Overweight But Afraid Of Losing Weight

Losing weight requires lifestyle changes that affect people emotionally, physically and socially. If you experience fears about losing weight, focus on determining the cause for your fears first. Then, develop a plan to overcome potential weight-loss obstacles. Learning how to tolerate physical discomfort, adding appropriate social supports or learning new coping strategies may be helpful. Proper preparation increases the likelihood of long-term weight loss success.

Tolerating Physical Discomfort

Perhaps when you envision dieting and weight loss, you picture yourself sacrificing foods that taste good and feeling hungry all the time. According to Judith Beck, many people underestimate their ability to tolerate physical feelings of hunger. People eat a lot in an attempt to avoid distress and discomfort they associate with not feeling full. Just like with other stressors in your life, you can learn to tolerate feeling hungry.

Fear of Failure

Do you feel overwhelmed by the time and energy needed to lose the weight? Maybe you have tried diets in the past and feel embarrassed you gained the weight back. Feelings of discouragement sometimes make people give up without even trying. Attempting to lose weight again may seem pointless, but healthy weight loss takes time. In order to increase the likelihood of success, make sure you are ready to devote yourself to making major lifestyle changes.

Impact on Relationships

Do you wonder how your family or friends would react if you lost weight? According to Lifespan, obese young adults tend to have more overweight partners, friends and family members. For people surrounded by other overweight people, the idea of losing weight means you will be different. If your attitude about food and exercise changes, others may react negatively to your efforts. Find support from people who encourage your weight-loss efforts.

Emotional Issues

Do you tend to eat when you are feeling stressed, angry, sad or bored? Do you worry about how you would handle these emotions without food? Distress triggers emotional eating for many people. Healthier eating habits require tolerating these uncomfortable feelings without food. It can be scary to face these emotions without being able to use your main coping skill. Learning new coping strategies helps improve distress tolerance and reduces emotional eating.