Losing weight is hard for many reasons, none more so that the thousands and thousands of years of evolution behind us willing us to eat in order to survive times of famine.
Try though we may, sometimes losing weight just doesn’t happen how we want it to, or it doesn’t happen at all. This can lead us to feel like giving up and we may lack the motivation to continue. But, help is at hand! Continue reading to see how you can find help to lose weight for good.
Learn more about why you are overweight
Understanding why you are overweight is key to knowing how to get going with losing excess weight.
There are many different reasons for weight gain. Commonly, weight gain is due to the environment we are living in as well as genes that influence us.
There are some rare medical conditions and medications that cause weight gain but most of the time, weight gain is simply to do with overeating and leading a sedentary lifestyle.
Your environment
We live in a society that has tempting treats on every corner and it is very difficult to escape them. Foods that are heavily processed are hard to resist and they certainly promote overeating. We also have a more sedentary lifestyle than we would have had in times gone by as well as lots of labour-saving devices.
Your genes
Unfortunately for some, your genes do count for over two-thirds of why people put on weight (the other third being the environment). Overeating has strong genetic components. This doesn’t mean that you will certainly be overweight if your parents are but it is definitely more likely.
Fighting the fat
Losing weight is extremely difficult and requires a lot of will power and motivation. Making the decision to lose weight is the first of many steps in your weight-loss journey. Getting help to lose weight is a really good idea and there is loads of help out there.
Help in the community
Joining a weight-loss club is a great tool that has been used by many people successfully. In Suffolk there are lots of community-based weight loss clubs these include Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Lighter Life and Rosemary Conley clubs.
- Slimming World – they have clubs in many Suffolk towns and cities including Beccles, Brandon, Brantham, Bungay, Bury St Edmonds, Debenhams, East Bergholt, Eye, Felixstowe, Framlingham, Great Cornard, Gunton, Hadleigh, Halesworth, Haverhill, Holly Lodge, Ipswich, Kesgrave, Kirkley Am, Lakenheath, Lavenham, Leiston, Lowestoft, Martlesham Heath, Mildenhall, Needham Market, Newmarket, Oulton, Ravenswood, Saxmundham, Stanton, Stoke Park, Stowmarket, Sudbury, Wickham Market and Woodbridge.
- Weight Watchers (WW) – like Slimming World, WW is a popular weight loss and weight management club. They have locations in Stowmarket, Needham Market, Thurston, Hadleigh, Ipswich, Eye, Diss, Sudbury, Framlingham, Woodbridge, Lawford, Thetford, Colchester, Harwich, Halstead, Felixstowe, Mildenhall, Attleborough, Weeley as well as many more.
- LighterLife – There are four main places in Suffolk with LighterLife counsellors. These are Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Sudbury.
One Life Suffolk
Unique to Suffolk is One Life Suffolk. This is a company specialising in helping people lead healthier lives. They have an Adult Weight Management programme that gives individuals 12 months of free support with weight loss. They give you advice, guidance and tools not only to lose weight but to keep it off forever.
The One Life Suffolk 12-week programme follows a model that takes into account the psychological barriers of losing weight. Part of their success is that you are not told what you can and can’t do. Instead, you are made to understand how your thoughts, feelings and emotions influence your health-related decisions. The programme covers how to lose weight, mindful eating, portion control and nutrition, how to read food labels, activities, emotional eating, stress and sleep, special occasions and eating out, self-worth and setbacks.
Help from a doctor or a dietitian
Doctors and dietitians can help you set up a plan to help you lose weight. A doctor will be able to help you to determine how much you are currently eating and compare it to how much you should be eating in order to lose weight or become healthier. You can get help to create meal plans that take into account your likes, dislikes and preferences. The meal plan will include all the necessary nutrients you need too.
With a doctor or dietitian to help you, you can have a frequently scheduled weight check with a realistic weight-loss goal and timeline.
Summary
Getting help to lose weight allows you to understand why you are overweight, to assess your current lifestyle and to know what setbacks might occur. Planning for weight loss isn’t just about planning a meal plan, it is about planning a lifestyle. You need to have plans in place for all sort of hurdles you could come across. This way, you are more likely to succeed!