Speaking from experience, I've tried it all...Juice Cleanses, Apple Diets, Green Face Diets, No Carbs, Excessive Cardio, Cutting Sugar. The fact of the matter is, long term NON OF THIS WORKS. Deep down, we ALL know that the principles to losing weight and/or maintaining a healthy weigh, are to train consistently, mix up your training, be honest about what goes in your mouth, and get enough sleep.
But I think there's more to it than that.
I know a lot of people, very smart people, who 1000% understand these principles, and perhaps even follow them most of the time. Yet these people REFUSE to believe they are losing weight or look good (because, let's be honest here, the reason we get up an hour earlier to exercise, or choose a salad over a burger, is WE WANT TO LOOK GOOD NAKED). The problem lies not in their physical body or habits per say, but in their minds.
These are the people who talk themselves out of a pizza, or exercise for 3 hours on the weekend because they didn't exercise during the week (that's not how it works, btw). These people create their own storm of guilt over every little thing they think they do wrong. Every time they chose a burger over a salad, they obsess over it for days. They might even starve themselves for the next 24 hours, to make up for the calories they just consumed (again, that's not how it works). I know it sounds extreme, but I know this happens because I used to be one of these people.
I believe insecurity is one of the main causes for this kind of behaviour. That, along with body dysmorphia (where by the person sees themselves completely differently to how the public views them).
But why could this inhibit weight loss? First of all, it's the extreme acts - starvation followed by binging, being completely sedentary then over-exercising to the point of exhaustion. Combining the two: gyming for 2 hours then going to bed on a completely empty stomach straight after. It's completely inconsistent and doesn't allow the body to become balanced, inhibiting the chance to get stronger, healthier or slimmer. The thing is, these people KNOW deep down that what they're doing isn't right. This plays on their guilty conscience even more. And then it's just a vicious cycle.
Secondly, guilt is fuelled by negative thinking. Studies have shown that negative thoughts increase stress and anxiety, resulting in the release of stress hormones, such as Cortisol and Adrenaline. We already know that in excess, the presence of these hormones can cause the body to go into 'survival mode' and cling on to every last bit of energy it has left. In other words, your body will not allow you to lose weight. More importantly, your immune system will weaken, your blood pressure will increase, and you increase your risk to heart disease and stroke.
So how to obtain inner peace...unfortunately it's not an instant fix or over night improvement. Things like this take time, because altering your psychological well-being is an on-going process. It helps to surround yourself with people who motivate and encourage you. It also helps not to relate every single thing back to weight loss, or think that everything is directed to you and your weight. The less you concentrate and obsess over it, the easier it will happen, I promise! Speaking from experience, the day I stopped trying to 'lose weight' and, instead, started to 'get stronger and healthier' was my turning point. I've come a long way, but don't think for a second I won't keep motivating myself to do better. Self improvement is a wonderful thing, it can be used to great advantage. But pairing it with negative thoughts or setting the bar too high will ultimately lead to defeat.
And to the people out there worrying that they don't look like a Victoria Secret model or Mr. Olympia, you are AWESOME just the way you are. There's always a way to be healthier, but true health does not exist in the absence of HAPPINESS. And remember, at the end of the day life is short, so don't sweat the small stuff and just enjoy it.
Just something to think about...
V x
