If you’ve ever lost weight only to gain it back, you are not alone! This weight re-gain is referred to as relapse and it’s extraordinarily common and this is a must listen! Jenn explores the complexities of breaking the yo-yo dieting cycle, understanding relapse rates in weight management and what we can do to reduce our own relapse rate. 

This week, Jenn discusses the psychological and behavioral challenges of maintaining weight loss, emphasizing the importance of mindset and the tendency to revert to old habits. Drawing parallels to alcohol and smoking breaks, they highlight societal stigma and personal identity issues. The episode emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to lifestyle changes, focusing on sustainable habits and self-awareness to achieve long-term health and wellness.

The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store. 

IN THIS EPISODE: 

• [01:53 ] The concept of relapse rates in weight management and behavior change.
• [03:01 ] Jenn shares the recipe and tool members get this week..
• [07:38 ] The importance of mental and behavioral shifts for maintaining weight loss.
• [10:35 ] Weight management relapse rates to those in alcohol recovery.
• [12:16 ] What are some of the stigmas associated with weight loss and identity?
• [23:06 ] Why individuals regain weight, focusing on the physiological changes during weight loss.
• [25:05 ] How low blood sugar affects behavior and the tendency to revert to old habits.
• [26:01 ] The importance of quickly noticing when old behaviors resurface to minimize relapse duration and addressing the challenge of changing self-identity from being a dieter to a healthier individual.
• [30:14 ] Shifting perspective on cheat meals from frequent indulgences to occasional treats for special occasions.
• [37:00 ] What are the tools and behaviors that can help reduce our relapse rates?

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Understand the importance of consistency and sustainable habits to avoid the pitfalls of repetitive weight loss and gain.
• Recognize the mental and behavioral hurdles that come with keeping the weight off, and develop strategies to address them.
• Remember what the parallels are between weight management and other behavior changes, such as quitting smoking or reducing alcohol consumption, but unlike those situations, the goal here is not a relapse rate of zero.

QUOTES: 

• “Maintenance is the least sexy thing there is, and what can happen is we accomplish this success and then we stop doing the things that got us there.” - Jenn Trepeck
• "When I work with my clients, it's 12 weeks to build the tool belt so you can go live the rest of your life. It's building the tool belt to handle whatever comes our way.” - Jenn Trepeck
• “There's a misconception of how change works. We're led to believe, and we want to believe, that we flip a switch or check the box and then onward! That's not really how it happens...at all!” - Jenn Trepeck
• "We end up losing the weight as water, muscle, and bone. The scale stops moving, we get frustrated, we go back to those eating habits, and we gain the weight back as fat."  - Jenn Trepeck
• "Our objective is not zero relapse; it's to make the relapse shorter, recognize it faster, and have a shorter, quicker path to moving forward." - Jenn Trepeck

RESOURCES:

Become A Member of Salad with a Side of Fries

Jenn’s Free Menu Plan

Celebrating 3 Years with the 5 fat factors

Willpower Won’t Power

How to Cheat

Take your foot off the gas (Reverse Dieting)

A Salad With a Side of Fries

A Salad With A Side Of Fries Merch

A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram