This Is Why Weight Loss Methods Fail
Mar 16, 2024Want to lose weight? Okay, great, here's what you're often told to do:
- Follow this diet plan…
- Stop eating X, Y, and Z…
- You can’t have this, but you can have that…
- Do these workouts…
- Take these supplements…
- Drink these shakes…
If you do this, then you're guaranteed to lose weight! Fantastic, right?
“Yes, I can do this. I’ve got this. Just need to push through and then…”
Or not?
It might seem counterintuitive, but this is precisely why your attempts to lose weight fail.
And it’s not just you; 95% of people who think this is the path to a lean body experience the same.
This approach mirrors exactly what's wrong with the weight loss industry. In this edition, I’ll explain why weight loss programs fail and what you can do differently to succeed — become lean for life.
Expectation vs. Reality
At our gym, 100% of the sign-ups are about losing weight—to varying degrees.
“I want to lose weight,” “I want to fit better in my skin,” “I could definitely lose some,” “I want to lose at least 10 kilograms.”
Weight loss is the most common goal at the gym. At the same time, it’s also the goal that is least often achieved.
There are countless reasons why someone might not be successful in losing weight. There is one reason that, in my experience, stands out sharply:
An unrealistic picture of reality.
Most people have no idea what it takes to successfully lose weight and stay lean.
How do I know? Through the hundreds of intake conversations I’ve had over the past 10 years, where I always ask two questions:
- How long do you think it will take to lose that weight?
- What do you think is necessary to achieve this result?
On average, people need to lose 20-40 pounds. Assuming 20 pounds, what do you think the average person answers to question 1?
3 months, 6 months, one year, one and a half years?
“2 months” is an average answer.
“Losing 10 pounds a month should be doable.” Yeah sure, that’s why you and the majority of people are overweight or obese.
Here's a reality check: If you can consistently lose 1 pound a week, you're doing very well.
That means losing 40 pounds takes 40 weeks. In theory, that is; usually, it takes much longer. Yes, you read that right; longer, not shorter.
The answer to question two is also always typical:
“I need a diet plan, a workout schedule, and really that kick up the backside.”
Sure, people are overweight because they lack a workout schedule, diet plan, and a kick up the backside.
That’s like saying you’re sick because of a lack of paracetamol, cough syrup, and a visit to the doctor.
That would be way too easy; just one minute of Googling and off you go.
Of course, the truth is more nuanced.
Patience is a Virtue
Recently, my mother lamented how "slow" her weight loss was going, despite having to give up a lot. She was losing about 1 pound a week, which she felt was too slow.
For context, my mother is 63 years old and weighs around 139 pounds. Her goal is to stay under 132 pounds, so she decided to take action.
She aims to lose 7 pounds, but the progress isn’t fast enough for her.
She thinks that losing a pound a week is too slow.
To give you an idea: This translates to a calorie deficit of 4000 kilocalories — about twice the total daily intake of an average woman.
In other words, if she ate nothing for 2 out of 7 days and ate at her maintenance level on the other days, she would lose a pound a week.
That’s an excellent result. The average person trying to lose weight would be happy with this. Maybe not at the start, but certainly as they go along.
The funny part, it was my mother who taught me that patience is a virtue.
In most areas, she indeed has patience, except when it comes to losing weight. And she's not the only one.
That's actually strange, and here's why.
On average, people gain 1-2 pounds of fat per year. So, if you're 20 pounds overweight, you've theoretically taken 10-20 years to get there. Of course, you can gain this much faster, but this is the average (I didn’t make this up).
And then we find it "slow" when it takes a week to lose a pound?
Let's apply this example in the realm of finance. Imagine you've had to work for a year to save a certain amount of money, and then you spend it in one week.
Do you consider that slow or fast?
I think my point is clear. But why do people think this way?
You Get What You Want
"Convenience is king," my mother always said.
We want everything fast and easy. Preferably yesterday and without too much effort.
This mentality can make many aspects of life easier, like shopping or doing groceries.
But when applied to weight loss, it can actually backfire.
In summary, people yearn for speed, convenience, and minimal effort.
And if that's what you want, what do you think you'll get?
How about this:
- Diets that promise quick weight loss.
- Pills that promise effortless slimming.
- Shakes that promise easy weight loss.
- Workouts that promise to burn fat quickly.
The internet is full of them. You're bombarded with them on social media.
The fitness industry happily plays into this, with promises of rapid results and weight loss that seems effortless.
"Fantastic, that's what I want too!" Of course, that's what you want, and that's why it's offered to you.
People like to believe what they want to believe.
But beware, there's a crucial difference between what you want and what you need.
And there lies the crux; because what do you really need?
Do you actually know? Let me explain.
Temporary Effort, Lasting Results?
Do you get paid for hours you didn’t work?
Or, if you run a business, do you get paid for services you didn't provide?
Of course not. Everyone understands that. It’s logical.
This logic also applies to weight loss, but oddly enough, people often think the opposite in this area.
Many believe they can achieve lasting results without the corresponding effort.
Sounds illogical, right? It is. But this is often how it goes:
Many people expect temporary behavioral changes to lead to sustainable results:
- "Diet for 6 weeks and my overweight is gone."
- "Take fat burners for 3 months and goodbye pounds."
- "Drink shakes for 90 days and I’ll be slim forever."
- "Go to the gym for half a year and I’ll be in shape."
In other words, a temporary adjustment is expected to bring about permanent changes.
I don’t want to burst your bubble, but that's not how it works.
If the change is temporary, so will be the result.
Free yourself once and for all from this limiting belief.
The harsh reality is: Without sustainable changes in your life, you will never be lean sustainably.
There, it’s been said. If this is the only thing you take away from this article, you’ve already tackled half the problem.
The remaining 50%? Making the decision to actually implement that change.
Great, but how? Read on to discover what you truly need to be permanently lean.
Lifestyle Change? No, Thanks!
Your physical health reflects the choices you make, the actions you take or don't take. After all, every action has consequences.
If you're currently struggling with overweight, that's the direct outcome of your choices. It might sound harsh, but it's the reality.
So, you want to lose weight and stay lean forever? Then you'll need to fundamentally change your lifestyle. This is precisely where many stumble; a change in lifestyle isn't something people eagerly anticipate.
It's crucial to realize that everything with disadvantages also has advantages.
Wait, what? Are there benefits to being overweight?
Absolutely! Here are some examples:
- Choosing the car over the bike.
- Not saying 'no' to food offered to you.
- Always having room for dessert, no matter how full you are.
- No restrictions when eating out.
- Starting weekends with alcohol.
- Choosing Netflix over exercising.
- Constant snacking, even when you're not really hungry.
These are all comfortable habits that people don't like to give up. By 'giving up', I don't mean you can never do these things again, but there are certain things you need to address or reduce structurally.
Just as you can't keep playing tennis with tennis elbow and hope the pain goes away, you can't cling to old habits and expect a different result.
You can lose weight on a diet, but if you fall back into your old patterns afterward, the pounds will come back just as quickly.
Okay, clear. But how do you take the first step towards change?
"I have tried everything, but nothing seems to work."
— Bart Jessen (@Bart_Jessen) March 7, 2024
Do you know what doesn't work when "something doesn't work"?
You.
If you want a different future, you'll have to make different choices.
You'll have to look at yourself in the mirror and take responsibility.
You'll have…
Build a Sustainable Lifestyle
The best advice I can give you is to start at the beginning. The mistake many make is wanting to jump straight to step 7, without paying attention to steps 1 through 6.
Start simply by mapping out where you currently stand:
- What is your weight and waist circumference?
- What is a healthy weight for your height and gender?
- How much do you need to lose to reach a healthy weight?
- Which factors in your life have contributed to your overweight?
The first step is gaining a clear understanding of your current situation. Comprehend what your lifestyle looks like now and identify where the greatest gains can be made.
Next, define your goal, what is currently missing, and what sustainable changes are needed to get there.
Weight loss methods often fail because they focus on quickly shedding fat, without considering how to change sustainably.
Change begins with awareness. You need to be aware of your behavior, especially the habits that lead to overweight.
The key is in sustainably adjusting this behavior into habits that not only help you lose weight but also keep you slim — for the rest of your life.
The aspect of ‘for the rest of your life’ is where 99% of weight loss methods fall short.
Fortunately for you, I have an answer to this.
The Path to Lifelong Leanness
People are obsessed with losing weight, but I don't see weight loss as the ultimate goal. Because what's the point of losing weight if you can't stay lean?
Being sustainably lean, that's the real goal.
That's why I developed the Lasting Lean Life course, specifically designed to help you create a lifestyle that leads to sustainable weight loss.
My solution to overweight? Lasting Lean Life.
Lasting Lean Life is more than an online course. It's a bundle of all my knowledge and experience in health, training, nutrition, and behavior change, gathered over the past 20 years.
I've charted a course from A-Z to a sustainably lean body, just for you.
The course consists of 6 modules, filled with everything you need to be and stay lean. No excessive information, only the essentials.
But without action, knowledge is worthless. That’s why this course is designed not just for learning, but for doing. Every lesson and insight is aimed at supporting you in changing your behavior, in a way that's achievable for you.
Completely online, so accessible wherever and whenever you want, at your own pace.
The only thing standing between you and a lean body is a decision.
