You don't need diet pills, diet books or diets. You don't need weight loss gadgets or magical slimming drinks that taste like chalk. When you want to lose weight- whether it's 100 pounds or the last 10- you can get frustrated when you don't see progress. And that's when the quick fixes start to seem appealing. As a health coach and fitness trainer for my entire career, let me tell you that weight loss doesn't have to be that complicated. You can put all the diet madness behind you and simplify your way to weight loss. "Yes you can!" is my motto. So if you are stuck, or you want motivation to once and for all live a healthier life, make sure aren't sabotaging your success by doing these three things.
1. Getting overwhelmed by your weight loss
Via Andres Rodriguez/PhotoSpin
Have you ever been so overwhelmed with your to do list that you feel immobilized? You have so much to do, you don't know where to begin. This same type of paralyzing overwhelm can happen when you are trying to lose weight too. Maybe you are overwhelmed with how much weight you want to take off or you are afraid your efforts won't work. Those types of negative thoughts can keep you stuck. Maybe you have so much going on you can't regularly commit to exercise or planning healthy meals. Feeling overwhelmed gets in our way all the time. You have the best of intentions but you can't get those intentions to materialize because life is crazy busy. If you keep promising yourself that tomorrow will be different (tomorrow will be the day when you move your body or prepare a healthy meal) but it never happens, it's time to let go of paralyzing overwhelm.
The Solution: Instead of letting paralyzing overwhelm be in charge of your life, take charge instead. Toss perfection out the window and take action. Whenever we take action, we immediately feel better. Figure out what you can do. If you can only workout for 15 minutes and not an hour, do it. If only one of your meals can be made with fresh ingredients, start with that one meal. Swap one unhealthy habit with a healthier one. Try scheduling your exercise like an appointment you won't break. Focus on what you can do instead of how busy you are.
2. Expecting instant results from your weight loss
Via Lev Dolgachov/PhotoSpin
Most weight gain happens slowly over time, and then one day an outfit doesn't fit or you don't like how you look in a picture and you want to do something about it. Just as weight gain doesn't happen overnight, neither does weight loss. Yes, we'd all love to wake up to the "after" picture in a weight loss makeover, but it just doesn't happen like that.
The Solution: Let go of the need for overnight success or having your body back in two weeks. Instead of focusing on where you want to be and how fast you can get there, focus on how you can create a healthier lifestyle. Shift your choices toward eating clean and moving your body more. You can even eat healthier desserts! Just approach each day as a blank slate and see how healthy you can make that day. Your results will happen naturally and you won't be "on something" like a diet. You have to create a healthy lifestyle that works for you, but it takes time to see results.
3. Thinking you have to make big changes to lose weight
Via MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin
You don't have to start working out four hours a day to see results. Small changes add up big time! You don't need radical change to see weight loss results.Don't underestimate the power of your small daily decisions.
The Solution: Start making small decisions every day to see a big difference in your health. Prove to yourself that small changes work. Try to make your days active. Pace. Stand up. Do some squats while you brush your teeth. Stretch. Eat mindfully. Try some planks during a commercial break. Drink more water. Park far away from where you are headed and get more steps in. Add more veggies to your plate. Prep a healthy meal ahead of time. Eat colorfully. Try making healthier desserts. (I linked this to your website recipes) Walk more. Dance. Sweat. A healthier you is truly within reach. Create a healthy lifestyle you can live with long-term and you will watch yourself transform naturally. And while eating clean and moving your body more are not quick fixes, both are solutions with results that last.
Did we miss anything? Share what has sabotaged your weight loss goals in the comment box below.