Why 12 week challenges won’t work to lose weight, unless you incorporate this….
I love to put out 12 week challenges – It’s a great kickstart to get yourself going on your fitness journey. With the healthy level of competition, wanting to win, the set target deadline and structure that a challenge provides – I believe it’s a great motivation starter. After doing many challenges over the years, I’ve discovered some unsettling outcome trends.
If you've ever joined a 12-week weight loss challenge, you probably felt a sense of excitement at the beginning. A short-term program, a clear goal, easy to commit to, and the results can seem pretty hopeful. However, as many people find out, these types of challenges often fall short when it comes to sustainable, long-term weight loss. So, what’s missing? What’s the key to making these challenges work not just for a few weeks, but for a lifetime?
Here’s why 12-week weight loss challenges often don’t work long-term—and how to make them actually stick.
The Short-Term Fix Problem
The problem with 12 week challenges is that this short-term fix doesn’t address long-term habits. After the 12 weeks are over, many people revert back to old habits simply because they haven't built a new sustainable routine. Once this happens, the weight starts to creep back on.
Extreme transition from current norm: Many people start this weight loss challenge from not working out consistently nor watching what they eat – to going all in on exercising most of the week and drastically reducing intake. The drastic change is easy to maintain when you think it’s only for X amount of weeks left and most while give up all these new habits once the challenge is over.
The "All-or-Nothing" Mentality: Challenge participants often believe they need to follow all these “diet rules” – they can’t eat this, they have to do this, etc. While this can help some people stay accountable, it doesn’t allow room for life’s inevitable slip-ups or life happening. This all or nothing lifestyle is not sustainable long term and one slip up and majority of people give up.
Mindset work: Weight loss is not just about calories in and calories out—it’s also about mindset. Your belief systems, your habits, your motivation and desire to change all need to be worked in simultaneously while you are working on the external. Ensuring that your mindset is strong will help you keep the results long term.
So, What Needs to Change?
The key to making a weight loss challenge work for the long haul isn’t just about committing to those 12 weeks. It's about incorporating habits and mindsets that stick—for your lifestyle.
Here’s what you need to incorporate to make those 12 weeks count for something longer:
1. Sustainable Habits Over Quick Fixes
Rather than aiming for drastic changes, focus on small, incremental adjustments that you can maintain. Instead of eliminating entire food groups, try swapping unhealthy choices for more nutritious alternatives. Gradually build up your workout routine rather than going all-in. The goal is to adopt habits that are sustainable and work for your lifestyle vs only for 12 weeks.
2. A Mindset Shift: Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
Instead of aiming for perfection (which often leads to guilt and quitting when you inevitably slip up), shift your mindset to focus on progress. Celebrate small wins and understand that long-term success comes from consistency. Learn to embrace setbacks are part of the journey. Doing this will help so you won’t derail your progress in the future.
3. Prioritize Mental Health and Self-Care
Weight loss isn’t just physical—it’s mental, too. The stress of trying to lose weight and being obsessed with the scale can take a toll on your mental health. Incorporating self-care practices will help you stay focused. When you take care of your mental health, you're much more likely to stick with the program and avoid falling back into old habits once the challenge ends.
4. Build Flexibility Into Your Routine
Life happens—sometimes you’ll miss a workout, or enjoy a pizza with friends. And that’s okay. Building flexibility into your routine helps you maintain balance. This is one of the reasons I preach flexible dieting. Instead of going into "all-or-nothing" mindset, when things don’t go according to plan, instead of giving up because you feel guilty for failing, you allow yourself room to adjust. When you learn how to add flexibility and balance into your program, you’re more likely to keep progressing and sustain your results for the long term.
5. Create a Lifestyle, Not a Diet
Ultimately, the biggest mistake of most 12-week weight loss challenges is that they frame weight loss as something temporary. In reality, the only way to maintain a healthy weight long-term is by creating a lifestyle that supports your goals. This means incorporating exercise and healthy eating into your daily routine in a way that works with your life. It’s not about fitting your life into a temporary diet or workout program—it’s about making your fitness lifestyle a normal part of your day.
12-week challenges can be a great starting point to kick off a health journey. They can provide structure and motivation. But unless you shift your approach from temporary to long-term, those results will most likely be temporary.
To be successful long term, focus on building sustainable habits and work on strengthening your mindset. If you do this, the next time you finish a 12-week challenge, it won’t be the end—it’ll just be the beginning of your lifelong success.
So, are you ready to make your challenge last longer than 12 weeks? The decision is in your hands! Contact me or check out my programs to get started today.