Topics / Losing weight
Why is losing weight so hard?
This example is from my book “Universelle Relationen”. More in the book →
The problem as a graph
Everyday situations are in direct relation to the mind, and the mind to the body. An event triggers the wish for good feelings, and unhealthy food reliably delivers dopamine. The active chain keeps the loop going.
Graph as text
- Event during the day → Wish for love / joy (active)
- Wish for love / joy → Unhealthy food (active)
- Unhealthy food → Dopamine (active)
- Wish for love / joy → New relation (empty)
Step by step
- Look at yourself as a whole on three levels: everyday life, mind, body. Sketch which events trigger which craving.
- Recognise the loop: which situation reliably activates the wish for good feelings?
- Accept that diet or exercise alone usually is not enough — they leave the input node untouched.
- Redirect the energy: connect the same situation to a new relation that also feels good.
- Stay patient. Redirecting is unfamiliar and needs repetition, until the new relation is active and the old one passive.
An example from my life
For me many events traced back to the same thing: the wish for good feelings, for love. Unhealthy food was always at my side; it felt good. But it was a loop that served neither me nor my mind.
What made the difference was not the next diet, but energy I redirected into new relations. At first it was unfamiliar and hard — but those were simply the familiar signals I kept activating.
Frequently asked
Why are diet and exercise alone often not enough?
Because they bypass the input node: the event that triggers the wish for good feelings. As long as that relation stays active, the old pattern returns.
What does “redirecting energy” mean in practice?
Deliberately connecting the same trigger to a different response that also feels good — and repeating it until the new relation becomes the active one.
Keep thinking
Related terms: Network level, Relation