What stops you reaching your weight loss goals?

[Lexemes007]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here and have joined for to reasons. One is that I'm on a weight loss journey myself (1 stone down, 1 to go!) and the support here looks amazing. The other is that I am currently doing a counselling qualification and am doing some research on what obstacles get in the way of women when we try to lose weight.

I hope it's OK to ask this... I would really love to hear from anyone here about what's stopped you losing weight in the past. What sorts of things make it harder to resist temptation? Are there elements of a busy life that make it harder to make healthy food choices? What stops you exercising?

I'm interested in external things (lack of time, etc.) but also things that come from inside (like self-limiting beliefs).

Hearing from you will help my studies, but it will also, hopefully, be helpful for all of is to hear what other people experience!

Thanks :-)

[Dearohdeer]

It's literally just a lack of willpower for me. I

[HollyBollyBooBoo]

Lack of willpower I think. I know what to do, what to eat it's just that a salad is so dull compared to a grilled panini with mozzarella!

I also have SO much to lose that the 1lb a week will take me years to actually get anywhere.

I know I need to lose weight but it's just so bloody hard going.

[BlahBlahBlahEtc]

I'm greedy.

and bored.

[OuchLegoHurts]

Having a night out followed by a hangover that can ONLY be cured by junk food

[Lexemes007]

Oh man, I know what you mean re willpower. And yep a salad has nothin' on melted cheese! WHY must the unhealthy things taste so much better than the stuff that's good for us!

[LouiseBrooks]

Self sabotage, lack of willpower and "I'll start tomorrow" syndrome. I get especially annoyed with myself because I've done it in the past and didn't find it that hard but for the last year I just can't seem to get my head around it.

[DarkFloodRises]

My BMI is around 27 so I'm in the overweight category. I would like to lose a stone or two. But part of the problem, for me, is that fundamentally I'm very happy as I am. Lovely DH, amazing DC, a job I love, lots of friends. So it's hard for me to find the motivation to diet. I've lost weight many times in the past but I always put it back on again.

[OwlinaTree]

Lots of people set themselves too strict a diet, then find it too hard to stick to.

[Cherryflamingo]

Beta blockers

[fishonabicycle]

Too strict, not enough good food. Just eating as little as possible is a sure fire way to fail - I used to get so hungry I would then overeat. And the thought of that hunger long-term just made the whole thing totally unsustainable.

[ohforfoxsake]

Succeeding, and still it isn't good enough.

[Millionsmom]

I get bored of the diet. I can thrash it out for about 6 months, then I go nuts eating everything I can.
I KNOW what moderation means, but it's just so BORING! Even the thrill of getting into regular folks clothes doesn't keep the desire to be slim in my head.
A carrot/apple/tiny handful of nuts just doesn't feel as satisfying as a bacon butty.

[stevie69]

Nothing stops me .... because I so desperately do not wish to return from whence I came

[shesnotme]

I find it boring and love wine. Im a stone down, 3.5 to go.

[Pannalash]

Eating

[NotAPuffin]

If there's food in the house I can't resist eating it. If DH is near a shop he can't resist buying junk food.

[DrHarleenFrancesQuinzel]

Food. So much nice food. Counting calories is time consuming and boring. Fruit makes me hungrier than before. Salad is dull. So just food. That stops me losing weight. If I did manage it I dont think Id be any happier TBH.

[StealthNinjaMum]

I just think I am a compulsive eater and my body doesn't know when it's full. If there is food in front of me I eat it - even things I don't like. It's also hard to fit healthy eating and food preparation into my day to day life - so I need to do more meal planning and preparation in advance.

At one point I lost nearly 5 st and I loved that feeling of control and being thin, wearing nice clothes, feeling more energetic chasing DC around. The weight has crept up a little and I have started another diet. I have to be mindful of every mouthful I eat and whether I'm hungry. It's so bloody difficult but I keep hoping one day there'll be a click and my body will just know when it's full without me having to be mindful.

[troodiedoo]

Self sabotage, as others have said. I really think overeating is a form of self harm. One that allows you to get on with everyday life for the most part. That and evolution, we are programmed to eat tasty food and some of us can't turn that switch off for some reason.

[ohforfoxsake]

Absolutely agree Troodie.

[TheGonnagle]

cake

[Freshprincess]

I got to my target weight about 2 years ago but found it hard to maintain. I'm about 6/7 pounds heavier than I would like but in the grand scheme of things that's nothing.
I binge when I'm bored or stressed then get into the 'ah well I might as well eat the whole packet' mindset.
I try not buy crap food, but with teens it's hard.

[Bluepetal1]

I agree with most of the above . I love food , love eating , love cooking . I think of food a lot . But a lot is comfort too it fills a void .
Currently trying to finally change my life regarding food once and for all . So hard

[pigyoinkoinks]

I would love to loose a stone, I had my baby 6 months ago, lost most the weight but the tops of my arms and my face still look chubby... and then I have a bit of a tum!

I think what stops me sticking to healthy eating is the fact the healthy food all seems to be gone after 2-3 days and we're left with lots of junk!

[AceholeRimmer]

Fat, sugary, carby food is just too good. I really believe most of us who are overweight know what we are doing wrong and how to lose weight.. there's all this guidance and advice talking to us as if we are clueless. We aren't, we just like to eat huge portions of calorific food and mountains of chocolate (in my case) We know what to do, we just don't do it.