Why Losing Weight Feels So Hard

Sometimes losing weight feels like a breeze, while other times you’re standing on the scales internally screaming. So why is losing weight so hard

Losing weight should be easy: eat less, move more and job’s a good ‘un. Right? Right

If it was easy, we’d all do it once, keep the weight off and the diet industry would go bust. But we all know it’s not quite as simple as that, and there is a seemingly endless list of reasons why it’s hard

When the scales stall and you feel like you’re not making any progress, don’t blame yourself. We all experience those moments where you just want to throw in the towel. So why is it so hard, when it should be so easy

Your diet

You know the basics of eating well, we all do. Eat more veggies, cut down on booze and give the sharing size blocks of Dairy Milk a rest. But we tend to get bogged down in the details or we buy into passing fads that have you subsisting on a diet of minuscule portions

As well as sticking to a calorie deficit, that’s when you take in fewer calories than you burn, you’ve got to make sure you’re keeping yourself satisfied. You really don’t need to go hungry to lose weight

That means eating more protein and fibre, both of which help you feel full and make it less likely that you’ll be raiding the kitchen cupboards in between meals

Finding what works for you

We’re often asked which diet is the best for weight loss, and our answer is always the same. The best diet is the one you can stick to. There are a million and one different diets on the market and they all more or less boil down to the same thing: taking in fewer calories

Sometimes weight loss can feel hard when you’re trying to stick to something that just doesn’t work for you

Let’s say you’re following a no-carb diet. Lots of people have lost weight following it, so you decide to give it a go. You cut out bread and the weight starts falling off you, which is great. Except that sooner or later you find yourself craving bread, so you give in and have some toast, which tastes like heaven

In an ideal world, you’d stop there and get back to it, but now you feel like you’ve ‘failed’, and you say screw it and eat unhealthily for the rest of the day because you’ve already messed things up. Then the day turns into a week, which turns into a month, and you’re heavier than you were when you started the diet. This time, you say I’ll be better at the no-carb diet, and I absolutely will not give in. But we all know how that is going to go

It turns into a vicious cycle that is extremely difficult to break free from. As well as making you feel rubbish, if something doesn’t fit with how you like to eat, you’re never going to make the permanent lifestyle changes you need to successfully lose weight, because why would you. You’re fighting against yourself, and it sucks

Think about what you like and what you don’t. If you like eating out, a ‘clean’ eating diet isn’t going to make you feel good. If you’re a bread fiend, cutting out carbs isn’t going to fly

Weight loss doesn’t have to be all or nothing, and even foods you might label as ‘bad’ can have a place in a healthy diet that helps you lose weight. Far better to occasionally indulge in your love of Twixes in an otherwise balanced diet than to restrict yourself and end up binging on a multipack, triggering several weeks of excessive eating

Your environment

Losing weight can feel hard if you’re subconsciously putting barriers in the way. You can’t just expect yourself to suddenly start doing hard things like cooking healthy meals or snacking on fruit if you don’t make it easy for yourself. That means planning out your meals and making time to shop and cook, or keeping the chocolate hidden away in the cupboard while you put the fruit on display in easy reach

If you’re one of those people who hate the thought of going to the gym but end up enjoying it once you’re there, keep your gym kit packed by the front door so you don’t have to root through your wardrobe to find it

If you know you can’t be trusted with chocolate in the house, don’t buy it, at least for a few months while you work on your willpower. If family members buy things that you don’t want to be tempted by, keep your own box of low-cal snacks that makes it easy to choose something while they enjoy theirs

You want to set your environment up to make it extremely easy to stick to your new healthy habits

Your expectations

One of the biggest reasons weight loss feels hard is because we expect too much, too soon. We see dramatic transformations online and start thinking that if we’re not dropping a stone a month, we’re failing. But real, sustainable weight loss doesn’t look like that. It’s slow, steady and full of ups and downs

Remember, the scales don’t tell the full story. Some weeks you might not see a change in weight, but your clothes fit better, or you’ve got more energy, or you’re sleeping better. Those are wins too. Focus on progress, not perfection. You’re playing the long game, and that’s how you win

Support systems

It really, really helps if you’ve got supportive, positive people in your life. Hopefully being part of MAN v FAT means you’ve found this in your teammates

The people we surround ourselves with influence us hugely. We’re not saying you need to hang out only with people who are also losing weight, but it helps if friends and family understand why it’s important to you

If your friends and family aren’t supportive, or if they don’t really understand, it can feel hard to keep up with your healthier eating habits. You may feel pressured into joining them for an all-you-can-eat buffet, or a boozy night at the pub, and while you should absolutely enjoy yourself while you’re losing weight, stuff like this can test you to your limits

Your mental state

Perhaps the biggest challenge of them all when it comes to weight loss is your mind. Weight loss is much more of a mental battle than a physical battle, and it can feel impossible to overcome negative thinking or unhealthy habits that you’ve been doing for years

The first thing you need to understand is that you can do it, even if it feels hard. Feeling like weight loss is impossible is a natural reaction to struggling with it, especially if you see what looks like easy, quick success stories on social media and compare yourself to them

Try to stop being so hard on yourself. It takes time to see progress. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Taking it slowly should ease the pressure you feel. One thing that helps to remember when you think losing weight will take too long is that the time is going to pass anyway

Other things that can help you work through a negative mindset is writing things down. Keeping a journal sounds twee, but it can really help to get things out. Similarly, talking to a supportive friend can help, especially if they’re good at bigging you up

Think about the way you talk to yourself too. What’s your inner voice saying? If you tell yourself you’re a fat, lazy, good-for-nothing punk regularly then is it any wonder you believe it? Showing yourself a little compassion can go a long way

Your habits

Weight loss isn’t about massive overhauls. It’s about tiny decisions you make every day that add up over time. Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat or can’t do, try adding small positive actions

Swap one takeaway a week for a home-cooked version. Add an extra 10-minute walk after dinner. Go to bed half an hour earlier. These small wins build momentum, and before you know it, they become part of your routine

You don’t have to change everything overnight. You just have to keep showing up and doing a bit better than yesterday

You’re not broken

If you’ve lost weight before and put it back on, or if you’ve started and stopped a hundred times, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means you’re human. Your body and brain are designed to fight against weight loss, so if it feels tough, that’s not a character flaw. That’s biology

The fact that you’re still trying says everything about your resilience. Be proud of that

Keep going – you’ve got this

Losing weight isn’t easy, but it is possible. Every bloke who’s ever stood on the scales and felt frustrated has been exactly where you are. The key is to keep going, keep learning and keep backing yourself

This week, focus on one thing you can control, whether that’s planning your meals, hitting your step goal or simply talking to a mate about how you’re feeling

Remember, you’re not doing this alone. Your MAN v FAT teammates and community are all rooting for you. Stick with it, celebrate the small wins and keep putting one foot in front of the other. That’s how real change happens