Lifestyle
Why is it so hard to lose weight?

By Angela Kerrisk from Activate Fitness
How many times do you ask yourself why it's so hard to lose weight?
Anyone with a weight loss goal working hard on establishing healthy habits and trying to decrease the frequency of making unhealthy choices knows that losing weight takes time!
By now, you’ve likely heard our nutrition coaching staff say that progress is rarely a straight line and that your weight loss journey is going to take a long term approach to dial things in. This takes much dedication and patience on your part. Paying attention to nutrition and taking the time to learn healthy habits to keep the weight off and be healthy across your lifespan is challenging but rewarding work.
Our nutrition coaches work with clients at various points in their journey. Everyone has their reasons for wanting to improve their nutrition. While losing weight is not a goal for everyone, losing weight and lowering body fat is the most common goal we hear. Many people acknowledge that they need an accountability partner to help lose weight because they encounter all too common roadblocks during their weight loss journey.
Let’s take a look at three of the most common roadblocks to lose weight:
Looking for quick fixes or following fad diets
It is often really tempting to follow a diet that you have heard has worked for someone else, which has led to rapid weight loss. What you don’t know about this is that these quick fixes or fad diets are often super restrictive and are tough to sustain, leading to the regaining of weight. There is no one size fits all approach to weight loss. The benefit of meeting with a nutrition coach is that we work with you to develop an individualised plan that fits your lifestyle. We also teach you to layer healthy habits over time and communicate with you regularly regarding strategies to stay on track with your goals.
Not paying attention to what is going into our beverages
So many times we look at incorporating lots of healthy foods in our diet when we are trying to lose weight, but we forget to pay attention to what we are drinking. Things like sugary coffee beverages, regular soda, and fruit juices are packed with sugar and extra calories that can stand in the way of our weight loss goals.
Our nutrition coaching staff help educate you about these commonly overlooked roadblocks, teach you the importance of logging, and help you learn to read food and beverage labels. These tactics will help you make a more informed decision about these items and see how drinking these beverages affects your goal attainment.
Going all in and making too many changes at once
Weight loss is a marathon and not a sprint. There is a tendency to want to make too many changes all at once in order to meet our goals sooner. What we see is that this is way too overwhelming, and people aren’t investing the time it takes to make healthy habits part of their foundation. You may hear your nutrition coach say that a three-month minimum time commitment is required when entering a nutrition programme. This is not to be mean, but rather help you achieve your goals by genuinely taking the time to learn healthy habits and avoid the temptation to make too many changes all at once.
If you are looking to get some help with overcoming your own roadblocks on your weight loss journey, the nutrition coaching staff are here to help you achieve these goals. Schedule a free consultation www.activate.ie/free-intro and get started on achieving your weight loss goals.
News
Now that’s what we call dedication!
With over 41 years volunteering as a research biologist Áine Ní Shúilleabháin is the longest serving volunteer in Killarney National Park. Áine is dedicated to the recording of valuable scientific […]

With over 41 years volunteering as a research biologist Áine Ní Shúilleabháin is the longest serving volunteer in Killarney National Park.
Áine is dedicated to the recording of valuable scientific data on waterfowl and water quality in Killarney National Park. Her research has been an invaluable source of material with recordings dating back to 1982. Her contribution, observing ecosystems, and reports on her findings will be recognised for generations to come.
Áine’s ‘wingman’ is boatman and co-counter, John Michael Lyne, who operates from Muckross Boathouse. John’s knowledge of the lakes and interest in wildlife is remarkable. Generations of John Michael’s family have been involved with Muckross and Killarney National Park. The day on the lakes, John Michael, Áine and bird expert and National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Ranger, Sam Bayley, observed, nesting Herons, ringed Mute Swans, Golden Eye pair, an Egret, Cormorants, Irish Red Deer Hinds by the shoreline, and a White Tailed Eagle in the distance.
“It’s a wonderful privilege to be working in Killarney National Park, the Rangers are so open and welcoming,” Áine said.
“I first came to the Park in 1974, working with Dan Kelleher and the late Paudie O’Leary, and then on contract from 1976-1984. My supervisor suggested that I link my work as a fresh water biologist looking at the lake water quality with my great interest in wildlife ecology and management, that’s how I started doing the waterfowl counts.”
The project was spearheaded by prof John Bracken, Zoology Department UCD.
When Áine was appointed Senior Fisheries Environmental Officer in Donegal and Cavan (1982-2008), she still found time to travel to Killarney and carry out her bird counts.
“Being involved in waterfowl counts and waterfowl research in the Killarney National Park, alongside the great staff, so committed and knowledgeable from Dan Kelleher to the current management and staff, Éamonn Meskell, Danny O’Keeffe, and the great team of Conservation Rangers, and Sam Bayley being the bird expert, is such a privilege for me.”
After retiring, Áine returned to Kerry and Glenflesk became her home place. She immersed herself helping Glenflesk GAA Club, with her strong Kerry roots she served as Club PRO and now as Health Club Officer. She was appointed to the role of Kerry County Board Children’s Officer, a role she is very proud to hold.
As she says she is in a unique position volunteering.
“It’s unique having a long series of data going from 1982 to 2023, that’s because of the commitment from past and present staff and for me to continue to work as a volunteer is a wonderful privilege. It’s great to be out in nature, in such a beautiful place, so many different ecosystems and great wildlife.”
News
This week it’s all about the eyes
By Jill O’Donoghue from Killarney Toning and Beauty Studio Our eyes and eyebrows are natural beauty features that help to frame our face to achieve the famous no make-up look. A […]

By Jill O’Donoghue from Killarney Toning and Beauty Studio
Our eyes and eyebrows are natural beauty features that help to frame our face to achieve the famous no make-up look.
A good eyebrow shape and tint really helps to give this look so you won’t have to try to draw or fill in the brows.
This is a popular treatment with both men and women. The lash lift can give you a natural boost, by lifting, conditioning, curling up which helps to open the eye giving it a brighter, more open look. Also, by tinting with the lash lift you are darkening; this helps the lashes look fuller and you won’t need to wear mascara. Your eye lashes will look very fluttery. You would even think you were wearing extensions without the damage to the natural lashes and its suitable for all ages. Even the shortest of lashes will be lifted.
The eyes and hands are some of the most important places for anti-ageing. With all the hand sanitising, it’s important to use hand cream more often. I always recommend applying just before bed so it can have time to really get to work on hydrating the hands. It’s clear from all my years of anti-ageing skincare for the face that hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient for hydration and anti-ageing. If you feel you need a boost for the hands, it’s a great idea to try a warm paraffin hand manicure which is a game changer for the hydration of the hands. SPF is essential to reduce and prevent further age spots. Use an eye cream morning and night, followed by an eye mask once a week and an eye facial once a month. Eye facials can be added into your regular facial for an extra lift.
Eyes for me are an area that needs most work as they don’t have any sebaceous glands of their own unlike the rest of the body. I often hear people saying they are allergic to eye cream, mostly it’s applied wrong or into the eye. Imagine you were looking at a skull – the bone of the eye socket is far back from the actual eye itself. You apply the eye cream on the bone area, just under the eyebrow and well under the eye using the ring finger as not to drag the skin as it’s super delicate. Use light circular motion from the inner corner under the eyebrow out to the temple lifting the brow as you go. It will drop with time and gravity, so it’s our job to encourage it to stay in place by exercising the muscle.
For more information or to book a skin consultation for the New Year, call Jill on 064 6632966.
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