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Best Way To Lose Weight? Is Not What You Think

Not just diet and exercise

Sanux Team

17 Apr 2024 — 2 min read

Photo by Fuu J / Unsplash

The 6 Constructs of Adherence for Weight Loss

Adherence to weight loss is essential across six constructs:

Inspiration: The initial spark.
Motivation: Which fuels daily effort.
Intention: Detailed action plans.
Discipline: Using willpower to adhere to plans.
Habit: Turning repeated actions into automatic behaviours.
Passion: A deep love for lifestyle changes.

Each phase builds upon the previous, transitioning from temporary inspiration to sustainable habits and passion. Boosting each construct involves specific strategies, like setting clear goals, maintaining structured plans, celebrating successes, and engaging with a supportive community, ultimately making healthy behaviours a natural part of daily life.

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Beyond Diet and Exercise

Achieving sustainable weight loss extends beyond simply adhering to a diet and exercise regimen. While these elements are vital, we often focus too heavily on specific diets or particular exercise routines. According to David D. Burns, a psychiatrist who has advanced cognitive behavioural therapy, real change involves overcoming the ambivalence that characterises our approach to weight loss. This ambivalence manifests as a desire to lose weight, countered by resistance to the changes necessary to achieve it.

Understanding Adherence in Weight Loss

Dr. Mike Israetel, a PhD in Sport Physiology, emphasises that long-term success in weight loss depends on adherence, which can be broken down into six constructs: inspiration, motivation, intention, discipline, habit, and passion. Each plays a crucial role at different phases of the weight loss journey. Initially, inspiration may trigger the desire to start dieting, but it is fleeting. Motivation sustains the effort day-to-day, although it too can wane. Setting clear intentions helps translate vague goals into actionable plans. Discipline is required to maintain these efforts when motivation dips. Over time, disciplined actions become habits, which require less mental effort and are crucial for long-term adherence. Ultimately, developing a passion for the lifestyle changes involved in weight loss can fuel adherence to unparalleled levels.

The Role of Passion and Community in Dieting

Cultivating a passion for dieting is a long-term process that involves enjoying the journey—cooking, experimenting with new recipes, and engaging with a supportive community. This passion is not just about loving the food but also about embracing the lifestyle changes as a whole. Sharing experiences and successes with others who are on similar paths can reinforce commitment and make the process more enjoyable. Diet breaks are seen not as failures but as necessary adjustments to prevent burnout and sustain motivation. In this way, passion becomes the driving force behind sustainable weight loss, making the process enjoyable and a natural part of one’s life.

By understanding and nurturing each phase of adherence—from initial inspiration to deep-rooted passion—individuals can achieve lasting weight loss success that goes beyond the temporary gains from strict diets or rigorous exercise programs.