“Just eat a salad.”

“Just stop eating fatty foods.”

“Go to the gym.”

That’s what I hear when talking about my health with anyone. We all know that losing weight is hard, no surprise. But keeping the pounds off and understanding why it’s hard to lose is the issue. Being big wasn’t a choice; after the age of 10 is when I began to notice that I was “different” from other girls my age. Losing weight is easier said than done. Diet after diet, exercise after exercise, standing on the scale not budging was my first heartbreak. Losing weight is more difficult than it seems. From how different diets work differently on people, motivation, discipline, busy schedules, diets that are just fraud, and social media.

Social Media

Social media has its pros and cons, but when it comes to weight loss, wanting to lose it, and staying motivated, social media is a big enemy. The spread of misinformation about weight loss, fake tips, fake diets, and many dangerous pills that have been circulating on the internet right now has caused losing weight to become more difficult than ever before. Such as all the posts talking about drinking lemon juice with spices and syrup, or the teas you get at the Asian markets, or taking supplements and pills to not be hungry. Another reason why social media is making weight loss so much more difficult is the negative comments that most see. As well as being made fun of for trying to lose weight. As well as getting hate comments.

TikTok

I’ve had my fair share of negative comments made about my body weight and being called a “Linebacker.” TikTok is a great example of fake tips because of the spread of misinformation. Many Tik Toks about weight loss highlight the importance of pills, fasting, and fraudulent diets.

Instagram

Instagram is also a problem due to edited photos making it seem like healthy bodies are supposed to look like hourglass shapes. Seeing those types of images affected my body image during 2020 when everyone was locked in their houses and had nothing better to do. Scrolling through Tik Tok, I’ve seen many videos talking about fasting, restricting food, and cutting out healthy nutrients from diets, and the comments under those videos support the video and make it seem like many have been able to lose weight by “starving” themselves. But I disagree with those people.

Gym Environment

   There are many stereotypes about people who are overweight who go to the gym right after the New Year, or right before summer and I would say that negatively impacted me and my ability to be confident in going into a gym. Most gyms that I have been to have been nice and made me feel welcome, but others have not so much. The looks and stares that I get as a fat person make me feel like an outsider. If they say “Lose weight, it’s not that hard.” Then why do they make it so much harder when I try to do something about it? That question has gone through my mind hundreds of times over and over the last few years. An example of  being fat-shamed was my social media comments, they would consist of being told diet tips and how exercise would help when I wouldn’t ask for that. I finally realized that maybe all that time, I was being self-conscious in my own body. So when I get those occasional stares when I’m working out at the gym, I think they are probably not paying attention to me, but to themselves.

Different Bodies

Everyone has a different body that works in very different ways. Not everything that affects me as an example will affect another person the same. This is why different bodies can gain or lose weight that can be different compared to others. Losing weight for me is a challenge. My body will lose 20 pounds with exercise and dieting, but one day is all it takes and  7 pounds will magically appear back on the scale. I’ve noticed that the same diets that most doctors recommend to others do not work as well for me. I’ve come to notice that it’s harder for my own body to break down fatty foods because of my recent medical issues of getting my gallbladder taken out. Ever since I had my surgery, losing weight hasn’t been the same. My body is consistently working harder to even digest the fat foods I am used to eating.

Losing weight, or being healthy has nothing to do with fasting and calorie constricting. It’s about putting appropriate foods into your body and knowing what reacts well with you, and eating your food groups.

Busy Schedules

Having a busy schedule affects my ability to work hard and stay motivated to lose weight. The struggle of balancing out my social life, work, and school work are difficult to balance. Choosing whether to do homework or go to the gym to work out. Having to work 2-4 days per week after school takes away the ability to keep a continued schedule of going to the gym. I’ve noticed that when I continuously go to the gym I gain the habit, but now with a changing schedule and having to work, and having tougher classes I haven’t been in that same routine. I struggle with consistency from time to time, but when the seasons change I feel that my emotions change with it. I become lazier during the winter season to spring due to school, and when summer comes around I’m mostly busy trying to have fun till school comes back around in the fall.

Fraudulent Diets

   I’ve tried all the diets in the book. Every diet I tried consisted of the same, calorie constricting, carb elimination, and mostly eating protein. Diets work differently on everyone, some work, and some don’t. The most infamous diets that just didn’t work for me were the Keto diet, taking carbs away, and fasting. There is an illuminating bad vibe around carbs. Many think carbs are horrible because they make you gain weight. But carbs are an important nutrient just like healthy fats and proteins.

Final Point

There is no good reason why losing weight is difficult, but it’s different for everyone. It’s difficult for me because of a lack of motivation, no discipline, and no sense of routine. I think losing weight is easy if you have a passion and set your heart and mind to it. Dr. Friedli, a bariatric specialist touches on this restriction of food and says that restricting calories is unhealthy, that you can eat what you want in moderation, and not to restrict yourself to healthy foods. Losing weight is not a big deal, being unique and different is beautiful and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me just for being bigger, I think there’s a bad image of being bigger. You are beautiful no matter what size you are.