Losing weight when you don’t need to do it for health reasons can be difficult, particularly if you’re not motivated the right way and you choose a wrong diet. The right reasons to do it usually include the fact that being more fit would make you happier and healthier.
However, many people make the mistake of thinking that losing a few pounds will make a big difference in their lives, and those weight loss efforts don’t usually have a happy ending. Check out the worst reasons to lose weight, and decide if you’re actually using one of them when you start dieting.
Reaching Your “Ideal” Size
Being hung up on labels is rarely a good idea. Just because you want to fit into a certain size doesn’t mean that this a healthy reason for weight loss. Besides big differences in sizes from different brands, you’re also getting too focused on an abstract notion, instead of feeling good in your body and wearing the clothes that fit you best.
You’re Being Told to Lose Weight
Unless the person telling you that you need to drop a few pounds is a doctor who has your long term health in mind, you shouldn’t cave into this type of pressure, whether it’s coming from family, friends or your loved one. One of the worst reasons to lose weight is to do it for somebody else, even if you really love them.
You Want to Get Back with Your Ex
Losing weight because someone close to you insists that you should is wrong, but doing it for a hypothetical scenario in which it helps you get back with an ex is even worse. It doesn’t matter why you broke up, changing yourself to win someone back is rarely a good idea. If you’re crash dieting to get there, you’re also risking a lot of weight gain if things don’t turn out the way you imagined.
You Just Want to Be Skinny
It’s superficial and you know it. Your weight has as much to do with your genes as it does with how you eat and how much you exercise. Trying to get skinny just because that’s the beauty ideal pushed by the media and everyone around you won’t help your confidence at all. It’s one of the worst reasons to lose weight and you should work on being happy with your body type and eating a healthy diet.
More: 10 of the Biggest Weight Loss Myths
You’re Going on Vacation
Worrying about how you look good in a bikini is one thing, but trying to lose weight while planning a vacation where you’ll get to eat whatever you want is a bad idea. If you take dieting too far, you’ll be slowing down your metabolism, and when you indulge on your vacation, your body will store more fat than it usually would.
You Want to Look Thin on Your Wedding Day
Definitely one of the worst reasons to lose weight, looking thin on your big day just adds more pressure to an already very stressful time in your life. It’s hard to resist, since the entire wedding industry pushes you to look your best for one day, no matter the consequences.Being happy on your wedding day is a lot more important thank losing a few pounds, and starving yourself can’t be a part of your dream wedding.
Your Friends Are Doing It
Peer pressure can be useful when you’re trying to make healthier choices, from eating better to working out more, but you should start a weight loss program just to keep up. You won’t have the right motivation and you’ll end up miserable.
You Want to Fit in Your Old Clothes
Start accepting that everyone naturally gains a little weight as they age. Trying to fit in an old pair of jeans or a dress is one of the worst reasons to lose weight. Failing will just affect your self esteem, and succeeding might mean big sacrifices that have a negative effect on your health.
See also: Why You Should Start Drinking Lemon Water
You Can’t Find Another New Year’s Resolution
Take a cooking class to eat healthier, learn a new skill or lose a bad habit. But don’t just make losing weight your go to New Year’s resolution. You won’t last through January.
You Think It Can Help You Find the Right Guy
If losing a little weight in a sustainable way makes you more confident, go for it. But doing it just so you can stop being single is one of the worst reasons to lose weight. Focus on your health and happiness, that’s much more attractive than killing yourself to get skinny.
