You are frustrated. I get it. I was once, too.
Every year for the past few years I make a pledge.
And every year around this time, I feel like a failure…
I know you do too. So you’re in good company here.
Losing weight has always been one of my New Year’s Resolution for as long as I care to remember. Too long if I’m being honest.
So why did I find it hard to achieve my ideal weight and what does this have to do with you?
We are the same you and I.
We want the same things.
- To lose a little bit of weight.
- To feel attractive.
- To eat anything we want without feeling guilty about it.
So why do all diets fail miserably? And before I go ahead, I just want you to know it’s not your fault. So ditch that idea of blaming yourself and listen really hard because what I’m about to tell you is really important. Deal?
Your goal is noble but your habits suck
Let me repeat that. Your goal is noble but your habits suck.
There I said it. These words may upset you but that is not my intention. Keep reading and it will all become clearer.
Your habits are those little tiny things you do everyday. Often automatically without thinking about it.
You come in from work. Drop the keys on the table. Put the kettle on and reach for the biscuit tin, while breathing a sigh of relief. Another day done…
…Or perhaps you enjoy a cheeky glass of wine to celebrate getting through the day without murdering someone.
All these seemingly little things add up. Before you know it, having a glass of wine everyday after work becomes the ‘thing’ you do.
So what’s this got to do with gaining that summer body? Or getting that sexy figure you’ve been dying for?
EVERYTHING…
You see, losing weight alone is not a good goal. Let me ask you. How many times have you achieved that number that means so much to you? Once, twice, three times? And how many times have you slowly seen the figure climbing back up again shortly afterwards?
I know how you feel right now because I have been there. I managed to lose 10 kg in 6 weeks while taking an intensive training program, only to see the progress erased withing a matter of weeks soon after.
It wasn’t my lack of willpower and neither is it yours. Once you understand the one little secret I’m going to share and you apply it, you will start making lasting progress.
So are you ready for the big reveal?
‘Stop thinking about weight loss and start thinking about a healthy lifestyle.’
There you have it. That’s my big little secret. Now take a moment or a deep breathe and read that statement out aloud to yourself. Done?
I bet it goes against the grain of how you have been thinking about achieving your ideal weight.
If you’re anything like me (we all want the same things after all), you obsess so much on the number on the scale. I know because I was exactly the same.
For a time I ate as healthily as I could. I denied myself the things I really craved. The sweet stuff (I have a weakness for biscuits, what’s yours?). I forced myself into becoming a teetotal zombie (picture that). And when I found myself at the bottom of a packet of chocolate hobnobs, I felt like crap.
Making the mental shift from dieting to a healthy lifestyle is not easy,I’ll be the first to admit.But it is simple, if you know how.
Daily Habits and Healthy Lifestyle
This could easily turn into a book but I know you have other important stuff to do. So I’ll cut right to the chase. Ready?
Understanding the little things that you do on a daily basis that have led you to where you are now is vital to achieving your ideal number.
Your food choices. Your entertainment choices. Your snack choices. They all have a role to play.
James Clear has just released a new book titled Atomic Habits An Easy And Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. I would like you to read this book.
Why? Because the guy knows more about habits than I could ever tell you. And the tiny nuggets you will glean from it will help you change not just your eating and exercise habits, but any other habit you’d like to change.
Now this is where I stop writing and you go back to the top and read this article again.
Yes, I know you have just finished reading it. If you take anything out of this, remember ‘Stop thinking about weight loss and start thinking about a healthy lifestyle.’
I really would love to hear your thoughts on the ideas I’ve shared here. It’s not just an ego trip I promise. I really care about helping you achieve your goal, whatever that may be.
Also, if you have any questions or you’d like to share your personal journey, I’d love to read about it and help in any way I can.
Remember, start small and start right now. You will be glad you did.
