Weight Loss Not Working?

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Let’s call time on weight loss strategies that simply don’t work.

I remember watching broadcaster Louis Theroux accompany a gambler on a night out in Vegas. Having been thousands of dollars up, it was now 4am and he was in debt by the same amount. Whilst he drew out yet more cash, Louis inquired, ‘Are we still having fun?’

Bloody hell Louis, I thought – that’s brave…

You could cut the atmosphere with a knife.

So, as I watch hundreds of beautiful, smart women avoid eating till 12pm or debating how many calories there are in a teabag (true story), I channel my inner-Louis and say:

‘Is this really working?!’

Because all I’m seeing is evidence that it isn’t.

Is Fear Driving Our Need to Lose Weight?

Women are restricting… the amount they eat, when they eat and the foods they eat. But it’s not making them thinner.

Instead it’s making them second guess all their food decisions and feel trapped in familiar cycles.

They’re feeling the pointy finger of blame, and their anxiety is worsening. Their emails to me say:

“I’ve tried hard, nothing’s working…”

“but… I need to lose weight.”

And this need hangs heavy in the air because I believe it is often fuelled by fear – a fear of not feeling in control – of their body size or their health.

And who can blame them for feeling like this? Everyone is telling them they must lose weight, and their body doesn’t seem to have picked up the memo.

So perhaps what we’re asking for is a sense of taking back control – to feel that we can influence our path as we age and to feel good whilst doing so…

Why It’s Time to Stop Focussing on the Scales sand Start Focussing on Health

But let’s just imagine for a minute that we were given permission to be pro-health without the scales dictating that.

Let’s imagine not feeling out of control and anxious, but empowered and anchored.

Let’s imagine feeling successful and not like we’re failing.

What would happen to the fear then?

Might sound like we’re going out on a limb – but in reality there’s a lot of research that says we’re onto something.

I’ll give you the top line:

Taking non-diet approaches is proven to improve:

Our physical health – things like blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels for example.
Our consistent health behaviours – you know – all the thousands of decisions and actions we take every day that are actually helpful for us.
Our psychological health – lower rates of anxiety and depression, higher levels of self-esteem – yes please to that!

Given that I hear stories that tell me that restricting and training harder and harder doesn’t seem to be achieving any of those things, I’m going to keep being brave to say – do it my way instead.