Many times we jump right into starting a new diet or a new exercise program without even thinking about the why. We never vocalize the reason? We might hear a voice in our head that is telling us that we need to make this change to have a better life. I want you to start thinking about why losing weight is important and to challenge you to take a single step every day to make this change happen for you.
Here are some helpful questions and concepts to think about include:
#1 – Where are you at?
Where are you on your health journey? Are you 75 pounds above how much you want to weigh? Are you depressed about your weight? Are you having a hard time moving around? Are you still trying to lose your baby weight? Where are you? Right this down and be honest. No one will be reading this but you. What is the cost to you of being at this present weight? Full disclosure: This exercise is not meant for you to judge yourself, it is meant to help you see where you are and where you want to be.
#2 – What is your WHY? Why do you want to lose weight?
Why do you want to lose weight? Focus on the why? Is it for health benefits? Are you scared of getting diabetes or heart disease? Did you have a health scare and now you want to make some changes? Do you want to look better in your jeans? Do you want to feel comfortable in a bathing suit so that you can play on the beach with your kids? Do you want to feel more comfortable in your own skin? Do you want to feel less bloated? Do you want to have more energy? Do you want to look better in pictures? Why do you want to make a change? Weight loss is a lifelong process that requires constant commitment. Defining your WHY will keep you going when it gets really hard along the way. DEFINE the reason. Know the REASON, know the WHY.
Some questions to think about:
- What is your why?
- How would your life look different if you lost the weight?
#3 – Consistency Counts
Making a commitment every single day to work on your health goal is necessary for long term success. Most of us have done this weight loss thing before. We have jumped on and off the diet bandwagon, whether it’s the tried and true weight loss programs or the new fad diets, we have done it. Most of us KNOW what to do to lose the weight. We just don’t do it. We may do it for a short period of time but then over and over again stop doing the very things we know we need to do to lose the weight. We are NOT consistent. The goal is to make an effort every single day to achieve your goals over time. These behaviors are so consistent that they become a lifestyle and are no longer considered to be a diet that you need to follow. Consistently practicing the same behavior every single day will help you feel more in control of your health and provide confidence and momentum in your ability to achieve your goals.
#4 – Focus on and Review your BEHAVIOR
Focus on the behavior goal
What are your health goals for this week? Focus on the BEHAVIOR you want to achieve rather than how much you want to weigh. Measuring weight is a tricky metric as many other variables could impact that number on the scale, not just what you eat. You may do everything you need to do to lose the weight that week but not have success on the scale. Monitoring your BEHAVIOR is something that is more controllable and much more measurable than the scale. The BEHAVIOR you practice will ultimately be the thing that over time helps you lose the weight. Practicing new BEHAVIOR will provide you will a sure fire way of achieving your goals. BEHAVIOR and CONSISTENCY both count.
Plan your BEHAVIOR goals for the week. This should be a tiny step to help you build upon and achieve your bigger goal. Focus on what BEHAVIORs you can do to achieve your goal. Be realistic.
Some BEHAVIOR examples include:
- I will exercise XX times this week
- I will log my food XX times this week
- I will eat XX fruits/veggies this week
- I will plate all of my food and no longer eat out of a bag/box this week
Focus on what BEHAVIOR goal you want to achieve this week. Break this goal down into smaller, achievable daily steps that you can take to achieve your bigger one-month goal.
Be realistic about this goal. Don’t set goals that you know you will not be able to achieve. Set goals that you know you can commit to and easily achieve this week. Set a DOABLE behavior goal.
Review your goals
At the end of the week, review your goals without judgment. What worked for you? What was hard this week? What things do you need to change to streamline to make it easier?
Developing habits happen over time. They need to be practiced over and over and over again. Reviewing your behavior will help you see patterns and set realistic expectations of what you can achieve. This process will allow you to formulate a plan that works best for you
To recap: Know WHERE you are, WHY you want to make these changes, CONSISTENCY COUNTS, and PLAN and REVIEW your behavior. You got this!