Today’s post will either infuriate you or motivate you beyond what words can say, but I will push out eight likely reasons why you fail to lose weight.

For many years, I was a victim of my own thinking. I let what other people say get at me. Friends would offer up encouragement, and I would take the smallest statement and blow it up — they were trying to sabotage me!

Know what I’m talking about?

And looking at myself, when I’m at fault, those are tough times.

So today, I chose to go the more controversial route. And for good reason.

We live in a politically correct system where everyone is too afraid to say something at the point they need to say it the most. So today I’m talking to you, my friend.

I’m going to peel back the curtain and tell you why your past health and self improvement strategies have failed.

It’s not always your fault.

You’ll learn several reasons why you fail to lose weight. Better yet I’ll tell you how to succeed and by the end, I’m going to incentivize you to take action.

Why You Fail to Lose Weight Involves Your Comfort Zone

In no particular order, let’s start here — the old’ comfort zone.

Want to know what’s so frustrating about our society? We’re too comfortable. We justify the bad foods we eat by putting them in their special category.

Comfort foods.

When life hits you hard, you find comfort in your food. It becomes your pacifier. It soothes you.

You’re not a baby!

What is it about food that makes you comforted? Why does watching TV, sitting on the couch, stuffing your face with ice cream comfort you?

I’ll tell you why. Because it’s the easy way. I know it’s easy.

I used to do it all the time.

It’s hard to push aside the things that bring us comfort — because if we push it out, what else could replace it? It’s like eating something you’ve never tried before. You’re suspicious of its color or smell, confident it can’t be good for you.

And then you try it.

Your comfort zone is a one-way ticket to death. You love your comfortable ways, but guess what? They don’t love you. In fact, they’re secretly killing you.

The more you eat, the more you binge-watch, the more you live on auto-pilot, the sooner you’ll be six feet under.

I don’t want that for you and deep down inside you don’t want that either, right? The reasons why you fail to lose weight are based on habits.

Old habits are hard to break; new habits are hard to make. And here’s why — discipline.

How Discipline is Why You Fail to Lose Weight

The brave men and women who join the armed services are a rare breed. They are strong, committed and dedicated. They are part of a team, each relying on the other.

For them to be successful in any mission, they must have discipline.

New habits are hard to make when there’s no discipline to put them into effect.

Any number of military-based movies love to show the first few weeks of training camp. It’s tough, and it’s grueling.

This is when the military takes its recruits, breaks them down and re-shapes them, exposing them to the exercises and processes they’ve never expected out of themselves.

Did you catch that? We lack discipline because we don’t expect we are capable of great things. Our self-talk places doubts and fears in our way.

[bctt tweet=”We lack discipline because we don’t expect we are capable of great things.”]

You won’t make it. You failed before. Why are you trying when you know you’re just going to quit?

The “Call of the Couch” cries out and without discipline, you’ll fall short.

It’s not easy. It takes you out of your comfort zone. To succeed, there’s one more thing you need to become disciplined — a support system.

Guess How Many Athletes Win On Their Own…

When you think of great athletes, names like Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan come to mind. Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Cam Newton pop up in that category as well. There are hundreds more.

Despite how great these individuals were, despite how great anyone is, there’s a secret we don’t always consider.

All the greats may have been recognized as being the leader of the team or in a single player sport like tennis; the camera focuses on one player. But behind all of them is a cast of supporters.

One reason why you fail to lose weight is that you have a lack of support.

Who supports you? Is one of the reasons why you fail to lose weight based on a flawed support system?

Before you throw out your list of supporters, consider this: how many of them came to you, challenged you, made you think hard and maybe even put you in a tight spot?

Few people, if any, have the raw talent to succeed. Everyone needs to fine-tune their skills with hard work and with accountability. Does your support team hold you accountable? Do you let them?

To get support also means you must accept it and give it back. In some cases, you’ll learn who your real friends are when you ask for help. Don’t be surprised if family members won’t assist you with the simplest requests. Learn from that event and find others. They are out there.

Let’s assume you’ve compiled a cast of supporters who will help you achieve your goals. At the end of the day, it’s still up to you to get the work done.

Which brings us to the next pitfall and another reason why you fail to lose weight. It’s called information overload.

Three Reasons How Information Is Why You Fail to Lose Weight

Many years ago when I started working out and eating the way I do now, I did what most everyone does — I hit up the Internet.

I Googled diets, workout plans, equipment, recipes and the right clothes to wear. The more I searched, the more I found.

In no time at all, I was overwhelmed.

As I began to put together a plan, one expert contradicted another. One cookbook did not support the ideas of my exercise program. Frustrated, I was about to give up.

Eventually I found a coach who made me promise him that once I hired him on, he would become my soul source of information. If I found anything that contradicted what he told me, he invited me to a discussion.

Here’s what I’m getting at — the overload of information confuses our best attempts, and we fail because we have no real process.

A process is like a journey. It can have an ending or destination, but a process is something that allows us to discover as we plod along. A process shows us a consistent approach where we learn what we are capable of.

The arch enemy of process is a lack of consistency. For any process to succeed, you must be consistent, also known as discipline.

The best part about a proven process is that when things don’t work as intended, you can lift the hood up, if you will, check out the engine, and fine-tune things. A real process allows for that.

A real process also eliminates the most dreaded reason why you fail to lose weight.

Warning: this one’s going to hurt.

Excuses Are Like Buttholes; Everybody Has Them And They All Stink

Sorry for the compelling headline, but it’s a borrowed phrase from a buddy of mine, Rob Dial.

It’s human nature that when things get tough, we create excuses, right?

Why did your weight go up? It wasn’t because of that dessert(s) you had last night, right?

You’re not always sure why your weight crept up. You don’t remember what you ate because you don’t track it. Frankly, you don’t want to track it because you know what it will reveal.

The next reason why you fail to lose weight is coming up — ready?

When we lack the right resources, support, or motivation, it is revealed.

The Excuse Monster.

We love our Excuse Monster. He probably looks like Sully from Monsters, Inc. He’s big and hairy, but he’s just a pussycat. He feeds us wrong information, and we love him for it. Because then we can trick everyone else into believing why we failed again.

Here’s the secret behind the Excuse Monster. YOU.

When you make excuses, the only person you’re fooling is yourself.

“I can’t go for a walk; my doctor says it’s not a good idea.”

“I can’t stick to this plan; it’s too hard.”

The next time you create an excuse for why something can’t be done, invert it.

“I can go for a walk; my doctor says it’s a good idea.”

“I can stick to this plan; it’s challenging, but my health is worth it.”

I love this quote because it shows the power of “CAN.” You’re capable of so much more than you give yourself credit. And I have a reason why you fail to lose weight; the answer might surprise you.

It has to do with success and fear of success.

When Success Becomes A Bad Word

Before I met my wife, I was married before. Suffice it to say that things did not go as planned.

Other than the birth of my children, there have been days I regretted the marriage. At the beginning of the relationship, I was on the puppy-dog romance train. I felt those sweet highs.

A few years later my train crashed, went off the rails and shattered in a million pieces.

Sometimes it’s just easier to wish some successes never appeared in the first place. It reduces the chances of getting hurt.

It allows you to lower your expectations.

(Insert sound of record needle scratching erratically off the turntable)

Wait, what? You’re so afraid of success that you’re willing just to live a life less than what you were intended?

I’m sad to say that is a reality many people live with.

When you have the right support team, the right process, the right mindset — there is a lot less chance you will fail. There’s no guarantee, mind you, but that’s just life.

You’ll go much farther believing in your success than if you just live a life that’s designed to fail.

My next reason why you fail to lose weight has to do with putting your life on auto-pilot.

Here’s What Happens When You Auto-Pilot

Many years ago, when the automotive industry created the ability for the driver to take their foot off the gas pedal and maintain a consistent speed, they called it Cruise Control.

There was one story reported of a recreational vehicle owner who set his Cruise Control and then went into the back to fix himself a drink. Perhaps he was drinking already, but we know how this story ends.

The van was able to control its speed but it couldn’t steer itself, and the van crashed into the ditch.

If you look at the vast majority of successful people, you’ll hear stories of hard work, rising early, working late, etc. Most of all, you’ll hear about their vision.

A person’s vision is never arrived at if they lead a life on auto-pilot.

Consider the activities or foods you choose to put into your life. Most people have 10–15 recipes, and although you’ll deny it, those are your go-to meals. You’ve lost the explorer in you. You don’t move with purpose, intention or attention.

You’ve thrown in the towel.

What if I told you there was a whole new world out there, one you had yet to discover and the joys and thrills would overshadow every facet of your current life. You’d gain new abilities, things you never thought you’d be able to do.

Would you like that kind of world? Your pessimistic side says that’s not possible. But deep down inside, you know that world exists.

You’ll never override that pessimistic side and here’s the last reason why you fail to lose weight.

Just Believe Isn’t Another Inspirational Quote

“Ah, if only I could just believe, that would make it so. But it’s not that easy, so I choose not to believe.”

The simplest concepts are often just that. Simple.

We try to make things harder than they really are. When we convince ourselves it’s too hard, then we allow that Excuse Monster to create his next lie for you to utter.

Just believe.

If you’re ready for the grand reveal, here it is:

This entire article isn’t about why you’re a failure. It’s about why you’ve failed in the past. It’s about what needs to change so you can succeed.

Read that last sentence ending. You can succeed.

I know you can because I’ve had some stinking thinking in my past. Once I started over and pushed those negative thoughts out, I’ve accomplished a lot:

• I increased my salary an average of 15% for five years in a row
• I finished the Chicago Marathon
• I’ve reduced my bodyfat to less than 7%
• I’ve lost 30% of my body weight
• I’ve helped many lose 40 lbs. and more

I believed. I want you to believe as well.

Let’s Start Here — Together

I don’t know it all, but I’d like to say I know you. Here are a few goals and dreams I imagine you’ve considered as it relates to your health:

• You want to look and feel sexy
• You want to enjoy life
• You want to beat depression
• You want to be confident, energetic and joyful

You’re frustrated and fearful of these items:

• You’re tired of being made fun of
• You’re scared you’ll die earlier than you want
• You know the foods you eat are bad for you, but you can’t resist the temptations
• Your mindset tells you that growth is not possible, you’re stuck where you are
• You have pain, reduced mobility
• You don’t want to be alone
• You don’t want any more reasons why you fail to lose weight

If any of the reasons I provided resonate with your past failures or if you can relate to any of the goals/dreams or fears/frustrations listed above, I have something I believe will help.

I’ve created a 10 lesson email course. It’s free (for now) and will be automatically delivered to your inbox every two days starting tomorrow. Here’s how it works:

• As soon as you enter your email address, you’ll receive a free PDF guide that will provide an overview of ways you can get started on a serious journey to turn your health around.
• You’ll receive a series of emails that elaborate on the PDF guide. Each email will give you actionable steps you can take. Two days later you’ll receive the next email with more action steps.
• Many of the emails will provide you with additional resources — a shopping list, infographics, recipes, etc. All at no cost.
• At the conclusion of this course, all I ask is for your feedback to improve the course or take it a step further.

Don’t delay. Start your journey today. Add your information in the box below and let’s get started. Instead of talking about why you fail to lose weight, let’s head down the road to success.

To access the free course, just click here.