11 Common Weight Loss Struggles and How to Overcome Them

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It took a while (well ok, years), but I have found that the most common weight loss struggles can be overcome with a little self reflection and some patience.

I’m sure you would agree, if you have ever had trouble with losing weight that it can sometimes feel that the entire world is conspiring against you.

I bet that when you finally think you are ready to do something about your weight, and feel sick and tired and embarrassed about your appearance, something happens to stop you in your tracks.

See if you can recognize your own struggles with losing weight in the list below.

1. Getting started.

There always seems to be something that happens which throws you off your game when you want to make a go at shedding some pounds. Someone at work quits, and there’s a party in the breakroom for them.

A relative from out of town visits and suddenly, there’s a big dinner with all your favorite not-so healthy-foods being served. Or, you catch a cold and all you want to do is comfort yourself with food.

You had every intention of getting started on the right foot this time, but you end up saying something like, “I’ll start Monday”.

We’ve all been there.

You have to realize there’s no guarantee you’ll start because life will continue to throw you curve balls just when you think you have the weight loss ideas all figured out.

Here is a reality check. Your reason to start (or not start) a weight loss plan cannot depending on what is going on outside of you. I know, it’s harsh, but if you want to be successful, you need to embed this into your brain.

It boils down to just declaring to yourself that you’re just going to start anyway, no matter what’s going on around you. It’s the first step on your journey and starting is all you need to focus on for the moment.

2. Setting Unrealistic Goals. 

So you have decided to start. Now what? It’s time to plan, and by plan, I mean sit down with a pen and paper and brain dump all the reasons why you want to lose weight. No censoring.

After you have listed all the reasons why you want to lose weight, then write out all your perceived obstacles. Notice I said “perceived”. Perception is everything.

Next, list some responses to those obstacles you wrote out that are supportive of your weight loss goals. All that’s left is  following through.

3. All or Nothing Thinking.

If you have ever started a weight loss plan, and let’s say you forgot that you were planning a lunch out at a restaurant with your mother.

In the past you would throw caution to the wind and order the worst item on the menu, and say something like “I’ll just start next week”. Sound familiar? (see number 1)  By the way, this may or may not have happened to me.

If this happens it’s time to take a deep breath and have a talk with yourself about being flexible. Life is going to happen. It always does.

I’m not a go with the flow kind of person. I don’t always like surprises. When plans change the best thing to do is make modifications to support your weight loss goals.

By this I mean choose wisely. A change in plans when you didn’t expect it, isn’t a reason to go off the rails. Don’t make an unplanned event mean you can’t be mindful of what goes in your mouth.

You have committed to yourself that you are going to take an active role in your weight loss. After all, you are responsible for yourself. You can choose to get through any situation.

4. No Planning.

This is an extension of the above example. Planning for what you can do to keep yourself from going on a food bender is a choice. Don’t allow yourself to become ravenous. That’s a recipe for disaster.

We’ve all heard the saying, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. I found this to be true in my experience.

Pack a filling, portable snack to keep with you at all times. Maybe an apple, or a portioned out serving of almonds. A bottle of water wouldn’t hurt either. It doesn’t have to be elaborate.

5. Eating Food You Hate or

Being Too Strict.

This was a huge struggle for me. It took years for me to really understand that weight loss can happen while eating my favorite foods.

In fact, I believe you are more likely to be successful if you incorporate the foods you love during your weight loss journey. Especially in the beginning.

Telling yourself that you are not ever going to eat a certain food is setting yourself up for self-sabotage. You already know in your mind before you even start that it won’t last. This sounds like punishment.

If you are forcing yourself to eat foods you wouldn’t normally eat, even if they are good for you, you will not sustain that way of eating. Plan to eat foods you love. Keep deprivation at bay and keep it moving.

6. Starving Yourself.

This is the extreme of being too strict. Starving yourself just doesn’t work. Period. You may lose a few pounds, but as soon as you allow yourself to eat, you’ll overdo it, and then your back on the struggle bus. Only this time, you have absolutely no confidence in yourself to be successful with your weight loss goals.

7. Stress Eating.

This is a big one for me. In fact, I am still learning how to manage this tendency even after losing 100 pounds. What I have found is I had to develop the ability to stop stress eating and be present.

When I stay in the present, I automatically think about what I want in the future. For example, now that I have lost 100 pounds, what I want in the future is to maintain my weight.

I had to train myself to do this and it does work, but it takes a significant amount of focus.

Yes, stress feels uncomfortable. But now, I am willing deal with the source of my stress, rather than self soothe with food.

We all have weaknesses, and I accept that this is one of mine. I had weight loss success, but I am not perfect. This is why I refer to weight loss as a journey.

8. Drinking Soda.

For some people this is a tough one. There’s absolutely nothing nutritionally beneficial in soda. My kid’s pediatrician called soda and fruit juice “liquid candy.”

Thankfully, I wasn’t one for having soda as part of my every day or every week beverage.

I did indulge in diet soda on and off over the years, but it was short lived when I realized it wasn’t helping me lose any weight.

I know that sweet things increase your appetite. The more sweets you consume, the more you want. That goes for artificial sweeteners as well.

Water is the way to go. Unsweetened seltzer and sparkling water with lemon does the trick for me.

9. Eating Fat Free Foods.

I think the fear of eating fat mentality has done more harm than most of us realize.

Our parents and grandparents didn’t fear eating real food in their day. Somehow people got heavier and sicker after the introduction of fat free foods for dieters was introduced.

People eat more when fat free foods are included in their nutrition because their bodied aren’t getting what they need. So, weight loss stalls or you actually end up gaining weight.

Why? Because fat free foods are fake foods. You take in calories, but you are not being satiated when you eat fat free foods. What’s the point in that?

Healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, (my faves) are filling, satisfying and surprise – they don’t make you fat! 😃 Isn’t that great news?

10. Drinking Alcohol.

When it comes to Alcohol and weight loss, there are more reasons to avoid it, than there are to include it in your diet. I have personally found that it made me feel dehydrated. Most people, especially those who aren’t fond of drinking water, do not pay attention to their thirst cues. Because of this, they eat when they are dehydrated and in need of water.

The other problem is that alcohol impairs your judgement and weakens your resolve to make healthy food choices. You don’t care as much once the buzz hits.

When you drink alcohol, you are most likely going to feel like snacking, eating, partying, etc. You get the picture.

I know giving up alcohol isn’t even on a most people’s radar. You can still lose weight with alcohol being a part of your regimen, but if you are trying to lose weight, it should not be a staple in your weekly meal plan.

11. Rewarding Yourself With Food.

This particular struggle is one I am guilty of in my past efforts to lose weight.

Celebrations and special occasions are one thing, but what eventually happens is food ends up becoming the focal point without you even realizing it.

These are examples of what making food the focal point in your day looks like:

• It’s Monday and I made it through a rough day, maybe I should have a sweet treat after dinner.
• It’s Friday and the weekend is here, I deserve to relax and order takeout because I’ve been “good” all week.

• It’s Sunday and the weekend is almost over so you might think you have a right to treat yourself ahead of time because you know you have a difficult week coming up.

The point is, if you allow yourself to think up excuses in order to give yourself permission to indulge, that’s exactly what you’ll do.

I’ve come up with them all, from “It’s snowing, or it’s raining, to someone aggravated me and I need to blow off some steam. Let’s go out for drinks and appetizers.” See where I am going with this?

At the beginning of my weight loss journey, I was determined to take a different approach. I knew I needed to come up with a reward or an incentive plan for whenever I overcame a challenge.   

I remember planning to reward myself with something I really wanted, like a day at the nail salon or the hairdresser. I love reading, so buying a book I wanted was one of my favorite things to do.

Those small rewards I gave myself when I reached a short-term goal would send my motivation through the roof! I would focus that much more on what I needed do to continue seeing changes in my body.

It was definitely like dangling the carrot, know what I mean?

I remember treating myself to a new exercise DVD, new sneakers, workout gear, books and the list goes on and on.

In Conclusion

Put yourself on a pedestal without apology. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself special by spending money on yourself! Especially when you keep your word to yourself by sticking to your goals.

We’re not talking thousands here, (but if that’s what you want to do, no judgement here girl, high five🙋‍♀️) but just know that you are worthy of all that attention and self-care you are giving to yourself.

You will feel fantastic on the inside as you glow on the outside from all your hard work.

So, there you have it! Eleven common struggles with sticking to your weight loss goals and how to overcome them.

What weight loss struggles have you overcome that were not listed here? I want to hear from you in the comments!

Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/low-fat-diet#1

https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol-and-weight-loss

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-ways-sugary-soda-is-bad-for-you#section6

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