Most people spend their entire lives battling with weight loss. The main reason for this could be a lack of understanding of what brings about long-lasting and correct weight loss. Losing weight is simple but it is not easy. Its simple because a calorie deficit is all that is required. It’s not easy because more often than not, our emotions get in the way.

Identifying possible pitfalls along the weight loss journey could help keep you on the weight loss wagon when the going gets tough. Here are 10 reasons why some people keep failing with their weight loss efforts;

1.  Not Forming Correct Weight Loss Habits

Its our habits that cause us to gain weight and its our habits that will help us lose it and keep it off. Correct weight loss habits include exercising and learning to eat sensibly. These habits take time to form. People who opt for quick fix weight loss, lose the experience of inculcating the correct weight loss habits.

2.  Not Prioritizing Exercise

Exercise time needs to be prioritized. It has to be carved out in your schedule. Exercise has to be set as a very high priority activity, up there with eating and sleeping. The best way to do this is by defining your weekly exercise slots.  Exercise time needs to be defined. Work everything else around it. People who do not do this are the ones who can never find time for exercise.

3.  Weight Loss Support System

A support system is critical for anyone trying to lose weight. Losing weight is simple but it is not easy. Many times, you will need some encouragement or a some recognition when a goal is achieved. The best support system is made up of people like you who are going through the same challenges. If you can’t find a support group of this sort, at least find someone close to you who is supportive of your efforts.

4.  Become Accountable

The best form of accountability is when you are in a weight loss support group. The members of the group would keep each other accountable to each other. You are always more diligent with your efforts if you need to report your progress to another person. Another form of accountability is keeping a food journal. This is one of the best ways of being accountable to one’s self.

5.  Weight Loss Follows the Law of the Farm

You could never plant the seeds in a farm and harvest the crop within the same month. Everything in the farm follows a process. Everything takes time. When a farmer works his farm diligently and faithfully, he will reap what he sows. Similarly, give up the chase for the holy grail of weight loss. A quick fix and no effort weight loss method that gives you sustainable weight loss, does not exist. If there was such a diet or a pill, Oprah would have found it by now.

6.  Lack of Correct Weight Loss Knowledge

We live in the information age and there is no excuse for not having at least the basic education about healthy and sustainable weight loss. One needs to at least understand the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Once there is a reasonably strong understanding on what it takes to achieve correct weight loss, one will less likely fall for gimmicks and quick fix diets. Instead one would resort to healthy eating and exercising as these are what ultimately give sustainable results.

7.  Going on a Temporary Diet

The next time you are on a diet, ask yourself if you could practice that diet for life. If the answer is “No”, stop the diet and start looking for an alternative that you can practice for your entire life. Most people think that if they could just lose the weight, they will find a way to maintain their weight loss. This rarely happens. Any weight that is not loss correctly almost surely comes back with a vengeance. Follow a healthy lifestyle instead.

8.  Treating Weight Loss as a Destination and Not a Journey

Most people have the mindset that they have to make temporary adjustments until they lose some weight. Once they achieve their target weight, they could get back to their normal lifestyle. As soon as they achieve their target weight, they start doing all the things that made them gain the weight in the first place. They look at weight loss as a destination when it is in fact a journey. Maintaining a healthy physique is a life long task.

9.  Not tracking Progress

Most people trying to lose weight resort to the weighing scales as a tool to measure progress. The weighing scales are only one of the tools and it could be misleading at times. One should also use a tape measure to determine bodily dimensions. A caliper is another useful tool that allows you to keep track of your body fat levels.  Measurements should be done on a weekly or at least bi-weekly intervals.

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