The Mental Side of Losing Weight (Part 3)
On Friday of last week I posted part 1 of The Mental Side of Losing Weight, Monday I posted part 2, which included Steps 1 and 2 and today I’m posting Steps 3 and 4. On Friday, you’ll get Step 5 and we’ll wrap it up. Let’s get started!
Step 3
The third step is to make sure that whatever plan you decide to implement (whether it be exercise or nutrition related) is realistic for you. If you know that you will not be able to make it for a day without bread, don’t go on a low carb diet plan! If you know that you can’t stand the taste of peanut butter, don’t try including it just because you read a book that told you it is a healthy fat! If you know that walking on a treadmill makes your left hip ache all night, don’t walk on the treadmill! The bottom line is, if you make changes that aren’t realistic, you won’t keep doing it. And this time is DIFFERENT, remember?
Step 4
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF and KEEP GOING! There will, at some time or another, be a point when you hit a plateau. You’ll get frustrated, discouraged and want to quit rather than keep going. This spot is what has stopped you all the times before. You have to push past it and keep going. Plateaus suck, there is no sugar coating it. I experienced one plateau that lasted 18 months. No matter what I did, I couldn’t lose an ounce. I changed up my workouts, made them harder, made them easier, made them super intense, took rest periods, tried intervals training, cardio only plans, weight lifting only plans- and still got no results. I changed my nutrition up, eating more calories, eating fewer calories, eating higher protein, lower protein, more fat, less fat, you name it- I tried it and still got nothing. I understand how frustrating they can be because I’ve been there and done that. I made it past mine, and you will too. Plateaus won’t last forever, although they feel like they do. Eventually, you will break past it and continue on your way. Trust me.
Real Life Challenge:Okay, homework assignment #2. Now that you have your contract, lists of motivations and goals as well as your POA, look over them and ask yourself if your POA really fits your life. Does it fit well within your work and home schedules and your budget? Is the nutrition plan something that you feel confident you can maintain for the rest of your life? Is it a drastic change from what you are currently doing? In most cases, if it is drastic, it is not something you will stick with for the long haul. After going back over it, do you still feel good about implementing it? If so, get going! (If not, go back to Step 2 and do some more research until you find a plan that can make it through step 3) As for Step 4, the plateau will come sooner or later. This is where your list of motivations and goals comes in to play. Keep them handy, when you get frustrated they can help you stay on track. There were plenty of times that my lists helped me stay focused on the bigger picture instead of my immediate frustrations. Don’t forget to check back on Friday to get Step 5 and the conclusion! See ya then!