The underlying issues of keeping the weight off is not new. Most people lose and then gain. Then we're so harsh on ourselves, we go into a hole of guilt! Don't be afraid, friend. Your'e not alone. Yes, you heard it all before, but it rings so true. Need an example? The hit show "The Biggest Loser" teaches us that not all people can keep the pounds off, even with the help of experts. Contestant Ali Vincent won "The Biggest Loser" eight years ago, and took off over 100 pounds. She put back all her weight she announced on Facebook in April.
"I remember wondering before if I was unhappy because I was heavy or heavy because I was unhappy, I realized it didn't matter because both were true and I needed to do something about it. When I realized this something just clicked and I did do something about it," Vincent offered. She continued: "It's different now though, I'm not unhappy with my life, there are a lot of great things in my life. I finally have a loving relationship that I trust in wholeheartedly. I have friends throughout the country. I have work that inspires me. I'm hopefully finally going to be pregnant. So I've been struggling with why I can't or haven't rather pulled it together and I know it's shame."
Vincent is not the only one. Erik Chopin was on the show during season three. He weighed 407 pounds before the show, and lost 214 pounds during the show. This radical transformation made Chopin a fan favorite. He gained most of it back. Why did he gain it back? He had the best trainers, and resources the average person never will have access to. It could be poor choices, stress, hormones, the thyroid, or becoming passive. However, for Chopin, food was the drug, he shared with Oprah. He admitted that he just could not stop himself.
"When I finally saw it, a little bit of depression I had got even deeper and I sunk into pretty much a deep depression," Chopin said. "I just didn't want to face life. I just felt like staying in bed. Like, 'I did this to myself again. What's going on?'" If you can relate, find a mental health professional that can help you. They can help you get to the root of emotional eating and help you see what sets it off. This can be trauma from the past, depression, a breakup, or continual stress that was never addressed. It can seem like a battle that never ends. We tend to just focus on exercise, diet, and calories. But it is the choices made everyday that play a role if you lose weight. Sometime you have to trick your brain. If it thinks you're depriving it, watch out. Also, the lack of sleep cant hurt. Little sleep can release the chemicals leptin and ghrelin. And this can influence how much we eat. When these levels are low it tells the body to compensate--meaning grabbing sugar and coffee. With little sleep the body starts producing the hormone and it tells the body you're still hungry. You consume more calories, up to 300 more a day. You will have more sugar and caffeine, but still feel really tired, because this is being masked by having a lack of sleep, and you're trying to compensate.
Dr. Oz said it is important to indulge and to have a cheat day. We know if you crash diet and refrain from eating ice cream or indulging in anything, there will be regret. This will make you binge late for most people, OZ explained. "Avoiding certain foods for most of the week helps dramatically reduce daily calorie consumption and shift the focus toward healthier eating. Even when you indulge on your off day, your calorie count is lower on average that it was before you started the diet.
You could be starving yourself and not know it, Everyday Health wrote. We know this because of wanting to lose weight now, not later. When this happens the metabolism moves to a crawl! "Eating too few calories can be the start of a vicious cycle that causes diet distress. When you cut your calories so low that your metabolism slows and you stop losing weight, you probably will become frustrated that your efforts are not paying off. This can lead you to overeat and ultimately gain weight."
The article also suggested to go slow when you restart the dieting process. When you're trying to lose weight, it is hard to be patient. As you start your diet, remember that slow and steady weight loss is the easiest to maintain. There is never an easy way to do it. And doing it fast will set us up for failure, along with wanting to give up.
OK, let's talk about what you can do:
1. Surround yourself with support, or join a community group.
2. Share your struggle with a doctor or trainer.
3. Get rid of the negative, or that you're a failure.
4. Make a list of accomplishments you did today! Go for it, and stop beating yourself down.
5. Use more positive affirmations.
Finally, visualize success. When you see yourself getting discouraged see yourself happy, and losing weight. Look at weight loss as not a punishment, but living a better and more fruitful life. Make health priory by doing something every day that will help. This can be walking the dog in the morning, or try jogging, running, biking, walking, or doing yoga to remain active. Overall, don't give up on the dream of losing weight. Know that this is a path many need to walk, and that you don't need to do it solo. Said speaker and author Louis Hays: "One-size does not fit all when we are looking to lose weight. With some encouragement, acceptance, perseverance and self-love you can love the skin you're in."
Make this day a new one as you look into what works for you. Don't be ashamed if there were mistakes in the past made, that is why it is called the past. Yes, it is corny, sorry. That's why you drop by at Beliefnet, right? We are human, so accept that there will be failure as it is a part of our sometimes fragile ecosystem. People all have challenges that are unique to them. Perhaps this is yours. For some it might be depression, pain, low self-esteem, or dealing with past violence. Accept that you are great, and don't need to look like a perfect person, whatever that means. Start calling yourself whole and successful, not a loser, or any garbage like that. For real, make the small changes mentally. The rest will follow.
