According to recent statistics, nearly 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese–and that number is expected to grow.
Even more Americans struggle to lose weight as well, citing problems staying on track with their diet.
Now researchers reveal one reason why it’s so hard to lose weight.
According to a new editorial published in the Journal of Health Psychology, researchers say people have trouble losing weight because they don’t take their feelings into consideration–such as their preferences for certain foods, emotional eating habits, or just losing motivation to make weight loss a priority.
Most diets focus on fixing behaviors instead of addressing a person’s feelings.
“There is clearly a disconnect if we have a majority of the population that has tried to lose weight and a majority of the population that is overweight,” says Marc Kiviniemi, a University of Buffalo public health researcher. “People are planning to diet and trying to diet, but that’s not translating into a successful weight loss effort.”
According to researchers, those who make diet plans are guided by their thought process, not their emotions. But when it comes to practicing these behaviors, a person’s feelings come into the mix, influencing what they eat, how stressed out they feel, and how likely they’ll stay on the plan. This can make it difficult to stay on a diet, even if you have a plan in motion.
The key to making diets work, according to researchers, is about making decisions instead that appeal to your feelings.
“Planning is an effort that demands mental energy, but feelings happen automatically,” says Kiviniemi. “Deprivation or anything that demands a high degree of self-control is a cognitive process. If you put yourself in a position to use that energy every time you make a food choice that energy is only going to last so long.”
Instead, Kiviniemi suggests eating foods that are not only healthy but enjoyable as well. So, if you hate fruits but eat them to lose weight, chances are you’ll have trouble maintaining this habit–and relapse as a result. But if you eat foods that you enjoy which also help you lose weight, you’ll have no problem continuing this habit.
This theory applies to physical activity as well–do something you enjoy and you’ll do it consistently.
“Think seriously about how you’re going to implement the plans you make to change your behavior, and that includes not only the feeling component, but how you plan to overcome a negative reaction that might surface during a diet,” says Kiviniemi. “It’s not just the knowledge of what we’re eating, but consideration of how we’ll feel having decided to eat those foods.”
What This Means For You
To lose weight, it isn’t about finding the most effective way to slim down, say researchers. Instead, it’s finding a diet plan that you enjoy the most, especially when it comes to eating healthy foods and getting enough exercise. After all, even the most effective diet won’t work if you don’t practice it.
Readers: What is your favorite diet plan?
Source:
Thoughts Drive Dieting Plans But Feelings Drive Dieting Behavior, Study Finds – ScienceDaily.com
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness!
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.