While many people can say they have lost weight over the years almost just as many can relate to going back to the their original size. The question is why does this happen? While many say it is due to a “crashed metabolic rate” or lost muscle the real reason is actually to do with something in your mind that has not changed…. (article continues below video)

Why people do not maintain results is an interesting question as it is significantly harder to lose body fat or weight than it is to maintain it. I have discussed previously how people live within body fat brackets, which refers to a upper and lower limit they will cycle between. When they reach their upper limit of body fat that they find acceptable they are spurred into action to resolve this issue. These body fat brackets vary greatly between people.

For someone to get to the lower end of their bracket they need to follow a plan of action to lose fat for a period of time. For someone to get to a new lower level than their previous bracket they need to continue doing the fat loss plan even when they are at low levels. As most people are driven by pain away from their upper levels it normally means they have little motivation to carry on towards their goal. One way around this is having goal clothes that represents ultimate success.

When people get to their goal, they will often return slowly but surely back towards their original weight. Most people do not go directly back to their original weight but more a very slow creep over time. while many blame biochemical reasons for this (crashed metabolism,lost muscle, body fat set points) the biochemistry is very much second fiddle to the psychology. The main reason you creep back towards where you started is that your brain still sees your upper bracket level as acceptable. It is amazing how many people return to their original weight, not more, not less. It is because the brain says it is still ok to be this size. This means your action plan doesn’t  kick in until once again you are back at your upper limits.

The solution of course is to change your bracket of acceptability. So that you take action when 1-2kg more than where you are and not 10 kg more. To do this is a slow process but can be helped by having clothes that get tight at much lower levels. If the clothes are tight then time to get back on it. So throw away your old clothes or clothes that do not give you direct feedback on your body (loose clothes etc). You need to also shift who you compare yourself to. At a new bracket level you can’t keep comparing yourself against your old size or people you used to use for comparison back then. You also need to change your view of the person who was at the upper levels previously. You need to decide that this is no longer ok as an option for yourself.

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