The psychology of weight loss: why is it so hard to get rid of excess weight?

Being overweight is a problem for most women. Perhaps every lady at least once uttered the phrase "It's time to lose weight" in front of the mirror, even if she is overweight. Until recently, pharmaceutical companies and the media actively supported the idea of working yourself into a stick, but this trend is gradually disappearing.  

Many companies involve normal weight girls in their advertising shoots. How to understand if you are overweight? When should you really cut back? And how to do it right? More on this below.

how to lose weight without stress

Overweight: how to find out the norm and whether you need to lose weight

There are several formulas for calculating normal weight:

  • Women: height minus 100. Men: height minus 110. Thus, the permissible body weight of a 175 cm tall woman is 72-75 kg.
  • Lorentz formula. (Height (cm) - 100) - (Height (cm) - 150)/2.
  • Calculation of body mass index: body weight divided by height squared. Example weight 75 kg and height 180: 75/1. 8 1. 8 = 23. 15, which is a normal weight. An index below 20 means underweight, and an index above 30 means overweight.

But you shouldn't just pay attention to weight. Your body shape and the amount of fat tissue should be taken into account. There are many women who are underweight and have visible fat folds on their abdomen. Remember that ladies need to have at least 25 percent body fat to function normally.

Coordinator of psychologist treatment programs

If you have calculated your weight and exceeded 5 kg, then do not immediately start a strict diet. This may be your normal weight as all numbers are approximate. But if it becomes difficult to walk, shortness of breath, and other health problems, then the body weight should be reduced.  

We want to clarify right away that no pills, enemas or magic will help you get in good shape. The only option is to eat well, respect your calorie intake and increase your level of physical activity.

The problem of losing weight would not be so acute if people accepted the above fact and did not believe in quick, magical methods to lose extra pounds.

how to psychologically start losing weight

How to start losing weight psychologically?

From a psychological point of view, many factors influence weight loss:

  • The ability to derive pleasure from food alone.
  • If a woman successfully lost 5 kilograms in 5 days, almost completely giving up most food, then such an experience will introduce her to the awareness that the less you eat, the better. But the body, trying in its own way, constantly demands food, and a person inevitably collapses.
  • Lack of love for yourself and your body.
  • Unconscious benefits that a woman receives from being overweight. For example, you once experienced bullying or even violence. The result is an increase in excess weight, which provides protection against prying male eyes (although excess weight does not guarantee complete safety at all).
  • Eating disorders. This problem is diagnosed in most overweight women who want to lose weight.

Is it possible to lose weight forever?

Losing weight is not as difficult as losing weight as many people think. Is this really true? In fact, 58% of women who lost weight gained it back within a few years of losing it. But often this is the point: after reaching the desired weight, a person relaxes and stops watching the diet.  

To maintain weight, you need to maintain your calorie intake, that's the whole secret. And it is not at all necessary to constantly count calories and weigh food, just limit (not exclude) flour, sweets, fatty foods, eat more vegetables and fruits, enough protein and carbohydrates.

And of course, working with your internal problems and complexes will help you maintain your weight. Psychological weight loss for a woman is self-acceptance and independence from the opinions of others.

unhealthy food

Why do people gain weight: always because of poor nutrition?

Most often, yes, but there are also cases when nutrition has nothing to do with it:

  • Hormonal disorders.
  • I tend to swell.
  • Metabolic failure.
  • Taking certain medications.

10 reasons to lose weight

The TOP 10 reasons why women lose weight:

  • Men like it.
  • Wear any clothes.
  • Easily climb stairs, catch a bus, etc.
  • Have sex without shortness of breath.
  • Improve your health, conceive a baby, etc.
  • Like yourself.
  • Wear nice underwear.
  • Feel free to undress on the beach or in front of your partner.
  • Fits easily in public transport seats.
  • Improve your privacy.

If the weight really bothers you, and there is a lot of it, then losing weight will certainly help to solve the above problems. But if a girl has 1 extra kilo and already considers herself a huge mountain, then you need to solve the problem with self-esteem, otherwise it can lead to anorexia.

before and after weight loss

The most successful weight loss methods

It seems that in search of magic cures for weight loss, mankind has tried everything: pills, herbs, Ayurveda, acupuncture, etc. And if some options are simply useless, some are downright harmful.

Magic tea

Weight loss teas have a diuretic and laxative effect. Thanks to this, the weight decreases by a few kilograms, but quickly returns. In addition, tea removes electrolytes and water from the body, which are necessary for normal functioning.

diet pill

Tablets

Diet pills have different mechanisms of action. Those that are available in any pharmacy without a prescription are usually completely ineffective. The most they can do is remove excess water. The packaging of such drugs often contains a note: it is recommended to reduce doses, avoid sweets, flour and fatty foods, and increase physical activity. Under such circumstances, you can lose weight on your own.

An entirely different type of medication is prescription medication that suppresses appetite or removes excess fat from food through the rectum. These drugs are used in very overweight people only under the supervision of a doctor. And one more thing: these are not magic pills that will allow you to eat tons and lose weight. Medicines require a balanced diet and adherence to caloric intake.

Fat burning products

On the Internet, you can see an impressive list of foods that "help" you burn fat: pineapple, grapefruit, chili peppers, celery, coconut oil, and more. There is no proof, but many people still believe this myth. There is NO product that will speed up fat burning. fat burning.

Low calorie diets

Diets under 1200 calories kill the body. Such weight loss will be fast (up to a certain point), but dangerous:

  • Hormonal imbalance.
  • Stopping menstruation.
  • Hair loss, deterioration of the skin and teeth.
  • Sudden weight loss leads to sagging skin and the appearance of wrinkles.
  • Memory deteriorates.
  • Performance decreases.
  • The body switches to energy-saving mode, so a complete lack of libido and erectile dysfunction in men are possible.

After a while, the body adapts to such savings and stops "selling" excess fat. How does a person who wants to lose weight think? "We still have to reduce the diet. "This is already threatening anorexia, acute nutrient deficiency and exhaustion.

Why do you gain more weight after dieting?

The answer is clear: strict diets force you to attack food with three times the force. Moreover, it is almost impossible to give up your favorite foods again, so the weight will increase again. Diets with strict restrictions are especially dangerous: 1000 calories, protein, no salt, green, etc.

Psychological training for weight loss

The basis of all training is the initiation of positive thinking, the cleansing of all negative attitudes, and the normalization of the emotional background. During the process, a psychologist is always present in the group to help those present relax. A positive psychological attitude very often initiates and accelerates the process of losing weight.

A psychologist's TOP 5 tips for losing weight

  • Decide if you really need to lose weight. It is very likely that you are comfortable with your curves and your desire to lose weight is just a result of public opinion.
  • Set realistic goals for yourself. Healthy weight loss does not cost more than 3, maximum 4 kg per month.
  • Learn to enjoy the process of losing weight: prepare delicious meals for yourself, serve them nicely, buy new sports clothes, look for new recipes for low-calorie meals.
  • Stop weighing yourself every morning and scolding yourself for adding 100 grams. You can weigh yourself once a week, and weight fluctuations are completely natural, especially for women (for example, before menstruation, weight increases due to fluid retention in the tissues).
  • You should love your body, regardless of your weight. Therefore, pamper and delight in your body, do not postpone the purchase of beautiful underwear or clothes "for later".

Anorexia: antimotivation to lose weight

Anorexia is a form of eating disorder in which a woman (girl) simply stops eating because she constantly feels that she is fat. The disease often leads to death, so the disorder must be treated with a psychiatrist. Anorexia occurs in three stages:

  • Dysmorphonic. Criticism of the appearance, caustic comments lead to the first thoughts about losing weight as quickly as possible. A person focuses on his shortcomings and no longer sees his advantages.
  • Anorexic. The lady cuts the portions into microscopic sizes, almost all food is removed from the diet. Eating food causes the person to vomit.
  • It's degraded. The stage of complete exhaustion. Even if a woman weighs 30 kg, she still considers herself fat.
anorexia nervosa

If you have signs of anorexia, see a specialist:

  • Obsessive thoughts about losing weight, your whole life revolves around ways to lose weight.
  • The desire to eat separately from everyone to hide his illness.
  • Excluding almost all foods from the diet includes only salad, kefir and water.
  • Sudden weight loss, deterioration of hair and skin, cessation of the menstrual cycle.
  • Mood swings, depression.

The consequences of radical weight loss without cooperation with a psychologist

In losing weight without psychological work, the most dangerous thing is the development of an eating disorder. In this case, a person either completely excludes food (anorexia), or eats excessively and then causes vomiting (bulimia). These are the most popular types of RPP. In addition, the lack of work on complexes leads to the appearance of a new "deficiency" with which a person will struggle. And so on in a circle.

Psychologist's help in losing weight 

Specialists provide help not only in case of chemical addiction, but also in case of weight loss. First, you need to decide if you are really overweight. If weight loss is really important, then the psychologist uses some methods to work with the subconscious in the program:

  • Actions.
  • Psychophysiological.
  • A game of chance.
  • Art therapy.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy.

And, of course, the specialist first collects the complete medical history: what kind of family the patient grew up in, what kind of relationship he had with his parents, what kind of relationship he has now, and much more.

The sessions take place individually and in groups. You won't get a list of "bad" and "good" foods, but you will learn to control your emotions and distinguish between emotional and physical hunger.