honest–who isn’t right now? This pandemic has me weighing more than I have in years. My “fat pants” have now just become my “regular pants,” and I’ve found that it doesn’t matter at what angle I get my photo take from now — the double chin is always there, taunting me. But it’s a New Year (thank you, Lord), and that means resolutions, or at least reflections on what can be done differently to make life more enjoyable.
Weight loss can be a frustrating and stressful life-changing decision. You may need the motivation to keep on pushing, and if you can get an accountability partner to help, it can help you enjoy the journey. Most people will testify about the different challenges in their weight loss journey. Some of the obstacles include genetics, finances, stress, and body image.
The biggest challenge is not reaching your weight loss goals; you will successfully attain the goals when you overcome the obstacles. Before learning about the challenges to overcome, it is vital to know about the different weight loss programs.
What are the Different Obstacles to Weight Loss?
An appropriate and accurate response to the question is identifying the setbacks around you. When you know them, it will act as a stepping stone towards developing skills to overcome the challenges. Most of the obstacles are things you have struggled with before, such as eating healthy and sticking to an effective exercise regime.
Most weight loss obstacles are known as perceived barriers and formed from your feelings and thoughts. There are real and concrete barriers, such as physical challenges and health conditions. Regardless of the type of obstacles, they can be in different categories: emotional, environmental, and physical.
What Are the Physical Barriers to Weight Loss?
They include discomfort, exhaustion, and other medical concerns. You might be willing to lose weight, but your work schedule makes it impossible. You plan to go to the gym after work, but it becomes hectic. There are different ways to handle those challenges; you can do yoga or aerobics at home or take your puppy trained right dog for a walk. You will need a plan on the miles to cover to attain your dream weight.
Walking is a free and great way to exercise and lose weight; you can start within the neighborhood, take a hike, or climb the stairs. Insomnia and dehydration are some of the reasons that can hinder your weight loss journey. Below are some of the ways to overcome the barriers:
Communicate With Your Physician
When meeting your doctor, you must express your concerns about your weight loss challenges. There could be an issue leading to your frustration. Some medications like birth control pills or depression medicine could be affecting your weight loss. You can suggest to your primary doctor to refer you to a registered dietician or a physical therapist. These specialists will help customize your program to enable you to achieve your goals.
Sleep Is Important
Work on getting and improving your sleep to avoid affecting your metabolism. When you lack sleep, it can affect your hormones, hence more hunger and a bigger appetite. Studies indicate that people who lack enough sleep have a higher chance of being obese or overweight. It is advisable to go to sleep at the same time each night and choose a cool and darkroom. In the case of smart devices, remove them from the room to create a relaxing environment.
Stay Hydrated
Do you know that simple changes to your daily routine can help significantly with weight loss? A simple change, such as staying hydrated, comes with numerous benefits. Studies indicate that drinking more water leads to weight loss. Always have filled water bottles to go, and you can add berries, cucumber, and basil to the water to make it tastier.
What are Environmental Barriers to Weight Loss?
These are the challenges that you face from your environment and surrounding. They are the obstacles that hinder your weight loss journey, such as no social support, no exercise facilities, the pressure at work, and no access to healthy foods. Find below some of the solutions to such barriers.
Spare more Time and Talk to People
Do not shy away from getting support from your family members and friends. Ensure you are open regarding the different ways they can help you. You can get help from work in terms of wellness resources and work schedule flexibility.
Have Creative Exercise Plans
In case you cannot go to the gym more often, look for home workout options. You can buy or rent exercise DVDs, have fitness programs, and free online workouts. Look for exercise apps that you can download on your smart devices like tablets or smartphones. Have the initiative of looking for different classes to access forums, tips, and other useful resources.
What Are the Emotional Barriers to Weight Loss?
These are challenges that have a link or connection to your feelings about your weight. It may include the skepticism that you cannot reach your goals, negative connections to physical activities, lack of motivation, and high-stress levels. Are you looking for possible solutions? Keep reading to find some of the useful tips to overcome these obstacles.
Seek the Help of a Qualified Professional
Look for behavioral health experts like therapists or social workers; they will help you focus on weight-related concerns. In case you know some of the medical reasons affecting your journey, speak to them for emotional support.
Always Motivate Yourself
Motivation is a skill that you need to nurture. Learn about self-talk to boost your confidence levels, and it will go a long way towards your weight loss journey. Self-monitoring is an effective and practical way, such as having a food diary and tracking your physical activities using an app. It is a great way to know your behaviors and awareness of the changes you need to implement.
Look for Stress-Reduction Approaches
Are you aware that emotional stress and baggage can lead to weight gain? Avoid any stress related to your work issues, family issues, or medical condition; it is a faster way to adapt to more eating as a stress-reliever. Adverse stress can lead to high chances of obesity; practice stress reduction techniques like meditation, guided visualization, and deep breathing. Studies have shown that they have helped to improve weight loss. Ensure you spare time each day for such activities to have the right mindset to succeed.
Parting Advice
You need to know that the journey to weight loss is a long one. Do not expect overnight success, have patience, and work hard. Look for the simple and easy routine around you and work with that. Ensure that you look for nutritious approaches to ease up the process. Make sure you balance your lifestyle and couple it with regular exercises and stress management methods.
And good luck to us all.