Are there psychological traits that distinguish successful dieters from people who lose and regain over and over?
The successful ones monitor themselves and they develop solutions to common problems. They’ve identified what has made them fail before, and they’ve come up with a plan for dealing with those issues. They might go for a walk when they’re stressed, for instance, so they don’t turn to food. Their approach is practical and sustainable long-term.What about the people who feel they are genetically destined to be overweight — can they change? Biology certainly plays a role in body weight. It’s impossible to say how much for each individual person, but it’s very important. That said, how you live your life has an influence on your weight, too. If you choose to walk a lot and avoid big portions of high-calorie foods, you’re not going to gain a lot of weight. The genetic component means that you have to be realistic about your goals. Sometimes people need to do what they can with weight loss, then let it go and accept the reality of their biology. For instance, weight in the hips and thighs is
