We live in an age of information overwhelm, and sometimes it's just far too much!
“I have a theory about the human mind. A brain is a lot like a computer. It will only take so many facts, and then it will go on overload and blow up.” - Erma Bombeck
Did you know that 58.4% of UK women, and over 65% of USA women are overweight or obese? That’s much more than half of our female populations just for these two countries – a pretty staggering statistic, when you consider that extra weight can lead to serious and even life-threatening health problems.
The funny thing is, it’s not like people aren’t trying to lose weight – they are! In fact, I’ll bet that if you’re reading this blog post, you fall into the 58.4% / >65% (I'm sure it'll be similar statistics for many other countries also), and I’ll also bet that you’ve tried again and again to lose the extra weight.
How do I know this? Simple. If I do a search on Amazon.co.uk for “Diet,” I see over 60,000 results for books available on weight loss and 'diet'. If I search Google for the same thing ('diet books' to make it more specific), there are 371,000,000 results – and if I turn on the television or scroll my social media feed, I see mass advertising for weight loss programmes or diet plans like Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Noom, Diet Chef and much more. 'Diet Culture' is literally everywhere! Similarly, our environments do not help as food and food advertising is literally everywhere too, and most of this is ultra-processed produce, but that's a topic for another day.
So, if there’s so much information out there about weight loss... and there’s such a clear desire for weight loss... how come 58.4% of the UK's female population is still overweight?
Simple...Information Overload!
I've had a look around at what people are writing and saying to find out where they needed the most support, thinking most people would have selected healthy recipes, exercise routines they can do at home, and even tips for going out to eat without over-indulging. Admittedly this is often the first request of a first time 'dieter' but as time goes on, this changes as people realise knowledge is often not the key issue.
Overwhelmingly, women especially wanted to know about self-sabotage, with many women being frustrated because they’re not following through on their own goals.
They set a goal, they have good intentions, but when it’s time to hit the pavement and take action, they’re stopped. They feel helpless when it comes to their ability to change their lifestyles. I know exactly what this feels like.
It can feel so scary. You start distrusting yourself, you start second-guessing your goals and wondering what’s wrong with you that you can’t stick to a plan.
Here’s why this is happening: you’re suffering from analysis paralysis, aka, Information Overload!
I bet you have pretty much all the information you need – in fact, you have wayyyyy more information than you need – and it’s stopping you in your tracks;
Which diet is really the best?
Is cabbage in or out this year?
Is Keto the answer to all my problems?
Should I do Cross-Fit? Run? Swim? Go to the fancy barre studio down the street?
Do I need a 'diet pill'?
There are so many choices that you choose to... not decide!
Get Out of the Limbo Land
There's a famous quote by Jim Rohn:
You cannot make progress without making decisions.
It reminds me of Cinderella’s famous lyrics in the musical "Into the Woods". As she’s leaving the ball, she’s trying to figure out if she should stay and let the prince discover who she is, or run away. Here’s her thought process:
“Wait, no, thinking it through, Things don’t have to collide. I know what my decision is, Which is not to decide.”
She chooses not to make a choice! Ultimately, this causes her even more pain because it just delays the inevitable.
Is that you? Have you chosen not to decide? Or have you just accidentally got stuck in a limbo of too many options so you don’t take action because you’re overwhelmed?
You don’t have to stay stuck! In fact, the simple reality that you’re here is a great first step toward your own health and wellbeing. This is why I fell in love with health coaching. This is where we start and what we work through. I can bet you have a really good idea of what a healthy lifestyle looks like, it's the getting there that's the problem. I also provide all of my clients on a 6 week (or more) programme with a booklet called '40 thoughts and behaviours that may sabotage your weight loss' to help you get started.
If this is you then start here! I can support you one-to-one and offer personalised weight-loss coaching suited to you. It really can work! Why not arrange a complimentary, no obligation Discovery Call to find out more?
Please note: This article is intended to be for educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or replace professional assessment or personalised advice.
I do not hold responsibility for the information on any links to external websites within this article and information within these links/websites may change at any time or no longer be accessible. Any website pages/links added are also for education purposes only.
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