Wellness Wednesday: Why Weight Loss Is Harder For Some Than Others
Losing weight is a challenging and often frustrating journey for many people, and it's not as simple as just "eat less and move more." There are complex psychological, biological, and behavioral factors that make the process difficult—often more difficult for some than for others.
Understanding why weight loss can be challenging, learning how to set realistic expectations, and adopting the right mindset are essential to long-term success. Let’s dive into these factors and explore how to better approach weight loss in a sustainable way.
The Weight Loss Struggle: It’s More Than Just Willpower
Many people believe that losing weight is a matter of willpower. But in reality, our bodies are biologically wired to resist weight loss, especially rapid weight loss. One study published in Obesity found that when participants dramatically reduced their calorie intake, their metabolism slowed significantly in response. This adaptive thermogenesis is your body’s way of conserving energy, making it harder to lose weight as time goes on, and increasing the risk of weight regain.
Another factor is the hormonal response to weight loss. As you lose weight, the hormone leptin (which signals to your brain that you’re full) decreases, while ghrelin (the hunger hormone) increases, making you feel hungrier even though you’re eating less. This hormonal tug-of-war can make long-term weight loss particularly challenging.
Genetics also plays a role, determining how your body stores fat, your resting metabolism, and even how much you enjoy exercise. Research from the New England Journal of Medicine found that people with certain genetic markers were more predisposed to obesity, making weight loss more difficult.
Mindset and Weight Loss: How Beliefs Shape Outcomes
Psychology and mindset are central to the weight loss journey. Our beliefs about our bodies and food can often sabotage our efforts before we even begin. In his book Down Size, Ted Spiker highlights the importance of adjusting expectations and reframing the weight loss journey. He emphasizes that one of the biggest obstacles to losing weight is unrealistic expectations. We often want immediate results and feel disheartened when the scale doesn’t reflect the effort we’ve put in.
Spiker’s journey, which is filled with ups and downs, serves as a reminder that weight loss isn’t linear. He stresses that long-term success is about consistency, not perfection. Instead of focusing solely on reaching a “dream weight,” it’s more important to create sustainable habits that you can maintain over time. In other words, don’t expect every day to be perfect; instead, focus on winning most days, understanding that setbacks are part of the process.
Expectations vs. Goals: Setting Yourself Up for Success
One key to successful weight loss is differentiating between expectations and goals. This concept, often discussed in sports psychology, applies to weight loss as well. Patrick Cohn, PhD, explains that people tend to get frustrated when they don’t meet their own unrealistic expectations—like thinking they should lose 10 pounds in a week or eat perfectly at every meal.
Cohn emphasizes that while it’s good to have long-term goals (like reaching a certain weight or fitting into a favorite pair of jeans), it’s even more important to manage your expectations day-to-day. The process is what matters, not perfection. In other words, don’t fixate on the final number on the scale, but rather focus on the small, daily actions that will eventually lead you there, like portion control, meal planning, or sticking to your workout schedule.
Studies support this mindset shift. A 2015 paper in The Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that people who focused on the process of weight loss—like logging their food intake or attending regular exercise sessions—were more successful in achieving long-term results than those who fixated solely on their weight.
Why Losing Weight is Harder for Some Than Others
We all know someone who seems to drop pounds effortlessly while others struggle. Why is it harder for some people to lose weight?
Biology: As mentioned earlier, some people are genetically predisposed to obesity. Research has shown that people with certain variations in the FTO gene are more likely to store fat and feel hungrier after meals.
Psychological Factors: People with emotional eating tendencies or a history of dieting often face greater challenges. The cycle of restriction and binge eating—where individuals restrict their food intake only to overeat later—can lead to weight gain over time. This cycle is mentally exhausting and undermines weight loss efforts.
Environmental Factors: Where you live, your access to healthy foods, and even your work schedule can impact your ability to lose weight. Studies show that people who live in “food deserts,” or areas without easy access to fresh, healthy foods, are more likely to struggle with obesity.
Stress and Sleep: Chronic stress and poor sleep are major factors that can disrupt weight loss efforts. Elevated stress increases cortisol levels, which has been linked to increased appetite and fat storage, particularly around the abdomen (7). Lack of sleep further disrupts metabolism and impairs your body’s ability to regulate hunger hormones, making it harder to stick to your diet.
Setting Realistic Goals and Expectations Based on Your Current Capabilities
Understanding your current capabilities and what you're ready, willing, and able to do is essential for setting realistic weight loss goals. Not everyone can dedicate hours to the gym or stick to a strict diet plan, and that’s okay. It’s important to assess your lifestyle, commitments, and limitations when creating a weight loss strategy.
Ask yourself:
What are your current habits? How can you make small changes to improve them?
What’s realistic for you in terms of exercise and dietary changes?
What are you ready and willing to commit to daily? Weekly?
It’s also important to remember that progress looks different for everyone. For some, weight loss might be slower, while others might lose weight more quickly. In Down Size, Spiker reminds us that it’s crucial to stay patient and give yourself grace. The journey will have peaks and valleys, but the key is to keep moving forward.
The Role of Mindset in Weight Loss: The Importance of Self-Compassion
A healthy mindset is just as important as any diet or exercise plan. Many people set themselves up for failure by approaching weight loss with a punitive mindset—focusing on what they can’t have or beating themselves up for every “mistake.” But as Dr. Art Markman from the University of Texas points out, focusing on negative goals, like what you can’t eat, isn’t sustainable.
Instead, he suggests reframing your weight loss goals in a positive light: rather than thinking about what foods to avoid, focus on adding healthy, nourishing foods to your diet. Instead of concentrating on how many calories you need to burn, focus on the joy of movement and how exercise makes you feel stronger and more energized.
This shift in mindset can help you view weight loss as a positive, life-enhancing process, rather than a struggle. Spiker's Down Size reinforces this point: weight loss is as much about gaining strength, confidence, and health as it is about losing pounds.
Focus on the Journey, Not the Destination
Weight loss is challenging, but with the right mindset, realistic goals, and an understanding of your body’s unique needs, it’s possible to make sustainable progress. It’s not about perfection, rapid results, or even reaching an "ideal" weight—it’s about making lasting changes that work for you.
As Ted Spiker reminds us in Down Size, “Sometimes, the weight loss journey is less about the scale and more about discovering your own strength and resilience along the way.”
