Aaaah, trying to lose weight can be such a frustrating thing to do!!! I keep looking at my weight loss ticker which I so happily installed a year back, and it moves down a notch occasionally, and then it surely moves up again. After Christmas and New Year, I am right back to where I started now. I have to wear my “fat pants” (you know, I am sure everybody who is trying to lose weight has at least one pair of them in their wardrobe – the only pants that are still comfortable after you reach a certain weight, the pants you wear when everything else just feels too tight), and I feel really not good. I don’t want to admit that I might actually have to start buying more pants that size, because I sure will fit back into my size 12 pants, eventually???? 
Yeah dreaming!
The problem is, I think, that the more we think about having to lose weight, the more we think about eating, and the more we seem to crave food and to eat. If we could stop ourselves from thinking about food all the time, and about diets, wouldn’t we all be much happier (and thinner)?
Many, many people who are trying to lose weight are actually stuck in the same rut – the diet yo-yo effect. Losing a few kilos (hooray!!!) and then putting them straight back on. I still tend to step on the scales at least twice a day (yes, I did not end up throwing them out, I should have!), and sometimes I am successful at losing a kilo or two, and then I am so elated that I go straight to the fridge to celebrate! How sick is that!
Emotional eating is the killer of every weight loss plan. No matter how prepared you are, if you are dealing with your emotions with food, then the emotions will take over your sound mind every time. Because they are stronger. A lot of us will have to deal with their emotional issues that make them turn to food, and find something else that will comfort us if things get tough.
Looks like I have not dealt with my emotions yet….
Dieting always makes me focus on food. I can’t stop thinking about it. It becomes an obsession for me. I think about when the next snack is going to be and what I’m going to be able to eat and when. I count down the minutes to my next bite of food. I hate dieting. When I relax and get involved in getting outside and walking places and trying to make healthy choices when I make food decisions, I do much better. Getting a handle on my emotions is a big one, too. Therapy and medication when necessary can be very beneficial.
Amy@Fast Food Obesity´s last blog ..Free Teen Budget Planner
I saw a news story on TV recently about this. One of the most difficult components of weight loss is dealing with the emotions and keeping motivated to make the sacrifices.
JP Wynn@How to Get a Flat Stomach Fast´s last blog ..Eat slowly and drink more water
Having a long term plan is the best way to lose weight. Losing weight in a short period of time using diets is temporary. You will tend to put on weight again without a strategy and discipline. My advice is to think long term – follow a diet which is sustainable and enjoyable – less meat, more greens, more fiber and exercise regularly. It is better to lose a little weight this way as the weight loss will be more permanent and fit into a healthy lifestyle
Hi, I agree the biggest problem is not thinking about food. Its very hard.
I guess I am one of the lucky ones that is happy to nibble on something healthy rather than a craving for the ‘BAD’ foods. Though, Its the lack of exercise thats keeping me in my rut.
I know all too well about being stuck in a rut! I’ve been trying to lose 15 pounds for the last two years (to get back to my ideal weight I used to be at). I know it’s not that much weight, but no matter what I do, the weight won’t come off. It’s crazy. If I eat perfectly for months and workout every day, I lose 0 pounds and 0 inches! Then I get frustrated and eat whatever I want, and I don’t really gain weight. I’ve been reading one diet/health book after another, and took thyroid medication for Hypothyroid (which I was diagnosed with) but nothing works. So I’m forever stuck in a rut, but it could be worse.
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I agree with previous comments that a long term plan is better than short term dieting, however I think a long term plan mixed with smaller short targets can increase the motivation.
If your target is to lose 2 stone, that will probably seem miles away but if you set small targets within that big goal you will have motivation to achieve this and before you know it, your main goal is complete
That’s the theory anyway !
So many diet plans and even doctors don’t even address the very difficult problem of addressing the underlying cause for over eating. Addressing my emotions and the reasons I use food as the “Drug of Choice” is one of the hardest things about getting back to a reasonable weight. Thanks for the great article.
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Jim, you are so right. I am still trying to work out my emotional problems which push me to overeat and seek comfort in all the wrong foods.
Emotional eating – I know all about it! I eat when I’m happy, I eat when I’m sad, or bored or just antsy.
And to make matters even worse, my hubby is going thru a stressful time (his dad is critically ill) and since he’s an emotional eater, I eat to support him! AAGGH!
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What I have found helpful is whole-food supplements. Specifically liquid form because of the higher absorbtion vs. digesting traditional vitamins, food etc…You’re going to want to get one that is “whole-food” so your body still gets what it needs (there is alot of products out there claiming to be the perfect liquid supplement, but all you end up with is a $50 fancy glass of fruit punch). I find that using these supplements not only provides by body with 10 times the nutrients than I was intaking to begin with, but it also curbs by appetite and makes me feel ten times better then when I was eating 10 hamburgers.
Body Balance´s last blog ..home
hi, i got one funny diet ideas. who want to see, just come and see. nice. http://www.hobbiesteller.com/four-methods-of-successful-diet/
Peter Ooi´s last blog ..Second Earth-
Great article!
Emotional eating is such a big problem for many people and is often the primary reason why they aren’t able to achieve their weight-loss goal.
However, if people can find ways to replace the emotional eating with another habit that can produce the same ‘feel-good hormones’, then they may be able to overcome the problem. Exercise may be an option with the endophorphins that it produces.
However, I know this is easier said than done!
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If you wan to lose weight do something where you will busy the whole day without thinking about eating but don’t skip meals. Just budget your time.
I’m not so much an emotional eater as a binge eater, which also fails to keep weight off. I’ll do well on managing my food intake and then boom…gotta have BBQ from my favorite rib shack, a hamburger from the favorite burger joint or cheesecake from the cheesecake spot.
Yeesh! If I could just say no…
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Losing weight is often thought of as simply about eating less and exercising more but the emotional responses are absolutely key to ensure you become successful. I never met anyone who transformed their body permanently without first transforming their mind. Excellent article. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve hit my share of plateaus during my weight loss journey, myself. One thing that has been helpful is allowing myself one, “bad day,” where I can have some calorie-dense foods like pizza and what not, that way I’m not prone to random binge eating. Also sometimes constantly depriving yourself can also stress you out, which can result in fat gain! The big thing is, don’t beat yourself up over it.
Lose Visceral Fat´s last blog ..Lose belly fat- an easy trick
I agree with previous comments that a long term plan is better than short term dieting, however I think a long term plan mixed with smaller short targets can increase the motivation.
thyroid symptoms´s last blog ..Thyroid gland and thyroid symptoms
Ya that’s true the more I think that I’m dieting the more I feel like having food. Rather I go for having smaller meals so that I do not feel much food carvings. Also if I fell like having cake or something high in calorie then I cut shot other calorie items from my diet.
Can definitely relate to this post. It is easy to get burned out on the whole dieting thing. To bust out of it, I find change works well. Mix up your food from day to day and it will be more enjoyable and easier to stick with.
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Personal challenges are a very powerful way of motivating yourself to do something new may it be some health diet program or some exam result. If there is no target it is easy to make a half-hearted effort and give up. However, when we have something very clear to aim for, it is much more likely we will actually make something happen.
If you feel stuck in a rut, don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself. If you spend some time with enthusiastic / positive people, some of this energy will rub off on yourself. Even if you don’t particularly feel like doing it, meeting other people will take you out of yourself and help to re-energize yourself. I do this and it works positively.
Like everything else in life, slow and steady wins the race. Losing weight should ideally be a goal set to be achieved in a span ranging for a three to six months. Most people just get too impatient too soon and their frustration ends up messing up their previous efforts.