Science Says Admitting That Weight Loss Sucks Is The Key To Dropping Pounds

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We all know that losing weight in a healthy way (and keeping it off) is no easy feat. Yet, when we set out to tackle these goals, we try to normalize the process as much as possible rather than complain about how hard it is all the time. And research suggests that this tendency is actually hurting our ability to see success in our weight loss attempts.

According to a new study from Drexel University, going into weight loss knowing and accepting that it will be a challenge will motivate you to drop pounds more than a super-positive, can-do attitude will.

The team of psychologists initially set out to explore which weight loss intervention method proved most effective among a group of 262 overweight and obese participants. Over a three-year period, they tested behavior therapy, behavior therapy alongside meal replacements and changing the environment in which the participants eat at home. Due to previously understood limitations of therapy and meal replacements, the team expected the changes in the home food environment to have the most substantial impact on people losing weight, as well as keeping it off.

But researchers also gave participants the following message as they tackled the physical, mental and emotional challenge of swapping foods in their homes: “It’s impressive and encouraging that you are taking this step to improve your weight and health, but we need to help you understand the daunting challenges you’re facing.” They weren’t discouraging them — they were speaking them realistically about the important changes they were trying to make.

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After the three-year study came to an end, the psychologists found that home food environment group lost more weight than the other two intervention groups, but only by a modest amount. The real win was in how their cognitive restraint — or self-control with tempting foods — increased and remained higher for a prolonged period of time in the study. That was not the case with the other groups. It wasn’t a conclusion the researchers were expecting, but it proved to be a pleasant surprise.

According to lead study author Michael Lowe, Ph.D., this finding suggests that the researchers’ discussion about the difficulties of sustaining weight loss may have actually caused the participants in this group to “push back” and increase their dedication to smarter eating habits. Their weight loss numbers might not have been astronomically different from their peers, but the beneficial habits and outlooks they adopted impacted how they felt about the entire process.

There is definitely more research to be done on this interesting association between brutal honesty and self-control in the realm of weight loss. But for now, we’re going to enjoy the validation of being real AF when it comes to these tough goals rather than pretending that our lives are nothing but sunshine and rainbows.