Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
We all have reasons and excuses as to why we can’t lose weight. Perhaps we have tried failing diets or haven’t been able to maintain a good workout routine. But do you know the absolute reason behind what’s stopping your weight loss journey cold?
Nope, it’s not because you suck at diets or because trainers want you to do some mundane exercises every day.
And it’s surely not because you haven’t bought into V Shred’s nonsense about cardio workouts…or haven’t bought any of his cookie-cutter workout plans.
What is Actually Stopping Consistent Weight Loss?
A lot of people will come out of the gate strong and drop quite a bit of weight relatively quickly. However, many of them will start to slow down once they reach a certain point.
And yes, I am talking about myself in this context.
There is evidence to support that it takes longer for lighter people to burn fat than it does for someone who is morbidly obese. However, it’s not always a physical constraint that prevents hitting weight loss goals.
It’s not because dieting is too hard or that exercises don’t seem to work. It actually has more to do with the mindset of these individuals. Yes, your mental perceptions of dieting and exercise are most likely causing you to not lose weight as you’d hoped.
In fact, every success is attributed to one absolute fact: the decision to take action.
How You Perceive Losing Weight
When you think about dieting and exercise, is it excitement that comes to mind? Or, is it dread?
When you approach anything in life with a negative attitude, it’s going to affect the outcome. You’re already looking for reasons as to why it will fail and you won’t put in as much effort.
It’s kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In the beginning, I made the decision to lose weight. It wasn’t one of those, “eh, I’ll try it,” type of moments. I decided weight loss was something I desperately wanted, which contributed to me stopping the negative mentality towards it.
Since then, I’ve discovered all kinds of healthier foods I truly enjoy and gamified every workout to keep myself in the proper mindset.
Coincidentally, this is also how I became a successful freelance writer. By making the decision to do what I can to achieve my goals. And that’s where all success begins.
You’ll still need to put in the effort to make changes. But making the absolute decision to enforce change is how it all starts.
The Instant Gratification Mindset
One element that plagues a lot of people nowadays is the idea of instant gratification. Everything is literally at our fingertips today, and it’s hard to separate that ideal from so many things in life.
This is quite apparent when you search for, “losing weight” in any keyword tool. The results are loaded with other terms such as “fast,” “quickly,” and “instantly.”
In truth, it’s easy to lose weight exceptionally fast. But to keep it off for a prolonged period of time requires commitment and determination.
In other words, proper health and fitness is all about the long game.
Not Finding What Works Best for Your Needs
Lastly, part of what’s stopping you from the weight loss you seek is not finding what works best for you. Everyone has their favorite diet plans and exercise routines. And they don’t always work the same for everyone.
Case in point, Sam does exceptionally well while on keto, whereas I am at my peak simply cutting down calories.
It’s OK to take advice from different sources. In fact, that’s how you come up with a logical and effective plan for yourself. But without the right mindset of changing your eating habits, you’re going to fail.
We talked about this on the YouTube channel recently, about how losing weight and keeping it off centers around lifestyle changes. The quick and easy fix might help you lose weight today, but is it something you can sustain 10 years down the road?
Because if you don’t learn anything from the experience, the likelihood you’ll put that weight back on is exceptionally high.
Dealing with Weight Loss and Stopping Your Procrastination
When I weighed 300+, the motivation and determination to drop the weight were strong. In fact, I lost 20 pounds within the first month and a half simply by increasing my walking and reducing my intake.
Now that I’m 30 pounds away from my goal, what’s stopping me? Well, it’s just not as much of a dire situation today. Sure, my heart stopping in 2016 was motivation to change a lot of things in my life, but I’m better and no longer in immediate threat.
I bet that’s the case with a lot of people, actually. Again, it comes down to instant gratification. Or, at least imminent danger. As humans, we usually react to situations rather than be proactive against them.
Like the saying goes, though, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure.”
But if you want to truly lose weight and get healthier, you have to change that mindset. Instead of letting procrastination run your life, you need to run your life.
So, what can you do to change your mindset when it comes to stopping yourself from reaching your weight loss goals?
- Set some goals that you’re able to achieve in the short term and build some momentum.
- Force yourself into action, especially on days when you just want to veg out in front of Netflix with a bag of popcorn.
- Train for something you want to do in real life. For me, it’s all about crossing the state of Colorado on a bike. (Perhaps next May?)
- Spend some quality time really looking at yourself and why you’re stopping yourself from weight loss goals.
The hardest part for anyone is to be honest with themselves. It’s easy to go to the extreme in either direction. Somehow, find a way to be objective without involving ego or belief.
I know, it’s easier said than done. But it’s possible if you really want to determine things about yourself. It just takes a lot of practice.
Want Decisions Will You Make This Week?
Your success hinges on your mentality towards health and fitness. It’s your mindset that has the most influence when trying just about anything. Once you get your mind right, everything else is simple in comparison.
This week, work on why you don’t care about certain things anymore. There’s no need to be content with where you are in life if it’s not where you want to be. But you need to address that frame of mind if you truly want to achieve any form of greatness for yourself or your family.
Because your successes are their successes.
About Author
