I have worked with hundreds of women who have struggled with losing weight and feeling crappy in their skin. I love that my blog gives me the opportunity to share what I teach and reach more women (and yes, you too guys).
I thought I would put together a series of blog posts that highlight the top 5 mistakes I see women making in the pursuit of weight loss and keeping it off (ah, the elusive “lifestyle”).
Let’s do this David Letterman style…
#5. Believing will power and goal setting is the answer.
Have you ever tried to steer an elephant?
In their book “Switch – How to change when change is hard” by Dan and Chip Heath the authors compare having willpower to trying to steer an elephant. You may be able to take control for awhile but eventually the elephant is going to win just because of sheer size and strength.
Yes, food habits can be as powerful as an elephant (but you already knew that didn’t you?!)
Your habits are DEEPLY ingrained in your body and in your thought patterns. Having a goal and exercising will power may get you out of the starting gate but if you want long term success you are going to have to go deeper. What is it about making changes to your eating habits that inspires you? What thoughts about making changes to your eating patterns stop you cold in your tracks?
How many times in the past have you set weight loss goals only to achieve them (or give up while pursuing them) then revert back to old patterns and regain the weight? How many times have you “willed” yourself to step away from the desert tray at a party to find yourself standing in the dark with only the light of the fridge illuminating your midnight feeding frenzy?
Letting go of the crutches of will power and goal setting is one key to create lasting weight loss and substantial lifestyle changes.
One of the hardest lessons to learn in the E.A.T! class is that there is NO DONE.
Yep, that’s right. You will never be DONE.
There is no end. There is no final destination.
Shit just got real for some of you.
This is a totally different mind set than what is floating around in cyber world. You see to create lasting weight loss and to even get started on the right foot means that you just start walking and KEEP walking. It means you have to learn about food. It means you have to learn about yourself and get curious about what it is about food that makes you tick. It means that you have to live and eat one day at a time, one meal at a time and one choice at a time.
How different would dieting become if you had no official start or finish day? How would your journey towards creating a body you love feel if you just gave yourself permission to take it one meal at a time? How would it feel to change how you eat without the scale measuring your success?
No will power required. No mental self abuse. No mistake or failure.
Conscious choice. That’s it.
Take a serious look at your relationship with dieting and the patterns you have been repeating over and over and over.
Ask yourself if it has worked for you.
Ask yourself if you are willing to have the courage to STOP playing the game and find a new way.
Make conscious choice your new willpower and make your goal to live your best life everyday.
Weight loss doesn’t have to be a struggle or wrapped in EPIC drama or determination. You just have to want to feel better and be ready to start making choices that support your emotional well being.
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Share your biggest “ah ha” in the comments below and I will see you soon for biggest mistake # 4! (CLICK HERE to continue on!)
I am here to help YOU do things differently. Gremlins and all, I’ve got you covered. Show up for yourself and we will create YOUR new way. Click HERE to learn how you can work with me.
