Willpower and Weight Loss: Why You Can’t Lose Weight Without Help

September 23, 2016

You’ve heard the saying in various forms – someone is spouting the equivalent of “just say no” to food to achieve lasting weight loss. Those who can’t say no are often perceived as lacking the will to reduce their calorie intake.

What science knows today about weight loss is that it is a lot more complex than just trying to reduce excess pounds through exercise or pushing yourself away from the table at the moment you feel full.

Weight loss, science has discovered, is not an exact science. And that notion of overeating as a choice, well, that has been debunked, too. After all, if lasting weight loss were simply a matter of just saying no, there’d be no need for fad diets, diet pills, bariatric surgery, or expensive meal plans. But those options exist because even though we want to say no to food, sometimes we just can’t.

Genetics plays a part in weight loss and if you’ve ever seen someone who has lost a lot of weight but somehow doesn’t look right, you know what we’re talking about.

The concept is called the “metabolic set point” theory, which holds that each of us is programmed to a certain weight range, give or take a few pounds and that our metabolism is biologically and genetically automated to stay in that range.

In addition to the set point theory, physical and mental conditions play a role and sometimes do not allow us to just say no. One physical cause, for example, could be a resistance to leptin – a hormone – which can cause obesity. People suffering from depression often use food as comfort and are unable to just say no.

This doesn’t mean we’re powerless to achieve lasting weight loss, it means that we need to do our homework before choosing the weight loss solution that makes the most sense for our personal situation.

The bottom line is that whether we have a condition that interferes with weight loss or just eat too much, most of us need help to shed extra pounds.

That’s where Thinner You shines. In addition to a non-surgical approach to weight loss, each of our weight loss programs provides 12 months of diet and exercise counseling to help you stay on track and teach you the habits that can help you keep the weight off for good.

To schedule your free Thinner You consultation, just complete the form to the right, or call us at (888) 594-6263.