To wonder why people can't lose weight?

[Wishiwasholsk]

Medical conditions aside.

We moan about being fat but it's never enough to really change.

I'm 5 stone overweight and already the NYE goal is gone.

There's a brilliant meme I read once that's says something like

I'd do anything to be thin except eat right and exercise!

I’m doing well on Weight Watchers, almost at my goal after three months.

I think you need to find a plan that suits you and stick to it. WW works for me because I can be strict all week and save my points to eat like a gannet at the weekends.

Because food is a constant that gives pleasure, when your world is full of uncertainty and worry.

What fuzzycustard said.

Some people do lose weight though.

It is difficult because you have to change behaviours which are ingrained.

Don't give up on your NY goal. The second week is tough because reality hits and it us no longer a novelty. Don't go extreme. Just go for gradual loss and a way of eating you can stick to long term

I lose weight really easily, don't have to cut down much and it drops off. And yet still I struggle. Eating is how I celebrate, cheer myself up and deal with boredom. I'm loads better than I was but I'm still not quite there.

Alcohol.. so many empty calories 🙀 I can stick pretty well to a healthy FOOD diet, but alcohol is my downfall

People can lose weight. Some don't want to, some want to but aren't motivated enough, some can't afford to.

Most set out on stupid, restrictive and unhealthy diet plans that were destined to fail. Don't think of it as dieting, don't decide "after x date, I will never eat another piece of chocolate again" because in three days time, you'll be knocking back an entire family sized bar of Galaxy. Our minds crave what we tell it we can't have.

Successful weight loss is about making small sustainable changes over a long period of time e.g week one, have a skinny latte instead of a full fat, creamy wot not with all the sugary extras. Week two, walk further and have a skinny latte, week three - skinny latte, walk further, reduce the daily family size bar of galaxy to one slice a night etc.

Mindset. Changing outlook so food isn't a reward, there is no such thing as on or off the wagon etc.

I have lost a chunk of weight and have kept most of it off (7lb over my ideal at the moment). I haven't quite managed to change my attitude but it's better.

Turning 40 and being concerned about health had more of an impact than what I look like to be honest although what I look like has still been a major motivation.

Boredom, loneliness, hopelessness. Food gives instant comfort.

Because you/we can eat that cake right now and enjoy it right now whereas being slim takes a lot of work and the end is a long way into the future.

Well I've been fat, anorexic, normal to slightly overweight, and now anorexic again.
And it's all the same - using food (or denial of food) as a way to "fix" things. Cure a bad mood. Reward ourselves. Quick energy fix. Not taking enough care of ourselves to make nutritious tasty healthy food and either grabbing a quick fix or not bothering at all.
Its about not looking after ourselves properly. Not feeling that we are worth taking care of properly.

Good tasty nutritious healthy food takes time, effort, and money to prepare - and we need to know we are worth all that. And whether we can afford the time, energy, cost.

As you gain weight your hypothalamus resets and your new higher weight becomes what it aims for. Eat less, lose weight and your own brain unleashes hormonal hell on you to make you gain weight. It's why 95% of people regain any weight lost

Because lots of diets don't work.
Because it's a bloody long, hard slog to change your lifestyle and stick to it.
Because of the way fat and sugar affects the brain .......

Because obesity causes hormonal changes that are tricky to reverse.
You fat makes more hunger hormone (ghrelin) and less satiety hormone so you end up eating more. The more you eat the more insulin you produce and the more fat you put down.

Ideally you need to make less insulin so low carb high fat diets or intermittent fasting are helpful.

It's not down to willpower alone and there is more to it than calories in vs calories out.

Because it’s hard.
Because we have to eat. We can’t jusy cut it out, like we can with booze and cigarettes. And making the right food choices can be hard.
Because we eat when we’re stressed, and angry, and upset. And when we’re happy, and content, and when we’re celebrating.
Because there are so many conflicting messages as to how to lose weight.
Because it takes a long time, and is boring.

I’m 1.5 stone overweight since having DD2... 2.5 years ago. I know how to lose the weight. I’ve lost some, then gained it again. I’m currently 2kg down since new year and will do it this time. But it’s hard.

Habits are are to change.

I have had a revelation. I know I eat too much and choc/cake are my stress food. I'm obese and have dieted all my life.

So I decided to try and cut all sugar/sweetners from my diet for a month (like sugar free farm). Also limited carbs and vitally all processed foods as they have some form of sugar/sweeter. And no snacks if possible, just 3 meals.

It's been revelation. Wk two currently - a couple of cravings but replacing carbs with veg, using olive oil and some cheese has been blissful as I was never allowed these on to her diets.

I'm hoping iv lost weight. I feel great. I'm trying new food to make life interesting and weirdly it's not been too hard (yet).

I had cheeky take way last night (beef and black bean sauce) and I was shocked when it didn't taste nice at all. Really put me off having another - dh said tasted like it always does. I'm not sure if I could have changed my tastes so much in a wk and a bit.

Because, unlike smoking or drugs, you can't cut out food totally from your life. You have to have some.
Not that it's easy to cut out drugs and smoking of course.

Lack of will power. I fail my diets because I can't control my need to just have one biscuit, one piece of chocolate, one more wine.

I lose it too easily. People say eat more but if it was that easy we would all be able to choose our weight.

Paranoidpammy - I'm anorexic and allow myself chocolate, wine, biscuits. Have at least one square of chocolate a day, and one biscuit a day. One glass of wine a week. Just think of it as stretching out the time between biscuits a bit?

Be my buddy and we can crack it together. I too have loads to lose and already have fallen off the wagon.Would be glad of the company.

Because so many of the reasons people are overweight are emotional rather than physical. Food is a comfort and a reward for many not just fuel. When you’ve depended on it to celebrate and commiserate with over the years it’s hard to find something else to replace it with.

Because diets always start tomorrow. If we finally decide they do start today and change habits little by little rather than all at once, we stand a better chance of getting somewhere and keeping it off.

Because your mind has to be in the zone totally and stay that way for months. It's long term torture so you have to really really be in that place.