5 Reasons Why Your Weight Loss Attempts Keep Failing And How to Finally Lose Your First 5 Pounds

Written by Abraham Anjarkouchian, Registered Dietitian

Abraham is a registered dietitian and published researcher at McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), he specializes in the gut microbiome, hormones, metabolism, weight management, inflammation and fibromyalgia. With over six years of experience and 400+ client transformations, he takes a science-backed, holistic approach.

Have you tried countless diets only to end up frustrated and right back where you started? You're not alone. As a registered dietitian with a master's degree, I've identified exactly why most weight loss attempts fail and, more importantly, how to fix these issues once and for all.

Discover the five fundamental roadblocks that have been sabotaging your progress and learn how to overcome them to finally lose those first 5 pounds this month.

What's really stopping your weight loss progress?

Weight loss seems simple on paper: eat less, move more. Yet, the reality is far more complex. Research shows that 80% of people who lose significant weight regain it within a year. This isn't because they lack willpower; it's because they're battling powerful psychological and physiological forces without the right strategy.

The good news? Once you understand the real reasons behind your previous failures, you can craft a personalized approach that finally breaks through these barriers. Let's examine the five fundamental factors that have been holding you back.

The fixed mindset trap: How your thoughts sabotage your results

Your weight loss journey begins in your mind. The single most powerful predictor of success isn't your diet plan or exercise routine; it's your mindset. Studies from Stanford University have shown that people with a "fixed mindset" consistently achieve poorer results than those with a "growth mindset."

What is a fixed mindset?

A fixed mindset believes that your abilities and traits are static—you either have them or you don't. When it comes to weight loss, this manifests as thoughts like:

• "My metabolism is just slow."

• "I'll never reach my goal weight."

• "I'm just not meant to look that way."

• "I don't have enough time to focus on my health."

These self-limiting beliefs create a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you believe change is impossible, you unconsciously create a reality where change becomes nearly impossible.

How to develop a growth mindset for weight loss

A growth mindset understands that abilities can be developed through dedication and work. This perspective embraces challenges as opportunities for growth and sees effort as the path to mastery.

Try this transformative exercise to shift your mindset:

1. Draw a line down the middle of a page

2. On the left, list all your self-limiting beliefs about weight loss

3. On the right, reframe each statement with a growth perspective

Example transformations:

This isn't mere positive thinking; it's creating the psychological foundation required for lasting change. Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology demonstrates that mindset interventions can produce significant improvements in health outcomes.

Why you're not actually making your health a priority (even if you think you are)

The second crucial factor in weight loss success is honest prioritization. Many of us claim health is important while our actions tell a different story.

The prioritization problem revealed

You might be:

• Spending money on daily coffee runs instead of investing in nutritious food

• Prioritizing social outings that derail your nutrition plans

• Putting everyone else's needs before your own health needs

• Treating self-care as a luxury rather than a necessity

These choices reflect your true priorities, regardless of what you say matters to you.

How to make health your genuine priority

To create lasting change, you must elevate health to a top position in your hierarchy of priorities. This doesn't mean becoming selfish it means recognizing that your health is foundational to everything else.

Try this eye-opening priority audit:

1. Track your spending for one week and every dollar

2. Review your calendar for the past month

3. Log how you spend your time for three typical days

Now, analyze this data honestly. Where are your time, money, and energy actually going? This audit reveals your true priorities.

Once you've identified misalignments, make intentional shifts:

• Redirect some discretionary spending toward health-supporting purchases

• Block out time in your calendar specifically for exercise and meal prep

• Identify one health-undermining habit you can replace with a health-supporting one

Remember: You don't need to radically overhaul your entire life at once. Start by making your health a slightly higher priority each week until it naturally becomes one of your top considerations.

The overwhelming mistake: Why changing everything at once dooms your progress

One of the most common weight loss mistakes is attempting a complete lifestyle overhaul overnight. This approach virtually guarantees failure.

Why the "all-in" approach fails every time

When you attempt to simultaneously:

• Completely revamp your diet

• Start an intense exercise regimen

• Drink a gallon of water daily

• Go to bed early

• Meditate every morning

• Cut out all processed foods

• Eliminate sugar

You're setting yourself up for failure. This approach:

• Creates overwhelming stress on your willpower

• Feels unsustainable and extreme

• Doesn't allow for the development of individual habits

• Often leads to complete abandonment when one aspect slips

A study in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that people who try to change multiple behaviors simultaneously have a success rate below 15%, while those who focus on one habit at a time succeed over 80% of the time.

The power of awareness and incremental change

Instead of dramatic overhauls, successful weight loss starts with awareness, followed by strategic, incremental changes.

Try this five-day awareness challenge:

For five consecutive days:

1. Track everything you eat and drink without judgment

2. Note your sleep patterns and energy levels

3. Record all physical activity, even casual movement

4. Pay attention to emotional triggers for eating

5. Observe your hunger and fullness signals

After completing the challenge, identify your "low-hanging fruit" easy wins that could make a significant impact:

• Perhaps you're drinking hundreds of calories through beverages

• Maybe you're skipping breakfast and overeating later

• You might notice you're sedentary for hours at a stretch

• You could be eating out more frequently than you realize

Choose just one or two of these areas to improve first. Once these changes feel automatic (typically 2-4 weeks), add another small change. This "habit stacking" approach builds sustainable momentum without overwhelming your system.

The missing roadmap: Why you need a strategic plan for successful weight loss

Weight loss isn't a linear journey from point A to point B. It's a cyclical process with distinct phases, each serving a specific purpose.

The problem with directionless dieting

Many people approach weight loss by simply "eating less and moving more" without understanding the physiological processes involved. This haphazard approach:

• Ignores the body's adaptive responses to calorie restriction

• Fails to account for metabolic changes

• Doesn't prepare you for what happens after the initial weight loss

• Often leads to weight regain and metabolic damage

Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that 95% of people who diet without a strategic plan regain all lost weight within 3-5 years, with two-thirds gaining more than they initially lost.

Creating your personalized weight loss roadmap

A comprehensive weight loss roadmap includes distinct phases:

Maintenance phase (2-4 weeks)

• Purpose: To establish your baseline caloric needs and stabilize hormones

• Focus: Eating at your maintenance calories while establishing consistent eating patterns

• Benefits: Stabilizes hormones, provides baseline data, prevents metabolic adaptations

Reverse dieting phase (4-12 weeks)

• Purpose: To gradually increase metabolic capacity and optimize hormones

• Focus: Slowly increasing calories while maintaining weight

• Benefits: Upregulates metabolic hormones, increases energy, reduces hunger

Fat loss phase (8-12 weeks)

• Purpose: Strategic calorie deficit to lose fat while preserving muscle

• Focus: Moderate calorie deficit (typically 15-25% below maintenance)

• Benefits: Sustainable fat loss without severe metabolic adaptation

Diet break/maintenance phase (1-2 weeks)

• Purpose: Metabolic recovery and psychological relief

• Focus: Return to maintenance calories

• Benefits: Resets hormones, provides psychological break, improves adherence

Understanding these phases helps you contextualize your journey and prevents the common mistake of perpetual dieting, which inevitably leads to metabolic adaptation and plateaus.

The motivation secret: Finding your deeper "why" for lasting results

The final and perhaps most crucial element of successful weight loss is connecting with a profound, emotional reason for making changes.

Why surface-level motivation always fails

Surface-level motivations like "looking good for vacation" or "fitting into smaller clothes" rarely sustain long-term effort. When motivation wanes, as it inevitably will, you need something more substantial to keep you going.

A study in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that people with deep, intrinsic motivation were 67% more likely to maintain weight loss after one year compared to those motivated by external factors.

How to uncover your true motivation

The "Five Whys" technique can help you discover your deeper motivation:

1. Ask yourself why you want to lose weight

2. Take that answer and ask "why" again

3. Continue asking "why" to each new answer

4. Repeat until you reach an emotional core. For example:

   1. Why do I want to lose 10 pounds? To feel more confident.

   2. Why do I want to feel more confident? To feel better in my clothes.

   3. Why do I want to feel better in my clothes? So I can be more comfortable in social situations.

   4. Why do I want to be more comfortable in social situations? Because I've been avoiding friends and canceling plans due to how I feel about my body.

   5. Why does that matter? Because it's affecting my relationships and overall happiness. I'm missing out on life because of my insecurities.

Now, we've found a deeper motivation: reconnecting with important relationships and experiencing greater joy in life. This kind of motivation has staying power when the going gets tough.

Create a motivation statement from this exercise and revisit it daily, especially during challenging moments.

Your 30-day plan to lose your first 5 pounds

Now that you understand the fundamental reasons why previous attempts may have failed, let's create a structured 30-day plan to help you lose your first five pounds. This plan integrates all the principles we've discussed.

Week 1: Awareness and mindset (Days 1-7)

Days 1-3: Mindset foundation

• Complete the fixed vs. growth mindset exercise

• Write out your deeper "why" statement

• Create a visual reminder of your motivation

Days 4-7: Awareness building

• Track all food, beverages, and movement without changing anything

• Note hunger levels, mood, and energy throughout the day

• Identify patterns and potential "low-hanging fruit" opportunities

Week 2: Foundation building (Days 8-14)

Days 8-10: First habit implementation

• Choose ONE habit to implement consistently:

  • Drinking 8 glasses of water daily

  • Walking 10 minutes after meals

  • Including protein with each meal

  • Preparing one additional home-cooked meal

• Focus entirely on consistency with this single habit

Days 11-14: Environment optimization

• Conduct a kitchen cleanout (remove or repackage trigger foods)

• Prepare your environment for success (meal prep containers, water bottle)

• Establish a consistent eating schedule

• Continue with your Week 2 habit

Week 3: Strategic deficit creation (Days 15-21)

Days 15-18: Nutrition structure

• Calculate approximate maintenance calories

• Create a modest deficit of 250-500 calories per day through:

  • Slightly smaller portions

  • Strategic food swaps

  • Additional movement

• Focus on protein intake (aim for 0.7-1g per pound of target body weight)

• Continue previous habits

Days 19-21: Movement integration

• Add structured movement 3-4 times this week (20-30 minutes each)

• Focus on enjoyable activities rather than punishing exercise

• Track your steps and aim to increase your daily average

• Continue nutrition habits

Week 4: Refinement and consistency (Days 22-30)

Days 22-25: Progress evaluation

• Take measurements and photos (weight alone doesn't tell the full story)

• Review food and activity logs for patterns

• Make small adjustments based on results

• Celebrate consistency and non-scale victories

Days 26-30: Sustainability planning

• ·Identify challenging situations in the coming month

• Create specific strategies for each challenge

• Establish an accountability system (friend, coach, or community)

• Set specific goals for the next 30 days

7 Common weight loss obstacles and how to overcome them

Even with the perfect plan, challenges will arise. Here's how to navigate the most common obstacles:

1. Social pressure and food-centered events

Social situations often derail weight loss efforts. Navigate them successfully by:

• Previewing menus before dining out to make decisions in advance

• Eating a protein-rich snack before events to moderate hunger

• Practicing saying no graciously but firmly

• Suggesting alternative activities that don't center around food

• Having a beverage strategy (sparkling water with lime can replace alcoholic drinks)

2. Emotional and stress eating

Many people use food to cope with emotions. Address this by:

• Developing an emotional awareness practice (journaling, meditation)

• Creating a list of non-food coping mechanisms for different emotions

• Implementing a "pause button" technique (wait 5 minutes before emotional eating)

• Practicing basic stress management (sleep, movement, social connection)

3. Persistent hunger and cravings

Biological hunger signals can be challenging during weight loss:

• Distinguish between physical and emotional hunger

• Emphasize protein and fiber at meals to increase satiety

• Stay hydrated, as thirst is often mistaken for hunger

• Plan satisfying, volume-based meals (vegetables, lean proteins)

• Use strategic timing of meals to manage hunger throughout the day

4. Time constraints and busy schedules

Busy schedules often derail weight loss efforts:

• Batch cook core proteins weekly (chicken, eggs, beans)

• Utilize time-saving kitchen tools (slow cooker, pressure cooker)

• Identify quick, healthy meal options for hectic days

• Break exercise into "movement snacks" throughout the day

• Optimize sleep quality to make the most of limited hours

5. Weight loss plateaus

Weight loss plateaus are inevitable physiological responses:

• Reassess portion sizes that may have crept up

• Track food intake for a few days to identify drift

• Vary exercise intensity or modality

• Consider a diet break at maintenance calories

• Focus on non-scale progress (measurements, fitness, energy)

6. Negative self-talk and perfectionism

Your inner dialogue can make or break your success:

• Practice self-compassion when setbacks occur

• Focus on progress, not perfection

• Reframe "failures" as data points and learning opportunities

• Celebrate small wins consistently

• Develop a growth-oriented inner dialogue

7. Lack of support

Going it alone makes weight loss significantly harder:

• Identify positive influences in your life

• Consider working with professionals (dietitian, trainer, coach

• Join communities with similar goals and values

• Communicate your needs to friends and family

• Find an accountability partner with similar goals

5 Advanced strategies for continued progress after your first 5 pounds

Once you've mastered the fundamentals and lost your first 5 pounds, consider these more advanced approaches:

1. Strategic nutrient timing

Optimize when you eat specific macronutrients:

• Pre-workout nutrition: Carbohydrates for fuel

• Post-workout nutrition: Protein and carbohydrates for recovery

• Evening nutrition: Focus on protein and fiber to manage morning hunger

• Carbohydrate cycling: Adjust carbohydrate intake based on activity levels

2. Progressive exercise periodization

Prevent adaptation and plateaus with strategic training:

• Resistance training: Focus on progressive overload

• Cardiovascular training: Vary intensity and duration

• Recovery weeks: Planned deloads to prevent overtraining

• Activity variety: Cross-training to engage different energy systems

3. Sleep optimization

Sleep quality directly impacts weight management:

• Consistent sleep schedule: Same bedtime and wake time daily

• Sleep environment: Cool, dark, and quiet

• Evening routine: Relaxation practices and blue light reduction

• Morning light exposure: Resets circadian rhythm

4. Stress management protocol

Chronic stress sabotages weight loss through hormonal pathways:

• Daily mindfulness practice: Even 5-10 minutes makes a difference

• Nature exposure: 20+ minutes daily reduces cortisol

• Strategic recovery: Active recovery vs. complete rest

• Social connection: Quality time with supportive people

5. Data-driven adjustments

Use metrics beyond the scale to guide your approach:

• Body measurements: Track changes in waist, hips, chest, arms, and thighs

• Progress photos: Visual documentation of changes

• Performance metrics: Strength, endurance, flexibility

• Subjective markers: Energy, mood, sleep quality, hunger levels

Transform your weight loss journey starting today

Losing weight and keeping it off requires addressing the fundamental reasons why previous attempts have failed:

1. Shifting from a fixed to a growth mindset that embraces challenges and learns from setbacks

2. Making your health a genuine priority by allocating your time, energy, and resources accordingly

3. Starting with awareness and incremental changes rather than overwhelming overhauls

4. Following a strategic roadmap with distinct phases for long-term success

5. Connecting with your deeper motivation to sustain effort when challenges arise

Remember that losing your first five pounds is just the beginning. The real victory isn't reaching a number on the scale; it's creating a sustainable approach to health that allows you to live fully and joyfully.

The journey won't always be easy, but by addressing these core principles, you're setting yourself up for success in a way that previous attempts may have missed. Take it one day, one habit, and one choice at a time.

Your future self will thank you for starting today.

Ready to take action? Start with these 10 steps today

1. Complete the mindset assessment by listing your fixed mindset beliefs and creating growth mindset alternatives.

2. Start the five-day awareness challenge by tracking your food, movement, and patterns without judgment.

3. Conduct the priority audit to see where health currently ranks in your life.

4. Use the "Five Whys" technique to uncover your deeper motivation.

5. Identify one "low-hanging fruit" habit you can consistently implement this week.

6. Create a simple environment modification that makes healthy choices easier.

7. Establish one accountability mechanism (journal, app, friend, or coach).

8. Schedule your health activities in your calendar as non-negotiable appointments.

9. Write your future vision in vivid detail and place it somewhere visible.

10. Commit to consistency over perfection by deciding how you'll respond to inevitable setbacks.

Remember: The most important step is the one you take right now. Your weight loss journey doesn't have to be perfect to be successful; it just needs to begin.

Are you ready to transform your approach to weight loss and finally achieve lasting results? I'd love to help you create a personalized roadmap based on your unique situation. Scroll down to fill out the quick assessment form, and I'll personally reach out with specific recommendations tailored to your goals.

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Read more from Abraham Anjarkouchian

Abraham Anjarkouchian, Registered Dietitian

Abraham is a registered dietitian and the founder of Abraham Dietitian and Abra Yoga. With expertise in gut microbiome, hormones, metabolism, weight management, inflammation, and fibromyalgia, he takes a science-backed, holistic approach to health. His research at McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) has shaped his evidence-based methods, helping over 400 clients achieve lasting transformations. With over six years of experience, he empowers individuals to break free from restrictive diets and build a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. His mission: To simplify nutrition and create real, long-term change.