Dr. Cooper's 5 Reasons We Don't Complete Weight loss Programs

                                                              From The "Just WEIGHT on it" Series

                                 In Association With N. Harmony Wellness Functional Medicine Clinic

 
You ever wonder why some people can drop 20 LB in 3 weeks?
 
Why can some people lose inches in all the right areas?
 
How can some people maintain a program for years and see real results?
 
Or
 
Why others are the proverbial “Start and Stop professionals”?
 
Hey, there is no shame in the game!
 
But there is hope in this knowledge; lean in closer friends!
 
I have treated hundreds of people and I have countless associates that are affected by these HARD FACTS.
 
 

These are Dr. Cooper’s 5 Main Reasons That We Don’t Complete Weight Loss Programs
 

Reason 1.

              The program is too painful and hard
 
Reason 2.
               The program is too time-consuming.
 
Reason 3.
               We lack accountability
 
Reason 4.
               We are embarrassed
 
Reason 5.
               We set false expectations
 

TRIGGER WARNING
Don’t forget, I only wrote this blog to set us free lol
 Ok folks let’s get it!
 

Reason 1.
The program is discomforting, painful or simply hard
 
How many of us have started a program with great optimism that deflated quickly under the balloon of excitement? We all know someone who has a new THING every week. For most of us, the reason we needed a new THING is because we weren’t satisfied with the old one. When it comes to lifestyle change. Slow and STEADY wins the race. It is absolutely integral that we adopt that mindset because it is at the crux of all disappointments.
 
Many programs encourage you to burn as many calories as possible; not considering the physical expense of the Diet and/or Exercise. If you only have enough energy to complete the exercise, then you are bound to injure yourself. One of the biggest threats to your program is incompletion. By all good intentions, you want to exercise and diet. If you get physically injured or your caloric defecate harms you, Weight loss will be irrelevant as you're waiting on your body to heal. Imagine having to take off 6 Weeks-3 months for an Achilles strain that came unannounced.
 
If your diet is so restricted that it destroys your social life, turns your stomach, exacerbates your cravings. Then it may be time to reconsider the execution of your goals.
 
My proposal 
I propose that you choose a program that you are comfortable maintaining for intervals as long as 3 months at a time. You should also ask yourself these questions? “If I had to keep up this program for the rest of my Adolescence, my Adulthood or my Seniority, would it be realistic?” Ask a trusted friend, “if I were to do this, do you think i'd complete it with your help?” I know these are radical questions, however what I am preparing you for is lifestyle modification instead of Speed Dating.
 
Andrea Zuellig Phd Says “The more people restrict, the more likely they are to binge. And the more they binge, the weight they put back on”
 
A study from the international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical fitness found that the higher a person's BMI, the higher chance and frequency of exercise programs induce injuries. Don’t overdo it!
 
 
Reason 2.
The program is to time consuming
 
Jenna has been in the gym for 90 Mins 6 Days per week for the first 3 weeks of her program. She spends an extra 2 Hours per day cooking. She spends less time with her kids, her job is suffering and guess what? She has lost a grand total of 1 ½ pounds. Remember this blog is written from a place of concern lol
 
If your program consumes too much time, you are much less likely to choose it alongside your other priorities. And let’s be honest, those other priorities are many!
 
My Proposal
Look at your day, organize your priorities based on who you want to be. You may be surprised how many habits and errands could be dropped. Now that we have ¼ of our day as designated free time, give that free time to Mindfulness, Healthy Social Interaction and yes Diet and Exercise. Next, buy at least a 40 pack of glass tupperware and set your mind on meal prepping 2 days out of the week or subscribe to a whole food meal prepping and shipping company.
Now that you have more time and money, commit yourself and your support system to 4 sessions per week of exercise for 35 mins or 25 min or “dare I say” 15 mins of age, body type and metabolism appropriate exercise.
 
The International Journal of Environmental Health and Public Health found short interval training to be superior for BMI and Waist Circumference Loss.
 
A study from the international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical found that meal planning was associated with healthier diets and less obesity.
 
Reason 3.
Lack of Accountability
 
If you are reading this, I am officially holding you accountable. You see, your friends don’t know that you’ve half-way committed to these lifestyle changes, but Dr. Cooper knows and he’s going to find out if you give up! I’m teasing you a little bit. Some of us fall short because we only have ourselves to answer to. In the business realm we call this a conflict of interest. Some of us fall short because we are only externally motivated by others. Some of us are only motivated if we are seeing immediate, steady or reproducible results.
 
We all have people in our lives who don’t see the value in our steadfastness, who are the first to encourage us to let loose on their terms or those who are frankly uncomfortable with our growth. Don’t pick that person to balance your checkbook or your personal goals! One day you will notice that their inconsistency is crying out to you for affirmation.
 
My Proposal
I believe an effective accountability system is a mix between Internal Motivation and External Motivation. Accountability is a cliffhanger for most of us because we put all of our faith in one or the other. Join a group with similar goals and obstacles and it wouldn’t hurt to be in a group with more success than yours.
 
An up-to-date study reveals that the trick to beneficial accountability is to share calories, weight, inches and exercise activity logs with others. Join a group!
 
 
 
Reason 4.
Lifestyle modification is embarrassing and polarizing
 
Oh, my goodness! Look at her!
She’s always in the gyms. Look at him, he’s always wearing tight clothes now.
I feel like all these people are looking at me struggling in the gym.
Why does my family always tease my choice of food?
You know what? I’m just going to stay on the elliptical today.
As a matter of fact, I’m not going to eat at the family reunion.
Screw it, I'll just work on my own thing at home. Hmmm, I wonder if I can find a YouTube video on working out in bed?
 
These are things I’ve grown accustomed to hearing. Lifestyle modification can be embarrassing and alienating. It can down right put you at odds with your loved one. As for the people you don’t know; let me give you an idea of what they may be thinking. Wow, she looks like she really knows what she is doing. Maybe I’m doing it wrong. Why didn’t I get the memo on the Paleo Diet? I envy you. Most of us deal with a level of insecurity in some area, but the most important security is the one that you develop for yourself. Why? Because it is the only one that will last.
 
My proposal
My recommendation is twofold.
 
Tier 1
Self-Empowerment
You can only develop self-esteem from self. What we develop from others is called affirmation. You will need to go through a stage of appreciation for what you have, who you are and the opportunities that remain in front of you. You will also need to realize that we are all imperfect no matter how good it looks or sounds. Love yourself how you are right now and appreciate the growth that is to come as well.  This process of empowerment is not quick and easy, but it is the most rewarding thing you can do. One more pointer; embrace the small wins. Don’t wait until you have met your goal to celebrate your healthy decisions.
 
Tier 2
If Self-Empowerment does the trick-do this.
If privacy is a major concern for you, may you use public exercise space during the low hours of the day or night. If you are concerned about eating around others, you can adopt the habit of snacking simply at public affairs and reserving your mealtimes outside of these engagements. I do not recommend resisting food around others as this will perpetuate a potential eating disorder.
 
 
 
Reason 5.
We set false expectations
 
Ok, hold my beer!
Have you ever had an expectation that wasn’t met, and it completely obliterated your experience? Here is an example, I am a huge Marvel fan. I love the process of getting ready to take my family to the movies, to relax and be entertained. There was a particular movie I was looking forward to seeing. I watch break down videos of the trailer. I even read background content. I pontificated what the movie would be like. As you can see this problem is going to crash quickly. The experience was terrible, in fact it even put me at odds with the casual moviegoers that accompanied me. I was so disappointed with the movie and guess what? The movie was even that bad. I had a false expectation of the experience and it took a thing that was good, effective, inexpensive and made me perceive a nightmare.
 
That is us when we start programs that don’t communicate this:
 
The most effective, long term weight loss is 1 Pounds per week, if we lose more than 3 pounds per week consistency, then we are likely lose water and potentially lean muscle and holding on to the fat. This is why one person can gain 10 pounds doing the right thing and another person can lose 10 pounds doing the same thing. I advise you to only focus on Loss of Inches for at least the first 3 weeks of consistent modifications.
 
Baldwin Behr of Obesities revealed that individuals in their study that significantly changed their weight loss expectation in a 6-month program under CBT Therapy saw larger long-term reductions in Weight loss.
 
Plateaus are a reality; every person will deal with a period of plateau no matter how high or low their athletic aptitude. Guess what a plateau is a good indicator that you have maximized your current plan. You have succeeded; it’s time to create an updated process to reach the next goal. For some people increasing intensity, rest, a planned cheat day, reassessing current health factors, changing daily routine can help you pass this plateau. Please refer to your Functional Medicine Practitioner to assess which will suit you best.
 
Next, we all share different genealogies, different gut bacteria, different family lifestyle, and yes different metabolism. If you are working a program at full capacity for 2 months and you’re not finding improvements in Energy, Inches, Mood or Sleep you may have another factor that is limiting your results. If so, there is something Dr. Cooper can do that!
 
If you are looking for a healthcare provider who may help you navigate your wellness and holism, reach out to us and we would love to help!

There is plenty we can do to correctly Assess, Diagnose and Treat the root cause of the problem. At N. Harmony Wellness Virtual Clinic, we are fully dedicated to providing holistic solutions to address your unique needs. We are determined to provide more access to comprehensive care with our virtual clinic.

Contact us at the link below
https://www.nharmonywellness.com/appointment

For Dr. Coopers Guide to True Fat loss Read More here
https://www.nharmonywellness.com/blog/311937-guide-to-true-weight-and-fat-loss

Review Us on Google
https://goo.gl/maps/dv9MX2KncCiz1pWK9

Behr, H., Baldwin, M., Ho, A. S., Blanco, P., Mitchell, E. S., McCallum, M., May, C. N., & Michealides, A. (2022). Adjustment of unrealistic weight loss expectations on a mobile CBT-based behavior-change program: Prospective one-armed study. Obesities, 2(3), 292–302. https://doi.org/10.3390/obesities2030024

Domaradzki, J., Cichy, I., Rokita, A., & Popowczak, M. (2020). Effects of tabata training during physical education classes on body composition, aerobic capacity, and anaerobic performance of under-, normal- and overweight adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 876. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030876

Ducrot, P., Méjean, C., Aroumougame, V., Ibanez, G., Allès, B., Kesse-Guyot, E., Hercberg, S., & Péneau, S. (2017). Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body weight status in a large sample of French adults. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0461-7

Janney, C. A., & Jakicic, J. M. (2010). The influence of exercise and BMI on injuries and illnesses in overweight and obese adults: A randomized control trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-1

lamaa, N. (2020, December 18). To be successful at weight loss, new study says, be accountable. The Beet. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://thebeet.com/to-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off-new-study-says-hold-yourself-accountable-with-data/

PHD, A. Z. (2023, January 16). Dieting: The gateway drug to binge eating disorder. HealthPartners Blog. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/dieting-and-binge-eating/