Getting your weight under control is one of the most common struggles these days. There are hundreds of books published, armies of nutritionists trying to get us on the right path, miles, and miles of treadmills waiting to torture us. Everybody is talking about it, so you would think the problem should have been solved by now. Then why is it that we still find it so hard to lose weight? Why do we struggle if it’s supposed to be simple? Is it because we are overthinking it?
We Have the Information
Many years ago, people had the excuse of not having all the information they needed right under their noses. Not that the data didn’t exist; it just wasn’t one click away. So they dealt with it however they could. Because we didn’t invent this struggle, it goes way back. Overweight people and professionals dealing with it have been around for ages. And in time, they have discovered many helpful things to help us stay fit. So it should be easier for us, especially since now that knowledge is all over the internet. And yet we still don’t get it right.
In fact, it’s getting worse. Each year, more and more people become overweight. It’s a global issue, but the figures for the US are very concerning. According to CDC, ‘From 1999–2000 through 2017–2018, the prevalence of obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4%, and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%’.
It’s obviously getting worse. And we’re not talking about a few extra pounds that mess with your look. No, it’s the kind of weight that affects your health. It seems that the more we learn about what it takes to stay healthy, the more we ignore it and go the other way. Why is that? Nobody wants to be sick or out of breath after a few sets of stairs. And yet it happens, so what’s the explanation? Is it our busy life? Is it stress?
Stress is a factor, but I think part of the problem comes from the overflow of information. There is so much of it, and we don’t have the time, the patience or the knowledge to filter it. So instead of focusing on the right path, we wander away.
There Are Two Types of Overthinking
Does overthinking affect weight loss? There are two answers to this question. If you overthink things in general and have a stressful life, your eating habits are likely to be affected. You can either lose appetite or turn to stress eating, depending on the situation. But there is another aspect to consider, and that is overthinking the way to diet. You want to lose weight, but instead of taking the obviously healthy and safe path, you search for alternatives and weight loss tips. That’s how so many diets and weight loss programs have become popular.
Stress and weight issues
We are the victims of our emotions; that’s a fact. Stress is one of the biggest health problems today, and it is spreading like crazy. And despite having so many methods to keep it under control, it still wins so many times. Why? Because it doesn’t fight clean.
You can have certain control over your schedule, your budget, your family life, but your mind is not that easy to keep under control. That’s partly because your hormones have a big word to say in all this. And as it turns out, hormonal imbalance is a real and frequent problem. Dopamine and serotonin are having their way with us, and we don’t even realize.
But who has the time to find out all about that? Oh, wait, that’s right, many of us do! We google all about weight loss, diets, serious or even crazy ways to drop a few pounds. With all that busy schedule, we still find the time to peek at our phones and bookmark a few pages for future action, which takes me to the next issue.
Overthinking how to lose weight
I don’t like to generalize things, but in this case, I think it’s safe to say many of us do this. Don’t get me wrong, I do it too! I am the queen of researching diets. I have tried so many things over the years, it’s crazy.
That makes me wonder about myself and my logic. Why do I do that? I’m a reasonable person, I understand that eating healthy and exercising is the right way to lose weight. I know it’s just a matter of burning more calories than I eat. So why do I look for alternatives?
Why do we overthink losing weight? Well, because it’s human nature. We tend to think we know what’s best for us. And when it comes to diets, we tend to start a quest for the one that fits us. And we seem to think we are the only ones who can be the judge of that. On some level, it’s true. Just because something worked for you doesn’t mean it’s going to work for me. However, some facts are generally valid.
We overthink weight loss and search for alternatives because it’s so damn hard. You eat right, and you exercise for a while, and the result may not be as impressive as you expected. And even though if you push through it will obviously get better, you don’t. Your mind starts poking you to look for a different way. We look for shortcuts because it sucks to eat healthy all the time. Or because we don’t realize we were actually doing it wrong.
And, let’s be honest, sometimes we overthink it because it’s fun. It’s fun to browse the net looking for an exciting diet that promises a significant and rapid weight loss. What if it works? Just for a few pounds, those first awful pounds, and then I’ll eat healthy food, I promise! Sounds familiar?
My Point?
I’m not saying overthinking weight loss is a good thing. I really don’t want to do it myself. My point is it happens, and we need to be honest about it. And take it one step at a time, trying to slow it down. Because when it comes to losing weight, things are not that simple. Nobody wants to get fat. But life gets in the way. You get caught up in more important parts and then wake up with an extra weight that you just can’t lose. At least not as fast as you would like. It’s a hard and annoying struggle that gets even worse when you see others succeeding.
Yes, we overthink weight loss. And even if it’s not a good strategy, we should cut ourselves some slack. So I’ve tried a dozen diets before concluding that I need to start eating right, who hasn’t? The important thing is to find a way to adjust this healthy lifestyle to a level I can actually stick to.
If I can’t stand broccoli, for instance, forget about it! There are many other healthy and tasty things I can eat. I knew it before, I just got used to cutting corners and trying to cheat. And I stayed on that path because it worked for a while. And now, it’s time to apply those filters and choose wisely. There are many good pieces of advice out there; we just need to learn how to detect them.
Written by Mia Davis