Don’t Weight, Grab Your Best Life Now! Issue 21 Does Weight Loss Make You Happy?

Does Weight Loss Make You Happy??

Happy Fall Y’all!  We have made the official transition to fall, and where I live in Ohio the leaves are already turning and falling.  It’s that time of year when you kind of need a sweatshirt or a flannel in the morning because it’s so chilly, then you are throwing it off as the sun starts heating things up…and then before you know it you’re looking for it again because the sun is going down!  I love fall but one thing I miss are those long days of summer.  I have to be careful that I don’t get caught walking in the woods after the sun goes down-too many critters here, I get scared!

I may have mentioned before that I love to buy books.  I have no where near read all the books I’ve bought (but I do love to read).  One of my most recent purchases is Flow, the Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced Me-high Cheeks-sent-me-high).  His name and theory of flow in relationship to happiness has been familiar to me since my coaching training.  Here is a description/purchase link.

I have just started reading it, but a statement in the first chapter gave me an idea for this newsletter.  Csikszentmihalyi discusses what people may think will make them happy versus what actually does do so.

Most often we think the outcome we desire is what will make us happy…in this instance he referenced weight loss, along with other things like success, money, material goods, etc…  It made me think-is there real research on weight loss and happiness?  If so what does it show?

So off I went to my PubMed search bar! (PubMed is a free resource supporting the search and retrieval of biomedical and life sciences literature with the aim of improving health–both globally and personally.) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/about/

The science-y term for happiness I guess is “psychological wellbeing”.  While there is a lot of research about the physiological impact of weight loss (with positive relationship for decreased blood pressure and triglycerides, for example) it is harder to find information about the psychological benefit of weight loss.  Much of the research looks to find a connection between high weight as the cause of psychological distress or vice versa.

As with so much research around weight loss interventions, the studies are often of short duration, without long term follow up and they aren’t standardized (so comparing studies can be like comparing apples and oranges).  And one year is often considered “long term” it is not long term follow up in weight loss land.  Remember weight loss MAINTENANCE is a whole different animal and is elusive at best…so if someone experiences improved mental health (or happiness) as a result of weight loss, what happens when they regain weight?  This is an important consideration, no?

Another interesting influence when looking at weight loss and happiness: being involved in a study or in a weight loss intervention can be a source of social contact, support, attention…just being involved can influence mental/social wellbeing.

Short term, there is some evidence of psychological benefit resulting from weight loss. A 2014 Review (that is a study of a bunch of studies about a particular subject) this review included 36 studies, states…”The results demonstrated consistent improvements in psychological outcomes concurrent with and sometimes without weight loss.”  Note: with and without weight loss.  This review looked for effect of weight loss interventions on self-esteem, depressive symptoms, body image and health related quality of life.

  • Self Esteem: Only one study that observed an improvement in self-esteem found that change to be significantly correlated with the amount of weight lost.
  • Depressive Symptoms: Only 3 studies reported a significant positive relationship between weight loss and degree of improvement in depressive symptoms.
  • Body Image-This was assessed in a number of different ways in 14 of the 36 studies reviewed (body dissatisfaction, appearance evaluation, body shape concerns, image avoidance, and body esteem). Body image scores were consistently improved with participation in a weight loss intervention.  Half of the studies correlated this improvement with amount of weight lost (i.e-the more weight lost, the bigger the improvement).
  • Health Related Quality of Life: This measure actually had the strongest association with amount of weight lost, and vitality was the most consistent measure improved.
  • Interesting Note: one study noted a decline in social functioning despite significant weight loss (possibly due to avoidance of social situations that involve eating, which can be many, right?) AND these individuals went on the regain the weight they had lost (not surprising to me).

These results are a little uh…underwhelming to me, especially if you consider the hype of weight loss drugs, programs and gimmicks.

Another study, a prospective study ( a study that follows a group over time in relation to a particular thing) looked at weight loss and happiness.  I liked this study because it lasted a much longer time (4 years) and covered a pretty large group of people, almost two thousand.

Study Results:

  • The proportion of participants with depressed mood increased more in the weight loss than weight stable or weight gain groups (by 289%!)
  • The proportion reporting low well being also increased, though this was not “statistically significant”(31%).

As you can see, and as you may have already witnessed or experienced firsthand…weight loss does not bring lasting happiness.  Is it not so peculiar that culturally at least, weight loss (or thinness) is so desirable??  The reasons for this are many, but a pervasive reason is that the weight loss industry generates huge amounts of revenue.

In my coaching practice, particularly with folks who desire weight loss, I encourage people to “love the outcome, but you must marry the process”.  (meaning the process of changing self-care habits)  What does marriage take?  Commitment, patience, appreciation, to name a few.  If you apply these characteristics to your well-being, your weight will take care of itself.  In all honesty, that may or may not make you skinny…but it will make you well. (as well as you can be)

And (like marriage) this commitment isn’t always easy!  But, according to Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi and his Flow Theory, happiness is not “arrived at” or experienced when we “get what we want” (in this case, arrive at a certain weight), but it is in the doing what it takes to get there…

  • “Our best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” The experience(s) may not even be pleasant at the time-but lead to a sense of mastery and self-efficacy, control of one’s own life experience.

In the Pleasure Trap, Lisle and Goldhammer say that it is in our DNA to “seek pleasure and to avoid pain, expending the least amount of energy, in order to pass along our genetic material to ensure the survival of our species”.  This avoidance of pain, even discomfort really gets in the way doesn’t it?

Here is a link to Doug Lisle’s Ted Talk about the “pleasure trap”-it’s very entertaining and funny.  It’s about 17 minutes.   The book is a great read also btw here’s a link.

Mindset Matters Most

To apply this to your own desired behaviors (habits we want to establish or break, say) a key is in finding the immediate reward.  You might exercise this afternoon, but you may not be “fit” for some time to come.  And, if you love being sedentary, the reward isn’t in the exercise (yet).

You may batch cook great low fat whole food plant based meals for a week-but that one week probably won’t reverse your type 2 diabetes or lower your weight as much as you would like.

According to flow theory the reward is in the doing, even when it’s hard…especially when it’s hard (not so hard it feels impossible, but hard enough to feel the accomplishment of doing it.

I’ll bet you can remember a time like this, when doing something that was a real challenge felt so rewarding after you accomplished it.

When you are struggling to start something hard -remind yourself of these times when you stretched, accomplished, gave your very best effort, when you tried.  Remind yourself of your capacity, strength and maybe even courage!  You are all these things.

What challenging things are you (not) looking forward to?

What choice do you have in doing them or not?  (even if it’s a requirement of your job, you do have a choice in whether or not you do that job)

Can you anticipate how you will feel when you are done?

What’s the payoff for doing them? (short term/long term)

Coaches Corner

Here’s a worksheet  you can print and use to “Find Your Flow”

What ingredients in my “Recipe for Optimal Health” seem most daunting for you to “get”?  Break that/those things into smaller steps.  Imagine looking back and seeing all the steps you have taken and the progress you have made!