10 Reasons Why We're Struggling to Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

So many people are under the impression that if they are exercising furiously and watching what they are eating, then surely that is all it takes to lose weight or at the very least maintain a healthy weight. And for some people it can be but there are still so many people feeling frustrated because they're putting in the hard work and still not seeing any results or worse, unknowingly setting themselves up for self sabotage. There are so many factors that need to come together in reaching an optimal level of health and having the body to match. Here are my Top ten reasons why you may be finding it hard to reach your goals.

1. We’re physically and emotionally stressed Day in day out stress incites stress chemistry, when cortisol and insulin are continuously pumped out it puts our body in a low level chronic state of stress. This then signals the body to reserve all resources, which results in the body holding onto body fat and not building any muscle. Our stress can be triggered by so much more than a deadline at work or the kids going crazy, it’s often self- induced with negative thought patterns and self-attack. 2. We want results NOW and we’re willing to do anything to get them We don’t want to lose weight the right way because it takes too long. We are so quick to jump on the latest fad diets eg: shakes, calorie counting, 5 & 2, skipping meals and entire food groups. We will do anything it takes to lose weight with no regards to the effects it is having on our metabolism or health. 3. We’ve stopped trusting our bodies We ignore everything our body is telling us. We ignore our appetites, our stress levels, our emotions, our energy levels and we just keep pushing on without asking- what am I doing or not doing that could be resulting in these symptoms? We need to get back in tune with our bodies and let them guide us to what they need. 4. We keep hammering the “do more, eat less” approach When we decide it’s time to lose weight we go allll out. We cut carbs, pleasure and calories from our diet and pick up a punishing exercise routine. We start doing far more exercise and eating way less than we need to, to get results. And when that stops working, we do it again, and again and again and wonder why we’re tired, cranky and making no progress.

5. We’re not taking care of our emotional health We need to stop with the stigma around the terms mental and emotional health. It is so much more than just depression or anxiety, it includes our self-worth and esteem, our daily stress levels and the way we perceive the world in general. If we’re living on a negative loop and not giving our emotional health the attention and care it needs, it’ll be easy to get caught up in using food and or alcohol as a coping strategy. 6. We are always comparing ourselves to one another Our measuring stick for self-worth is way off. There is no way to compare one person to the next, so why do we keep doing it to ourselves? Social media has fed this beast. We have access to one another’s highlight reels at our fingertips, which is more than enough fodder for us to pick at our own flaws and devalue our very being. Time to let go of what everyone else is doing and step into your own greatness.

7. We believe that a special diet or fact will save us No carbs, no sugar, no food after 6pm, low fat, eat paleo, eat clean, train insane, train fasted, take this supplement, blah blah blah. The list of “fat Blasting” tips are endless. Some work, some don’t and the fact that you’re not doing one of them is not the reason you don’t have a 6 pack. 8. We’re not living or speaking our truths We are too busy pleasing other people and society’s expectations to go and do what is that WE want to do! When we are genuinely happy in our lives by living the life that we truly want, everything else falls into place. Including our weight! When you love your life, your body and yourself you naturally make nutritional & lifestyle choices that are aligned with that belief. 9. We’re using food as a drug Food is many things, love, comfort, pleasure, numbing, grounding, de-stressing. It can help us express anger, hurt, and disappointment. It is there in times of celebration, excitement and joy. So many of us are relying on food instead of regulating these emotions. As human beings we are designed to feel and move through our emotions not numb them out and ignore them with our favourite drug, food. 10. We’re not eating for our activity levels There are two kinds of people, those that are eating too much and not moving enough and those that are moving too much and not eating enough. The simple solution is to eat for our activity levels. If you have been on your feet all day at work, spent an hour at the gym and then walked the dogs, you’ll need plenty of fuel to get through your day. And on the other hand, if you’ve just binged watched 6 hours of game of thrones, it’s probably not the best night to order a pizza.

#Nutrition #weightloss #health #stress #selflove #training #Fitness #emotionalhealth