A few weeks ago, I had an interesting conversation with two of my close family members. They are sisters who have both struggled with their weight for a number of years. Both have been able to lose weight and change their lifestyles temporarily, only to gain the weight back (and sometimes more) within a year or less.

I don’t remember exactly how the conversation started, but I think they were both complaining about how their clothes don’t fit and they needed to do something about the extra weight they are carrying around. They discussed starting a diet program in a few weeks, after the Labor Day weekend festivities with parties full of yummy food and drinks. "Why wait?" I asked. "If you’re really ready to change your lifestyle, you shouldn’t wait for a specific event to pass before you do it. Why not start today?" They both gave some excuses about how hard it was to stay on track when everyone around you is indulging (which I understand), and that it would be easier just to hold off. My response was that there will always be another event coming up. There will always be some reason to wait, and the timing is never going to be perfect. But you learn to cope with those tough times so that you can stay on track no matter what the situation.

One of their comments really struck me: "I was happier, I had more energy and felt better about myself when I was in-shape and eating right." My immediate response was: "Knowing that, doesn’t it motivate you to try to change again?" Her response was that it’s not that easy. "You just don’t understand because you haven’t been there."

They both feel like their lifestyles- activities they do and friends they socialize with- make a lifestyle change more difficult. One said that her friends like to eat out a lot, or if they were gathering at a friend’s house, for example, snacks were always involved. I understand that can make healthy eating more challenging, but I’ve been out to eat with both of these women before. Eating out does not mean that you have to order the fettuccini alfredo or fish and chips. And if you’re bringing a snack to someone’s house, bring a veggie tray instead of cheese dip. It seems simple to me, but maybe that’s where I’m missing something.

At the end of the conversation, I felt like we were no closer to change than when we began. They felt like I didn’t understand how hard it was to make permanent changes. I felt like they were making excuses and not even trying. I tried to emphasize the idea that you don’t need to drastically change all of your habits overnight, because even small changes can lead to big results.

What do you think? Am I missing something because I’ve never had these kinds of personal struggles? I know lifestyle changes are hard, but am I oversimplifying it? Maybe they just aren't ready yet?