How Good Intentions & Resolve Are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

“Winners never quit and quitters never win” is a really catchy myth that keeps a lot of us stuck and spinning our wheels.  While our society glorifies people for their resolve and “never say die” attitude that can lead to success, there are an even greater number of us who are struggling and frustrated because of our resolve and good intentions.

After being introduced to figure competitions, I spent years living the bodybuilding lifestyle- even when I wasn’t competing.  I was proud of the amount of resolve that I had displayed to get into competitive shape and continued to display as I endured hours of weekly meal prep and exercise.  The problem was, as my life got more complicated (in good ways), I struggled to maintain that lifestyle.  It was no longer a good fit and I would have been better served moving on to a different, more holistic, way of staying in shape but I didn’t.

Every week I would let my good intentions fire me up to keep going.  Every week I would inevitably skip sessions because I had other important stuff going on in my life besides my hour long dates with the stairmill.  Every week I would feel bad, give myself a pep talk, resolve to do it right the next week, and set out all over again with my good intentions.

This cycle was not only mentally and physically exhausting, it eventually caused me to gain weight.  But here’s the crazy part… I would not let myself off the hook because I had every intention of following through and my resolve kept me right there- try try trying again to no avail.  I was captive in a self-constructed prison and I refused to put the key in the door and let myself out.

The Ugly Side of Good Intentions & Resolve

They keep you from asking the questions that get to the root of the problem and turn your potential into success.

As long as I was willing and intending to stick to that grueling plan, I was not free to ask some important question.  I didn’t ask WHY aren’t I sticking to this plan.  I didn’t ask is there a way to get the results I want that address what is keeping me from sticking to this plan?  I just kept intending and resolving which kept me stuck and feeling bad about my “inability” to make progress.

They keep you from moving on to a better way.

As long as I had intentions to make that plan work, I was not looking for or creating a better way.  I used all of my focus and energy on white knuckling my way through.  The crazy part is as loyal as I was to “getting it right” with this approach, I wasn’t making the progress I wanted because the approach was completely unsustainable for me.  Had I redirected my resolve and abandoned my intentions to make THIS WAY work, I could have moved on to a better, more productive way a lot sooner.

While we do need good intentions and resolve to succeed with any worthwhile endeavor there is a healthy upper limit to both.  Identifying an approach that works for you- for the life you have right now- is more valuable than a ton of resolve and good intentions to stick to one that doesn’t fit.

What did you think. Let me know in the comments below! And if you found this helpful or inspirational, be sure to share.