Archive for September, 2011

The One Reason for Failed Weight Loss

September 2, 2011

I’ve written a number of small articles on various aspects of how to lose weight naturally. Now I’d like to just approach it generally. There are many weight loss programs out there. Many of them are very good and work for many people. However, most of the advertisements that I see that show fantastic results include a disclaimer that says that these results are not typical or that results vary. It seems like there are some people that can do any kind of program and get the weight off and keep it off. Then there are some people for whom no program works. Even if they stick to the program faithfully, the weight does not come off or they get very little response. For many people, they can get the weight off, but then the weight gradually comes back. Even expensive and dangerous weight loss surgery often ends with the patient putting the weight back on. When it comes right down to it, there is only one reason why weight loss programs fail. The basic reason that weight programs fail to get the weight off or keep it off is that the underlying causes for the excess weight were not discovered and corrected.

This is a simple statement, but of course the actual solution is seldom simple. Also it’s different for everyone. I sometimes hear about some fantastic weight loss idea that helps many people lose weight. In reality, no one has come up with a simple solution that works for everyone. All valid weight loss programs work for some people, but I haven’t seen one yet that works for every person. That’s because we’re all unique individuals. When someone happens to find the solution that matches up with their particular issues, bingo!, they’re the poster child for that program, telling everyone that “if I can do it, anyone can do it”.

If you’ve never struggled with weight loss, you may be thinking, “just eat less and exercise more, dummy!”. I work with people all the time who eat less, eat better foods and exercise more than most skinny people I know. I have some patients who have stuck faithfully with a variety of weight loss programs only to wind up with disappointment. Frequently there is not any kind of eating disorder and even if there is, there has to be some reason behind it.

I believe that much of the problem, from a psychological standpoint, stems from the workings of the subconscious mind. That’s the part of our mind that is not part of our conscious thoughts, that remembers everything, that doesn’t use logic and reason like the conscious mind, but operates by emotions. Despite your desire to look better, be healthier and your understanding that you really ought to weigh less, your subconscious mind may have a different agenda. It may be operating in survival mode — responding to traces of deep emotions left over from traumas that your psyche has had to deal with, especially from childhood.

I don’t want to get into a lot of what might be the possible issues in this blog. There are many possible reasons for excess weight, both physiological and psychological. The point is that it’s a complex issue for many people. And if they don’t follow that one rule of finding the underlying causes for the excess weight, their efforts to lose weight will generally end in frustration and disappointment, which then adds to their reasons for gaining weight. It’s important to find out WHY your body has put on those extra pounds. If the reasons seem obvious to you, make the necessary changes to get back to a healthy weight. If the changes didn’t work for you and you’re left scratching your head wondering why or if you were unable to get yourself to make the changes, contact me or visit a natural healthcare practitioner in your area who works with finding underlying physical and psychological reasons for excess weight. And always keep in mind, although obesity is a cause of many health problems, it’s also a symptom of what’s going on inside. No matter how badly you need to lose weight, it’s still more of a health problem than a weight problem.