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People frequently speak about weight loss in an outdated, binary manner. Even the basic two-word phrase overlooks various influential factors in a person’s journey. That misconception is only heightened in the case of women, who encounter numerous intangibles that can affect their appearance and health during their lifetime. It isn’t easy, therefore, to pin down the common ground between women aspiring for better health, whether they be entrepreneurs, employees, or full-time mothers.
Yet the reality is that false perceptions can only be overcome if the gap is bridged between women with different weight loss experiences. Instead of reaching for the most popular program advertised on social media, advocates suggest each journey should be treated subjectively. Kristy Kilcup, the founder of Version of YOU 2.0, believes the individuality of women’s bodies and minds should be the olive branch between their differing circumstances. Most of her clients quote three common hurdles to taking control of their health, the solutions to which may be simpler than diet plans and weight loss regimens suggest.
Problem: Lack of time
Time may seem like a quantifiable factor. After all, many women spend a certain amount of time at work or growing their businesses before retiring to the comfort of their homes. But you can decide how to spend your free periods, and weight loss advocates believe women often don’t allocate that time to themselves.
To prepare for weight loss success, it’s argued that you should take the bold decision to cut back on the excess energy you spend on others. Work and family are prime-time consumers. Only when your mindset is adjusted accordingly will you be ready to focus your freedom on self-improvement.
Solution: Stack your tasks
It’s easy to get drawn into making a long to-do list every day. But what if it’s making you less, rather than more, efficient? Experts believe a holistic approach is needed to make enough time for exercise and other weight loss strategies.
Teach your brain that, if you complete tasks, you’re going to feel much better.
Kristy Kilcup
“Then consider whether you can complete them while doing positive things. For example, preparing healthy meals while watching your favorite TV show. You’re still doing what you used to, but you’re also stacking your habits, which makes your plan easier to follow.”
Problem: Fear of failure
The prospect of failure is one that no one likes to consider. Thinking about it can often cause its manifestation, especially during the turbulent times that many women go through. Avoiding potential feelings of shame can come at the expense of making any effort at all.
Solution: Get to know yourself
Weight loss programs are not fit for the 21st century if they do not tailor to the individual, at least in the minds of many female industry disruptors. Insight and certainty can encourage confidence in women as the abstract prospect of failure shrinks. Finding the optimum way to build that self-understanding is the challenge entrepreneurs face in the space.
“Biotechnology can help you understand how you are uniquely different,” Kilcup explained. “By giving you all the physiological information about yourself, you can determine what you should eat and what exercises you should do. Having an encyclopedia on you can help you overcome the previously uncertain chance of failure and give you confidence in your actions.”
Problem: The financial commitment
Imagine a scenario where your child needed something for school. Most women would probably make the purchase without thinking twice about the monetary value.
Yet, regarding their health, many talk themselves out of the financial commitment, usually because they’ve been let down before. But, if you’ve restructured your mindset as outlined, you should be ready to prioritize yourself if the opportunity arises.
Solution: Connect with others
While they may appear far apart on paper, female weight loss journeys are unified by their individuality. The current problem is that women who want the same thing choose entirely different pathways, often to no effect. If those at the beginning of their journey can connect to those at the end, the price becomes a justifiable commitment rather than a negative requirement.
“A weight loss expert may initially help one person,” Kilcup said. “But as that person adopts lifestyle habit changes, they become a leader whether they want to be or not. Change can model what is possible for others in a person’s network and inspire them to change too.”
