By now, you probably know the DOs and DON’Ts of weight loss, from how you should exercise regularly to how you should be conscious about your diet. You should know all these things if you are in a weight loss program, but knowing them alone may not help in some cases. There are many people out there who really want to lose weight, and despite knowing what to do about it, they still don’t get the results they desire. Why? There are barriers to fat loss that people don’t really pay attention to, and without these barriers being taken care of, the result will always remain the same. Below are two important barriers that you should know about.
1. Mechanical challenges
Pain is the most common mechanical challenge faced by individuals with weight gain, which results from arthritis, back pain or a random injury. This hinders the weight loss process and can reduce how much you exercise or even make you quit. Sleep apnea is another mechanical challenge that can make it difficult for the individual to lose weight.
If you are disturbed by pain in any part of your body, you can visit a physiotherapist to let you know what to do and how to get back to your workouts. Although arthritis can’t be fixed simply with medication or therapy, you can ask people around you to help you with cognitive behavioral therapy that will help you manage the pain and you will still be able to go ahead with your workouts.
For sleep apnea or any other sleep disorders, you can use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to supply a constant and steady air pressure, a hose and a mask to keep your airway open at night.
2. Financial challenges
Staying healthy can be quite expensive and not everyone can afford it. Healthy foods like lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, wild salmon, fresh tuna and so on can get relatively expensive. You may already have so much expenses, let alone the cost for the gym membership, some equipment you’ll have to get for your workouts, weight loss programs to engage in and so on. This is especially difficult for those people with little income.
Thinking of all these and how much you’ll have to work to cover up for them will only give you more reasons to stay unhealthy and live with the risks of being overweight. But there’s a solution to this.
Do you know that you don’t necessarily have to sign up in a gym to get fit? We are in the age of technology and there is lots of information available on the internet that will help you engage in some easy exercises from the comfort of your home without spending much. You only have to be determined, focused and consistent.
You should also learn to prioritize, because sometimes it is really not about having the money but about finding worth in one thing as compared to other things. Some people will rather spend on material things than to spend as much on their health. Your health should come first, before other material things that may still end up perishing. Being overweight opens you to many health risks, and you won’t want your life to be at stake. You can track your income either weekly or monthly, to know how exactly you spend your money and if there’s a way for you to cut out some things and divert the money to your health care.
image courtesy of: jmaxfitness.com.