Can’t get below a certain weight? Struggling and just can’t lose the last 2-5 kg? Do you know why it’s hard to lose them?
It’s because you’re possibly not supposed to.
Those extra 2-10 pounds (that weight where your body naturally wants to be) that’s where your body functions at its best.
That’s where your hormones are balanced, your body is strong and your mood is stable. It’s the weight where you fall asleep easily, you have boundless energy and your mind is free to think about things other than macros, calories or reps at the gym.
But because society and your Instagram feed have programmed you to think that’s how you ‘should’ look, you torture yourself to lose those last few pounds.
If it feels like your body is fighting against you when you try to lose those last few kilograms, it’s because of your body IS fighting against you.
In a calorie deficit but not losing weight? Here’s why.
When your weight drops below where it’s meant to be, your body will fight back.
The deprivation will trigger a binge and suck you into the emotional eating cycle. Your ‘dedication’ will turn into fixation and obsession – and you’ll become controlled by thoughts of food. And your metabolism will slow – so you’ll need to eat even less and train even harder to maintain your dream weight.
That’s why you’re not losing weight, no matter how hard you try.
This used to be me. When I was a dieter, I used to punish myself to try and look better in a bikini. I used to wonder why I keep gaining weight even though I don’t eat much. I caught myself having thoughts like “I’m scared to eat because of weight gain”. I was OBSESSED with finding a way how to lose the last 2 kg.
It made everything harder… But not anymore.
Can’t lose weight no matter what? I’ve got something for you.
If this is a battle you’re currently fighting, please listen to this episode of my podcast No Wellness Wankery.
I explain why we constantly feel like we need to lose a few more kilos, why it’s so bloody hard to get to our ‘goal weight’ and…surprise…why you might already be there.
Losing the last 5kg used to be one of my biggest ambitions. Here’s what I do now.
I like to go out for dinner with friends and family. And order what I want. And get a glass of wine. That’s not something I’m willing to give up to look perfect in a bikini (whatever that means!).
When you push your body to lose those last few stubborn pounds, you’re giving up more than just calories.
You miss out on life.
You miss out on seeing friends. “That sounds great!” becomes “I’m sorry, I can’t come… I need to lose weight”
You pay with your freedom, your spontaneity… the simple pleasures in life.
You give up:
- Sharing laughs with your friends over a cheeseboard
- Falling asleep easily, feeling satiated, happy, and full
- Licking the bowl after you’ve baked your best friend a birthday cake
- Eating your favourite dessert because you wanted to treat yourself
- Going to a restaurant and ordering what you want – never googling the menu beforehand
- Catching up with your best friend for dinner (because you aren’t willing to miss a workout)
Those last 2-10 pounds are your favourite holidays and unforgettable memories.
How to change your relationship with food
These days, I won’t give up the simple pleasures in life just to look good in a bikini. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been, and this is what my body looks like naturally. And I’m happy with that.
I won’t ever be a model. I will never have the ‘best’ body at the beach. But I go to sleep happy with myself (without any guilt about what I ate that day) and my thoughts aren’t dictated by what I’m ‘allowed’ to eat or my hips bones.
My body doesn’t look perfect but it’s perfect as it is.
But it’s important to note that my relationship with food didn’t change dramatically overnight. Learning how to eat intuitively felt like running a marathon at times, but it was worth it. The changes were gradual – but long-lasting. I learned how to stop binge eating and learned to listen to my body instead of diet noise. I ended up losing 20kg but this turned out to be just an added bonus. Now I have so much more head space to think of things other than food.
If you want to hear more about intuitive eating, you might like to read this blog post.
To the person who can’t lose those last few pounds, consider this:
1. You are already at the perfect weight for your body, where it functions at its best, its healthiest, its strongest.
2. Looking good in a bikini does not mean you are healthy. Most people don’t naturally have a bikini body or abs when they are at their healthiest weight. Unfollow ‘wellness’ accounts that share bikini and ab shots and call it health and balance. Appreciate how many sacrifices have really been made…
3. When your life revolves around food and what you look like, your life and potential are limited. If you want to be successful, if you want to be great (admired, appreciated, respected), you need your brainpower. When you starve your body, you can’t think straight. Your thoughts are taken up by what you’re ‘allowed’ to eat. When you restrict, you can never be your best.
4. Accepting your body does not mean you’re giving up on yourself. It does not mean accepting that this is the best you’ll ever look. Accepting your body is about knowing that you are enough as you are. It is confidence in your innate worth and beauty. And confidence, not your weight, is truly what makes you beautiful.
Scrap the idea of losing the last 2 kg. Your life doesn’t have to revolve around food.
If you’re sick of feeling guilty when you eat, check out my app Back to Basics. It’ll teach you a balanced mindset around food so you can be healthy without dieting. Because it’s not worth sacrificing 95% of your life to weigh 5% less.
And if you’re still obsessing over how to lose the last 2 kg and want more support with step-by-step guidance to help you feel in control around food again, check out my FREE 5-Day Course. It’ll teach all the strategies I used when I learned to stop binge eating. Click HERE to get started.
