Often you can't lose weight because of emotional blocks. How to get rid of them.
The first step to a healthy solution is to identify the problem. You may find that there is more than one obstacle that needs to be eliminated. However, the good news is that these obstacles are surmountable.Emotions and Weight Loss
Most of us have good intentions when it comes to proper nutrition and more frequent exercise. And most of us know the basics of what to eat and what to avoid. But even with the best intentions, we often stop our progress when we feel tired, stressed, bored or disappointed. And let's face it... these emotions come up often.
We are all creatures of habit. We find solace in routine. So, if your daily routine includes eating and activity patterns that have led to an unhealthy weight, it's normal that you're looking for these comfortable habits when times are tough. These habits reduce discomfort — at least for a short time.
To make matters worse, you probably have strong rationalization skills that support the continuation of unhealthy habits. After all, why stop a practice that brings relief and comfort?
As for eating habits, it is especially difficult to change them. Our body is made to eat, and we need food to survive. We also feel better when we eat.
But all is not lost if you want to change your weight loss habits. The psychology of weight loss works against you in some ways, but it can work for you in others. To overcome a roadblock, you first need to find out what kind of roadblock it is.
General psychological blocks
These are the most common emotional problems that arise when people try to lose weight. Browse through the list to see if any of them look familiar.
All-or-nothing thinking
If you find yourself teetering on a fine line between perfect adherence to your eating plan and a complete collapse, you may be experiencing a cognitive distortion called all-or-nothing thinking. Psychologists use the term "cognitive distortion" to refer to persistent exaggerated thoughts that do not correspond to what is actually happening in the real world.
People who think on the principle of "all or nothing", trying to lose weight, believe that they have either achieved complete success or completely failed, depending on their choice of food.
The "all or nothing" style of thinking is closely related to the perceived lack of control over food and the inability to maintain a healthy weight.
If you practice all-or-nothing thinking, it will probably be difficult for you to return to a healthy diet after a little fun. Instead, you are likely to give up and overeat, believing that your diet is a complete failure.
Negative body image
If you are trying to change the size and shape of the body, you may be unhappy with how it looks in its current state. Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve your health or appearance. But if your body image is too negative, it can interfere with the weight loss process.
Researchers have shown that dissatisfaction with one's body is more common in obese people than in people with normal weight.
For some people, a negative body image is associated with self-esteem. They may think that their value is determined by the body, shape, size, or the food they eat. This can interfere with success when you are trying to develop healthy eating habits or trying to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
In addition, a negative body image is associated with unhealthy diet and other problems. Those who have agonizing concerns about weight and shape may also experience embarrassment in public, avoidance of activity due to shyness, and an excessive feeling of fullness after eating.
It is unclear whether a negative body image leads to an unhealthy diet or an unhealthy diet leads to a negative body image. We know that our thoughts influence our emotions and behavior. One thing is clear: a feeling of strong dissatisfaction with your body can prevent you from achieving a healthy weight.
Stress
There is a good reason why comfort food got its name. For most people, food is a pleasure. And during times of stress, some people use food as the best way to calm their emotions. While this random strategy is not uncommon for people of all body shapes and sizes, it can create problems if you are trying to lose weight or if eating is your only way to deal with stress.
Overeating can become a chronic mechanism for overcoming life stressors. The strategy may be more common among those who are already overweight.
And the problem is not only overeating. Your food choices will probably change when you feel more restless. Not only do we eat more when we are stressed, but we consume foods that we usually avoid for weight loss or health reasons (foods that usually contain more calories and added sugar).
Finally, when we experience stress, our body produces more cortisol, which can lead to weight gain. Many people who are trying to lose weight, but are under stress, may not notice changes in their weight, which are completely unrelated to their efforts, but rather related to the reaction of our body to stress. Stress can be a big obstacle for people trying to lose weight or become healthier.
Depression
It is unclear whether depression causes weight gain or prevents weight loss, but there is a link. And even among people with normal weight, depression can be problematic because it is related to weight. In some people, depression can also lead to a lack of appetite and weight loss. Feeling overweight increases psychological stress and can lead to depression.
Depression-related symptoms, such as insomnia or fatigue, can make weight loss difficult. And some commonly prescribed antidepressants can also cause weight gain.
Personal or childhood trauma
People who have been subjected to various forms of violence or bullying by peers are also at higher risk of obesity. Those who have experienced emotional trauma may change their eating habits to such an extent that it will affect their weight.
Weight gain can be used as an emotionally protective "solution" for survivors of abuse.
Of course, not every person who has experienced personal or childhood trauma is struggling to maintain a healthy weight.
Tips for overcoming barriers
You may have found that one or more common psychological barriers to weight loss seem familiar to you. It is not unusual that you face numerous obstacles on the way to a healthy weight. But these obstacles should not interfere with your success.
Each of the tips and suggestions below can eliminate several barriers. These suggestions are also healthy strategies for lifelong health that carry no side effects and are almost all completely free. Consider trying one or more of these solutions.
Keep a journal or diary
Avoiding stress is not always possible. But you can identify stress triggers and do your best to avoid certain situations or people that undermine your success. Logging can be useful in this process. In fact, keeping a diary can double your weight loss results.
There are different ways to use the log. For example, you can just keep a food diary. But you can also use it to write down your thoughts to try to identify stress triggers. Use the log to keep track of any situations or products that may cause you irritation.
Do you overeat or eat junk food when you are in certain conditions or near certain people? Can you identify situations that make you feel out of control and in need of comfort?
A diary can help you identify these circumstances so that you can limit your exposure or avoid them completely.
Make small changes
If the all-or-nothing principle prevents you from sticking to a meal plan, consider taking small steps and setting short-term goals. First, identify one specific healthy change that is reasonable and achievable.
Perhaps you can walk 15 minutes every day after dinner. Set a goal to focus on this goal for a week. If you keep a diary, take notes every day about the different ways you have succeeded in achieving this goal. And give yourself credit. Remember that it is better to take a small step than not to take any steps at all.
Doing individual small steps can also help you avoid making too many changes at the same time. If we do too much at once and then lose motivation, it can easily overload you. On the other hand, if you can make a small change with success, you will feel a sense of accomplishment, which will then serve as motivation to continue.
Remind yourself that perfection is not a goal, and any attempt to push yourself in the right direction is progress that you should be proud of.
Listen to the inner voice
Do you pay attention to the messages you send yourself during the day? These obsessive thoughts can become an obstacle to success in losing weight.
Those who are prone to a negative lifestyle may repeat negative messages about their body throughout the day. Phrases like "I'm so fat" or "I'm so out of shape," spoken out loud or in your mind, can undermine your ability to take a healthy step when the opportunity presents itself.
Talking to yourself is another way to use all-or-nothing thinking. For example, you may find yourself blaming yourself for achieving unreasonably high standards or goals that you set for yourself.
Take a week or two to listen to your inner voice. Identify one or two messages that may contribute to the formation of a negative image of yourself, and write them down. Then you can challenge them or replace those messages with a powerful phrase. Phrases like "my body is strong," "I have enough," or "I've come a long way" are phrases that are commonly used to boost self—confidence.
Learn relaxation techniques
If you can't avoid people or places that cause stress, relaxation techniques can be a healthy alternative to managing emotions during stressful periods.
Give preference to sleep
There is a link between sleep habits and stress, depression and unhealthy eating behavior. So, one of the easiest and most relaxing steps you can take to overcome psychological barriers is to change your bedtime habits.
Make your bedroom a place just for sleeping. Remove the electronics (TV, computer, cell phone charger) and do everything possible to reduce the noise. Get blackout curtains or buy an inexpensive sleep mask to feel complete darkness at night. Some people also lower the room temperature to ensure a restful sleep.
Try to go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.
Don't be afraid to ask for help
There are many experts who are specially trained to cope with depression, past traumas and other problems that can stand in the way of success in losing weight. You can find a behavioral health specialist who has experience in treating the underlying emotional causes of overeating and weight gain.
Your attending physician can give you a referral. If not, there are other ways to find a therapist.
Result
If you are unsuccessfully trying to lose weight, any of these psychological barriers to weight loss may be to blame. It is also possible that your body is already at a healthy weight and weight loss is not necessary. This way you can evaluate why you think weight loss is necessary.
If you feel that weight loss is justified, use the psychology of weight loss for yourself, not against yourself. Think about why your block or "wall" is standing still, and then take steps to get the help you need to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
