Why Your Weight Loss Cannot Last

You Are Facing A Crisis

Your doctor called to say that your cholesterol level is over 300 — and she wants you on a statin drug ASAP.

Or you discovered that even your ‘fat jeans’ — the ones you wear when you’ve put on those extra 10 lbs. — don’t close at the waist.

Or you got a glimpse of your body profile in the mirror and were stunned at how much your belly sticks out.

Now what?

The Only Obvious Response

First you get upset, then you feel guilty and ashamed, but before long a tidal wave of willpower surges inside you.

You give yourself a pep talk — in the shower or in the car or before falling asleep-that sounds something like this:

“I HAVE to change! I’m serious this time! No more excuses!”

Then you spring into action using the only approach you know: Just Do It.

You throw away every snack chip, cracker, and cookie in the house, even the ‘low fat’ ones.

Then you drive to the local co-op and fill your shopping cart with fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy foods.

You announce to your family: “We’re going to start watching what we eat — no more junk!”

The Sad And Predictable Results

Despite your heartfelt attempt to lose weight, you fall off the wagon.

Just Doing It may work for a few days or weeks or perhaps longer.

But the competing demands of family, work, and home are relentless. They erode your determination like a child’s whining wears on your patience.

Worse yet, you feel that not sticking with your new eating routine is a personal failure.

You blame yourself for not trying harder.

Without meaning to, you have taken one step closer to giving up — forever.

In an honest, private moment — in the shower or in the car or before you fall asleep — you grasp for peace of mind:

“If the worst thing they can put on my tombstone is that I never lost those extra 20 lbs., then I’ll have lived a good life.”

The Rest Of The Story

Ready to click away and find something more uplifting to read?

Stay with us just a little longer — there is another way.

First of all, you are not alone — far from it. The vast majority of people who genuinely want to lose weight have their own version of this story.

Second, by the time you finish reading this post you will know the reason behind this unfortunate truth as well as what you can do to change your weight loss story.

Research has shown that Just Do It is a myth.

Stopping a bad habit ‘cold turkey’ or starting a new habit by ‘flipping a switch’ are unsustainable methods for almost every one of us.

People make an average of 9 failed attempts to change before they find a new routine and learn to stick with it. This is true for any behavior, including weight loss.

In other words, you cannot change your life by simply deciding to do so and then working hard indefinitely.

Lasting behavior change is not a fantasy tale in which the main character discovers a reservoir of infinite willpower and is magically transformed.

It is a more grounded and realistic story — a dramatic saga, if you will — in which the main character’s ‘failures’ provide the strength and wisdom required to alter the trajectory of his or her life.

You Can Be The Hero Of Your Change Story

Yes, it is possible. But you cannot Just Do It.

How?

Your change story begins anew with a simple yet elusive realization: your previous attempts to lose weight did not fail due to lack of effort.

In fact, you made a reasonable — if imperfect — attempt to succeed under the complex conditions of your everyday life.

It was the way you went about losing weight — how you thought about what was required of you and how you tried to make it happen — that didn’t work.

Does this conclusion make sense to you? If so, take three slow, deep breaths and let it sink in.

Now ask yourself the following:

What was it about your previous attempts to lose weight — as opposed to about YOU — that didn’t work?

You may not know for sure, but instead of assuming that YOU were the problem, consider how to APPROACH the problem differently next time.

It may take you a while to figure that one out, but the answer will provide a fresh start to your change story — one that leads to a more compelling conclusion.

Non-Action Steps

Let the idea of a fresh start to your weight loss story roll around in the back of your mind for a few days — without deciding on a new action plan.

If you feel it would be useful, share your thoughts with a trusted friend or send us an e-mail message. We’ll respond within 24 hours.

When you are ready to continue rewriting your weight loss story, please proceed to the next post in this series.