Posted on September 17, 2021 by Kate Halsall

Here at motive8 North, we help people work towards a wide range of goals with one of the most common being weight loss. Most people have struggled with losing weight at some point in their lives…sometimes people struggle to initiate weight loss and sometimes people struggle to ‘keep it off’. And it’s our job to help solve your weight loss problems and help you achieve your goals!There are hundreds of reasons why you might be struggling to lose weight, here are the FIVE most common that we see:

A lack of accountability

When you’re the only one who knows about your goals, you’re (generally) far less likely to achieve them.

Telling someone about your goals, and being accountable to them, is probably the most powerful driver to achieve your goals.

If you’re accountable you’ll have someone else invested in your journey which will help you stay motivated and achieve your goals.

Not having a plan

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

If you don’t have a CLEAR plan with SPECIFIC tasks to achieve each day, you’ll essentially be guessing your way through things.

One option is to create a plan for yourself, but this (generally) doesn’t end well…ever heard the old adage “the worst plan you can write is the one you write yourself”? Well you have now!

An outside perspective is important when it comes to your programme and someone else will generally see the things you can’t.

Trying too hard

“How to fail: try too hard. How to succeed: try hard enough”

Most people approach their weight loss journey with all the best intentions and with all guns blazing…zero carbs, juice diets, hours of cardio..all things which aren’t sustainable.

For a diet to be SUCCESSFUL, it needs to be SUSTAINABLE. So start as you mean to go on and make the smallest changes possible to have an impact.

Do the basics consistently and you’ll achieve long term & permanent progress.

Only using bodyweight to track progress

Independent of if your body fat has changed, your body weight will fluctuate WILDLY throughout the course of the day and the week. Therefore weighing yourself once per week in the hope that it will tell you if your diet has been successful is crazy.

If you only weight yourself once per week and let that number dictate the success of your fat loss journey, you will inevitably be disappointed and disillusioned.

Weigh yourself by all means, but include other measures such as photos, tape measures, trying on clothes, tracking fitness & strength improvements.

CONFUSION!!

Last but not least…the pure confusion of not knowing who to listen to!

EVERYONE has an opinion one how to lose weight.

Family, friends, personal trainers, Tracy down the street who lost two stone…everyone thinks they know ‘the best way’.

There is no ‘right way’ or ‘best way’…everyone is different and your weight loss journey should reflect that.

In summary – we’re here to help whatever your goal may be. And with the years of experience in the motive8 Team, there’s nothing we can’t help with.