3 psychological challenges to face when losing weight

Slimming . There are those who set a goal for the summer in order to better wear the bikini. Other people, on the other hand, need to lose weight not for aesthetic reasons, but for health, and we know, it is not always easy …

We look for the most suitable diet, that where the vitamin and nutrient contributions are respected. In addition, we strive to eliminate everything we like so much: sweets, soft drinks, high-fat food, etc., and we force ourselves to do some exercise every day.

Furthermore, many people sometimes face low social support . Likewise, we are in a society that extols an ideal of beauty, but does not value what it costs to achieve it.

For this reason, today we will talk about the psychological problems that we must face when it comes to losing weight.

1. Lack of support from family and friends

“Today I start my weight loss diet,” we often say. It is then that our partners, our parents or friends raise their eyebrows in a gesture of skepticism . Perhaps they have heard you say it on numerous occasions and they have not even realized how many kilos you have lost or how your figure has improved.

It is also common for us to face little respect for our diet . While the others eat a hamburger , you have that healthy salad. This may provoke some ridicule or comment out of place.

However, how can we deal with all this?

• If you are clear about your objective, go for it . It is you who wants to lose weight, not the others. Therefore, establish a protective barrier before which the comments of the rest do not affect you. You want to lose weight and you are going to do it with the greatest possible motivation .

• Apply your diet day by day with optimism . If others see you well, they will respect you. On the other hand, if they perceive your doubts or your suffering, they may end up commenting on “Do you see how you are not able to endure?”, “If you do not have will power …”. In the face of expressions like this, be firm and be clear. Phrases like these, far from helping, hurt. And as such you should say it.

2. Why lose weight “if you have always been chubby …”

Many people have a few extra kilos for genetic reasons . This is also a complicated aspect that we must face.

Sometimes the family  gets used to seeing us like this, they normalize it and do not realize that obesity is a serious health problem.

If we “normalize” those extra kilos at the family level, the meals will continue to be inadequate . In addition, we will maintain life habits that we have seen at home because they seem normal to us. And all this will make us fall into a dangerous vicious circle.

Thus, the day we finally decided to go on a diet to lose weight we found the surprise of our relatives. They may say things like, “For what, if we’ve always been like this?”

• We have to be careful. Never let yourself be influenced by the people around you when you set yourself a purpose, and less, if that goal has to do with your health.

3. Do not get carried away by false ideals of beauty

When it comes to losing weight, many women have those slim bodies in mind that they see in magazines or on television.

We must be aware that behind them, there is sometimes hidden a whole world of falsehood, from aesthetic operations to image retouching using Photoshop . In addition, you should take into account:

• Your body is unique and you must learn to love yourself as you are . This does not mean that you should sit idle in case you are overweight . However, to achieve better results, it is necessary to prioritize reasons based on health and not on appearance, as some studies point out .

One last tip

While we are following a weight loss diet it is vital that we do so with optimism. We must trust ourselves to reduce those extra kilos.

However, we must be aware of other factors. There are people who, while on a diet, feel more negative, are on the defensive and live the process with great suffering .

We must be careful with these psychological factors. We all remember to take care of our diet, but it is important to also monitor  our emotions .

So never look to lose weight by striving for a perfect body. Don’t be obsessed with looking for “that ideal of beauty.” There are genetic factors that we cannot avoid. If you are short, if you have wide hips or a large physique, we will not be able to change it no matter how much effort we make.

It is essential that we assume the shape of our body. So, within that, we must always look for the ideal weight to enjoy good health .

If you have an adequate weight and do not have any health problem, enjoy yourself and your beauty. There is no greater attraction than a happy, smiling and optimistic woman .