Why Does It Seem So Much Harder To Lose Weight Than Gain It?

We’ve all experienced the excitement of starting a new diet and exercise plan. The first week goes by and we pat ourselves on the back for implementing our new plan. Then we step on the scale and it says no pounds lost. How disappointing. How frustrating. Now all we can think about is how sore and tired we are from the new exercise routine and how much easier it was before we started changing things. So we give ourselves permission to lay the plan aside for the weekend. Then when the next week starts we don’t ry so hard to keep implementing the new plan and the changes just slip away. So why is is so much harder to lose weight than to gain it?

First we need to think about how long it took us to gain the weight in the first place. Did we gain it overnight? Or did we gradually gain it over a few months or a few years? Since it took a period of time to gain it why do we expect to lose weight overnight? It takes time to develop habits – whether they are unhealthy or healthy. We generally don’t think we gained weight on purpose, but we did make choices along the way that allowed us to gain weight. We need to make new choices to lose it.

That brings us to the second point – how did we gain the weight in the first place. Was it from what we ate – unhealthy food or too much food? Was it because we didn’t exercise enough? There can be a wide variety of causes. Once we have figured out how we gained the weight then we can develop a plan for losing it. We need to remember the importance of time in the plan. Our bodies need time to adjust to a new routine and then respond. We need to consistently follow the new plan to lose weight and reach our goal.

Lastly, we need to set goals based on what is healthy for us individually, not to achieve an unrealistic ideal of the perfect weight. You may be trying to lose weight when you really want to lose inches so your clothes fit better. Or perhaps you just want more energy to get through your day. If you try to lose too much weight for your body you can cause yourself unnecessary frustration or make yourself sick. The most important goal for each of us is to find and maintain a healthy weight.

The paths to weight gain and weight loss share one thing – choices. The choices we make each day about what and how much to eat and to exercise or not exercise will largely determine our weight and overall health. Not making a choice is a choice by default. So it may seem harder to lose weight than to gain it because we have to consciously make the choice every day to stick to our healthy lifestyle plan. Find a couple of buddies to make those healthy choices with and encourage you when you slip.

What do you do to stick to your healthy routine when you are struggling? Would love to hear from you in the comments below or join the conversation on facebook.