As the New Year approaches, many people set the goal of losing weight and improving their overall health.
Although this is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, it’s also one that most people tend to abandon within a few months.
That’s because sticking to your weight-loss resolution can be difficult, especially if you don’t have the proper tools in place to help you succeed.
Why Do Weight Loss Resolutions Fail So Often?
Weight loss resolutions are notoriously difficult to stick to for a number of reasons. Many people tend to start with enthusiasm but find it hard to maintain their commitment over time.
Understanding why these common obstacles occur can help you avoid them, making it easier for you to achieve your weight-loss goals.
Lack of planning
One of the key reasons people struggle to stick to their weight loss resolutions is a lack of planning for their health journey.
Losing weight isn’t just about deciding to eat healthier or exercise more. It requires a comprehensive plan that includes setting goals, scheduling workouts, and meal planning.
People often underestimate how much time and effort is required to fit exercise into their schedule or prepare healthy meals. This can lead to frustration and abandonment of their goals.
Without a clear plan, it’s also easy to fall back into your old habits, and you may even gain more weight in the process.
No motivation
Another common challenge is maintaining motivation over time. The initial excitement of having new goals can fade quickly and leave you feeling uninspired to keep going.
Weight loss is also typically a gradual process, and without seeing immediate results, many people feel discouraged and lose their drive to continue.
Motivation can also decrease if you fail to set a realistic goal or your expectations are too high. This can leave you feeling like a failure and may cause you to lose interest in your healthy resolutions.
Lack of support
A lack of support can also have a significant impact on your ability to stick to any weight-loss goal.
Without support from others, the journey can feel lonely and may even become too overwhelming — especially if you’re not seeing immediate results.
People may also be more likely to give up if they feel like they’re going through it alone, as opposed to having support from friends, family or professionals.
One of the most important steps in maintaining your resolution is to set realistic and achievable goals.
Rather than striving for rapid, drastic weight loss, aim for something more practical, like gradual and sustainable changes.
For example, setting a target to lose one to two pounds per week can be more manageable and less daunting than a vague goal of dropping a large amount of weight quickly.