When it comes to weight loss: one blip doesn't have to mean you've blown it
New study reveals over half of UK adults can fall after just one slimming hurdle – and suggests learning to cope with setbacks could be key to long-term weight loss success
In a new study, 53 per cent of UK adults say that just one setback can derail them from their weight loss goals, with almost one in five (19 per cent) saying a setback made them give up on their weight loss goals altogether.
The survey of 2,003 adults[1], commissioned by the UK and Ireland’s largest weight-loss organisation Slimming World, reveals 77 per cent of adults say they’ve previously attempted to lose weight and on average people have tried to lose weight seven times in their lifetime.
Of those who had experienced a setback while trying to lose weight, 38 per cent say the top cause was feeling hungry and 29 per cent say it was a stressful life event such as a bereavement, job loss or family illness. For others, it was missing out on their favourite foods (25 per cent), and not planning healthy meals (23 per cent) which derailed them.
The top temptations which can cause setbacks, according to those surveyed who have tried to lose weight, are having unhealthy snacks such as chocolate, crisps, cakes and biscuits in the house (41 per cent), Saturday night takeaways (21 per cent), cakes and pastries when buying coffee (20 per cent) and fast food after a night out drinking (18 per cent). One in 10 say a chocolate Easter Egg is the food or drink item most likely to cause them to have a setback.
The survey reveals a prime time for temptations with 38 per cent of adults who had tried to lose weight saying they are most likely to stray from their weight loss plans between 6pm and 10pm.
Almost a third (31 per cent) of those who had experienced setbacks when trying to lose weight say it took them more than a month to find the motivation to get back on track afterwards.
The survey reveals 24 per cent of adults questioned say although they’re not currently trying to, they’d like to lose weight. Over a third (34 per cent) of those who have experienced setbacks when trying to lose weight, say they’d typically experience three or more setbacks a month.
The most popular way people had tried to lose weight was through exercise (69 per cent), followed by calorie counting (49 per cent) and fasting (32 per cent).
Dr Amanda Avery, Slimming World’s Health and Research Consultant Dietitian says learning how to handle setbacks is crucial for long-term weight loss success.
As we’ve seen with the results of this research, setbacks on a weight loss journey are to be expected. Things don't always go perfectly to plan and that's life. What’s key when this happens, is to be kind to yourself. Learning to accept that a setback is part of your slimming journey can help stop you being derailed altogether. The results of the survey support this, with more than half of adults questioned (57 per cent) agreeing that learning how to deal with setbacks on their weight loss journey helped them to navigate the ups and downs of weight loss.
The survey, carried out by Censuswide, also polled members of Slimming World’s 13,000 community weight loss groups and online programme. Of the members questioned, 82 per cent feel more capable of dealing with setbacks than they did when making previous weight loss attempts. The vast majority (72 per cent) of members questioned said they’re less likely to experience setbacks now they’re a member of Slimming World, due to the flexibility and support the plan provides and 84 per cent agree they’re more confident in their ability to recover from a setback while losing weight than they were before joining.
Slimming World’s approach combines support to change your mindset around weight loss with a flexible healthy eating plan and a physical support activity programme – both of which can be tailored to your lifestyle and ability. Members, who attend a weekly group or access support online, gain knowledge and expertise to understand themselves better as a slimmer. They are encouraged to use deep thinking and techniques including visualisation and planning to build their motivation, self-belief and commitment so they can change their relationship with food, physical activity and weight loss in general and achieve long lasting success.
Dr Avery says: "It's good to have some personal strategies for dealing with potential setbacks or, even better, have strategies to try to minimise the risk of setbacks. Within Slimming World groups, members receive personalised expert guidance from their Consultant, to help them with the motivation, accountability and commitment they need to avoid or navigate setbacks. By equipping group and online members with the tools to build their resilience and be more self-compassionate, as well as sharing practical real-life strategies, Slimming World helps members feel empowered to overcome obstacles and stick with their weight loss plans.”
Professor James Stubbs, Appetite & Energy Balance, University of Leeds, agrees having a flexible mindset is important to any weight loss endeavour.
For anyone looking to lose weight, it’s important to remember that this is not a quick fix, it’s a gradual process. As with any journey it is good to be prepared, to have plans, tools to help you navigate and coping strategies for when the journey can get difficult. Behaviour change plays a key role and there will be days when setbacks will be experienced and things don’t go so well, which is perfectly natural. Learning how to navigate setbacks is what helps people develop the skills needed for lasting behaviour change. Even people who are highly successful at losing weight and keeping it off have setbacks and revisit some of the strategies they used to lose weight initially.
[1] The research was conducted by Censuswide, among samples of 2,003 nationally representative UK general consumers along with a self-selecting sample of 1,748 Slimming World members via Slimming World’s website. The data was collected between 12.03.2024 and 18.03.2024. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.