Losing weight can feel like a major victory—finally achieving those goals you’ve worked super hard for!
At the same time, it can also feel super frustrating and discouraging.
How many times have you set a New Year’s resolution to lose weight only to see the weight go back up?
How many times have you sworn to drop the last 10 lbs. but before you know it, those 10 lbs. and then some creep up?
The weight loss rollercoaster is always the same: In the beginning, you make some progress and feel super excited about the changes in your body but fast forward a few weeks and months, and you’re right back to where you started.
Ugggggg! WHY does this keep happening?
The truth is, losing and maintaining weight is simple in theory but much harder in practice, especially now with the stress and pressure of New Year’s resolutions.
If you’re constantly doing the whole “I want to lose weight” New Year’s resolution thing but year after year, always find you can’t maintain or keep the weight off, there’s a reason why.
And it may not be what you think or ever considered!
In this blog, you are learning the 5 main reasons you regain weight plus what to do to put an end to the weight loss rollercoaster once and for all!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 REASONS YOU GAIN BACK WEIGHT
Statistically speaking, 80% of people who set a weight loss resolution will fail – womp, womp. Why does this happen and what can you do to break the cycle and succeed? Let’s break it down:
#1. You Are Dieting and Not Creating Sustainable Changes
The Issue: Diets are the fastest route to weight loss but also the least sustainable. Diets are a dime a dozen, ranging from low-calorie plans t0 extreme food eliminations (i.e. cutting carbs), juice cleanses, and 30-day detoxes.
While diets might help you quickly shed pounds initially, diets do not teach you how to eat for your body and goals. Diets are NOT eating habits you can do forever and why once you return to normal eating patterns, the pounds return as quickly as they came off.
How to Avoid It: Instead of dieting, focus on making long-term, sustainable changes! For sustainable results, all day energy and optimal health, focus on eating well-balanced meals 3x/day that include protein, smart carbs, heart healthy fats, and veggies. That is maintainable long-term, supports any weight loss goal and improves overall health!
#2. You Aren’t Tracking and Monitoring Progress
The Issue: Tracking what you eat and how much is a critical part of losing and maintaining weight, especially because most adults grossly *underestimate* how much they eat by upwards of 40%!
Once you’ve reached your weight goal, it’s easy to think you no longer need to track or pay attention to what/how much you are eating. Without regular tracking, it’s easy to overlook small increases in food intake. These increases add up over time and cause weight gain.
How to Avoid It: Make tracking part of your regular routine—whether it’s using an app to count calories or macros or, simply being mindful of portion sizes using something like the hand portion system. You don’t need to track everything all the time for the rest of your life buuuut, regular check-ins keep you accountable, honest and on track!
Remember, you are more likely to underestimate what you eat, and that (false) perspective leads to overeating.
#3. You’re Not Adjusting Calories as Your Weight Changes
The Issue: As you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to maintain your new, smaller size. If you continue eating the same volume of calories as your weight decreases, you will be in a calorie surplus (eating more calories than your body is burning) and that leads to weight gain.
How to Avoid It: Work with a coach to understand your body’s calorie needs as you make progress and reach your goals (you can do just that here at Results Fitness with me – a certified nutrition coach!). Adjusting your portions and being mindful of your intake will help you keep the weight off long term!
#4. You Start Falling Back into Old Habits
The Issue: Old habits die hard. Even after losing weight, it’s easy to slip back into old eating patterns and habits —whether it’s skipping meals, overeating, not eating balanced meals, or not getting the nutrients your body needs to support your goals.
These habits will sabotage your hard-earned results and reverting back to old habits often happens in just months.
How to Avoid It: Create new habits and stick to them even after you’ve reached your goal! Here at Results Fitness, you learn how to create changes that work for you the right way! It’s not about overhauling your entire lifestyle all at once. It’s about small, incremental changes that feel comfortable and manageable in your day-to-day life so that you can do it forever!
#5. You Don’t Have a Support System and Accountability
The Issue: Weight loss is not just a physical challenge—it’s actually MORE mental than anything. Without the support of a coach, friends and a community, it will be harder for you to stay motivated and accountable once the initial ‘honeymoon phase’ wears off.
Plus, without a support system, you might feel isolated or discouraged, which can lead to slipping back into old habits.
How to Avoid It: Research shows you are more likely to succeed when surrounded by people like you who share similar goals! This is where having extra / outside accountability is key and why here at Results Fitness, you work with coaches and are part of a community!
We hold you to a higher level of accountability than you hold yourself so that you stick with your intentions and succeed!
As a Results Fitness Warrior, you have access to exercise programs scaled to your fitness level, regular check-ins, accountability buddies, and certified coaches who can help you stay on track and motivated to maintain your results.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The key takeaway here is sustainable weight loss takes time, as does weight maintenance!
Gaining back the weight you’ve lost is common, but it doesn’t have to be inevitable. Now that you know why the weight creeps back on, you can be proactive, break the vicious cycle and achieve long-lasting success!!
It’s important to remember that weight loss isn’t just about losing pounds—it’s about maintaining healthy habits that you can live with for the long haul.
Take it slow, be consistent, practice patience, surround yourself with a fun support system, and don’t give up!
With the right mindset and approach, you can not only lose weight but keep it off for good.