When we want to lose weight we often spend too much time looking for the best diet and exercise plan instead of focusing on why we want to lose the weight and how we got here in the first place. Weight loss doesn't just happen and neither does weight gain. To get to where you want to be, start by looking at where you came from and how you got to where you are now.
Weight loss happens slowly over time and before we know it, we've packed on 10-20 pounds. If this is where you are, think about when you were at your goal weight last. How many years ago was that? How were. you eating, and exercising then? Where was your mindset around food and how has that changed? By putting the weight gain and habit changes into perspective you see that it doesn't happen overnight.
So how dies it happen?
Let's say you've gained 20 pounds in 4 years, that's 5 pounds per year. Being such a small amount of weight at a time, you don't notice the gain until you hit the 20 pound marker. You believe that all of a sudden your clothes don't fit or you don't like the way you look in photos and begin asking yourself how you got here. The answer is simple.
A candy bar here
A cookie there
An extra glass of wine or 2
Eating out more than eating at home
Trying to out train those added calories
Eating when you aren't hungry
Not watching your portion sizes
These seemingly benign "extras" add up over time. By way of simple math, 3500 calories = 1 pound of body weight, and it is very easy to pack in those extra calories into our diets. The thing is, putting on the weight is much easier than taking it off because in order to lose you have to make choices and stick by them.
So if weight loss is your goal, ask yourself this question. Am I protecting my excuses rather than making choices to get the results I want? It's a hard one, I know because you are at a bbq, a dinner, an event, an evening with friends and you want to partake in the extras but what do you need to reach your goal?
When you look back over the years that the weight came on you can see that it wasn't overnight. It's your behaviors that got you here and the cool thing about habits and behaviors is that you can replace the ones that are no longer serving you with new ones. Setting up strategies that help you sleep better, finding ways to improve your eating, and incorporating exciting and fun ways to move more without it feeling like a chore.
You can keep doing all the fun things with your family and friends AND lose weight.
Think about your strategies, what tools are in your toolbox to combat the emotions that come along with weight loss. What do you have to do to set your goals, craft your plan and make it happen? Do you need to learn how to meal prep? Maybe it's learning to plan your meals? Perhaps you need someone to hold you accountable or share a roadmap to help get you to your goal weight? Just saying I'm going to (insert goal here) isn't enough. As your mama told you, actions speak louder than words so what are you putting into action and really committing to?
I'd love to hear your plan and of course where your struggles are so send me an email and let me know!
Comments