I need to try harder.
I need more discipline.
I just wish I could get more motivated.
These statements. This place is where I lived for a LONG time.
I can’t really tell you how many weight loss programs I have tried. I can’t even remember. Here’s what I can tell you. Every program that I tried left me disappointed. Every one made me feel like something was wrong with me- like I couldn’t really attain what I wanted most.
I am not saying that I didn’t lose weight following programs. I DID. But here’s what I discovered…
LOSING WEIGHT WASN’T ENOUGH.
I wanted to keep it off.
I wanted to still have fun.
I wanted all of the good stuff that I THOUGHT would happen when I hit my goal and weight loss programs were not delivering that.
IF I was going to ever get those things- the things I really wanted- I was going to have to do something different. I was going to have to realize that no amount of discipline or increased effort or motivation was going to change my outcome because it was about more than just losing the weight.
I wanted to lose weight without losing everything else.
Here are the steps I took to stop yo-yo dieting and lose weight for good.
STEP #1: Realize that programs with rules and “to dos” are a short term solution.
Yes anyone can follow rules 1-20 for a few months and lose some pounds. I have done it. You have too right? But what happens when the program is over? You go back to your HABITS- what you do when you aren’t thinking about it. You go back to the exact actions that got you out of shape in the first place. I had to make peace with the fact that my answer was not waiting for me in another book. No matter how well any of the programs worked, they were NOT my permanent solution.
STEP #2: Discover the simplest, most important actions that will help you lose weight and keep it off.
Your body will be a reflection of what you do most of the time. Do you really intend to follow a long list of rules for LIFE? I know I don’t. However I can absolutely do 2-3 things consistently that make a difference. I spent time learning which actions REALLY made a difference and which ones just kept me overwhelmed and deprived.
STEP #3: Begin practicing those essential actions with just with 1-2 at a time and add the next only when the ones you are practicing are your habit.
By the time I surrendered to the fact that I didn’t need another program, I was exhausted- mentally and physically. I didn’t have the “want to” in me to follow a list of rules- not even a very short list of daily actions. It took a while for me to be honest with myself about this but it was obvious. I would start every Monday and be completely off track by Wednesday so I gave myself a break. I started with ONE NEW DAILY ACTION. I kept working that action until I realized that it was a habit. I wasn’t even thinking about it anymore. I was doing it AUTOMATICALLY. When I got there, I added the next thing and the next until I was implementing all of the fundamental habits I needed.
So there you have it. That was my super simple process for escaping for finally getting the weight off and keeping it off in a way that left me plenty of time, energy, and focus for the rest of my life.
Are you ready to make that shift too?
I can help.
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