Weight Control: Losing the Same Weight Over and Over
How do I stop losing the same weight over and over again and just keep it off? I can’t get to my goal weight because I start eating too much as soon as it looks like I am getting even close to my goal.
That’s a question I often get asked - “How do I lose weight permanently”. Many people manage to lose weight but so few keep it off.
There may be a number of factors working against you here, separately or in combination.
- There is the feeling of deprivation after “being good” for so long and the feeling that you deserve a reward
- Boredom with whatever diet you have chosen
- Rebellion against rules (even though they are self-imposed)
- Seeing a diet as a temporary measure needed to reach a target weight rather than a lifestyle change
- Self-sabotage where a person finds it a bit uncomfortable to experience the attention being more attractive brings.
- Just slipping back into what you are comfortable with - your habits, how you look etc
It’s no wonder that more than 95% of dieters fail to keep off the weight they worked so hard to lose - you’re in good company.
To become one of the few who succeed, you need to
- Choose changes to your eating and exercise habits which are you happy to live with forever. This generally means making small changes and getting used to them one at a time.
- See weight control as a lifetime project not as a one-off goal
- Continue to monitor your weight weekly (or even daily) and take action if you see you are slipping
- Don’t set rules - make choices based on your own best (long-term) interests
- Allow yourself to get comfortable with changes by going slowly and work on improving your confidence at the same time as you improve your shape
