Weight Loss: Sometimes You Just Have to Put a Little Effort In & Stop Looking For The Easy Option

As a Cambridge Hypnotherapist who has worked with people around weight, food and behaviour for over 17 years, there’s one conversation I find myself having again and again:

“I’m exercising, but I’m not losing weight.”

So I ask what exercise they’re doing.

“Walking.”

Great. How far?

“About 30 minutes.”

How fast?

And this is where things sometimes get interesting…

“Just a gentle stroll.”

Now, before anyone sends me an angry email, let’s be clear: walking is good for you. Moving more is absolutely better than sitting on the sofa, and a walk can have benefits for your physical and mental health.

But there is a difference between moving and doing cardio.

If you’re wandering along at a pace where you could comfortably hold a full conversation, barely breathing any harder and wondering what you’re having for dinner, then let’s not pretend you’ve just completed a high-intensity or fat-burning cardio session!

Your body is using energy, of course. You can't lie about that. But if your goal is to improve cardiovascular fitness and significantly increase the amount of energy you use, you need to put a little more effort in. Moderate-intensity exercise generally means your heart rate and breathing noticeably increase: brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing and similar activities can all count.

And here’s the really important bit about weight loss:

Exercise isn't the whole answer.

In fact, what you eat can have a bigger impact on the number of calories you consume. Weight loss ultimately requires an energy deficit, which is simply using more energy than you consume over time.

This is where my role as a hypnotherapist becomes really interesting.

I’m not interested in giving you another miserable diet that you follow for three weeks before eating an entire packet of biscuits as a treat because you’ve “been good.”

The aim is to change your relationship with food.

• Why do you eat when you aren't hungry?

• Why do certain foods feel impossible to resist?

• Why does a stressful day automatically lead to takeaway?

• Why does “I deserve a treat” become three treats?

  
  

And, perhaps most importantly, how can we change those patterns so that eating differently starts to feel normal rather than difficult?

When your relationship with food changes, your calorie intake can change dramatically without feeling like you're constantly fighting yourself. And something else often happens.

Exercise becomes easier!!!

When you’re eating better, feeling lighter, sleeping better and becoming more confident, the idea of doing some proper exercise doesn't seem quite so awful. You might actually start wanting to move. And you don't need to become a marathon runner. You don't need to spend two hours in the gym. However if you're going to exercise, give your body something to work with.

Walk briskly. Cycle. Swim. Lift weights. Dance. Run. Play football. Find something you enjoy, and then put a little effort into it.

Because weight loss isn't about punishing yourself.

It’s about changing the way you think, changing the way you eat, and gradually changing the way you move.

And sometimes, yes…

You just have to walk a little bit faster.

Luke