If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me “I just can’t lose weight! I’ve tried everything and it’s just not coming off” I could probably be sitting on a beach chair in the Bahamas sipping a cocktail instead of hanging out in cold & rainy Boston 😉
For a normally healthy individual there are only two reasons why they can’t lose weight:
- They’re not following a plan that works for them (we talked about that here).
- It’s not a priority.
If you’ve been struggling to lose weight for any amount of time, I totally understand how frustrating it can be, so let’s first figure out where your top priorities are.
Find Your Priorities
- How are you currently spending your time? Write down all the things that you do throughout the day (shower, work, TV, Facebook, painting your nails, Instagram, sleeping, etc) and how much time you spend in each area. This exercise alone could be a huge wake up call. 2 hours a day on Facebook/Instagram but you can’t get to the gym????
- How do you feel about the way you’re spending your time? Rate each activity on a scale from 1-10 on level of importance. Notice how often you’re doing things that are of high importance to you. If exercise is a 9 and TV is a 2 but you’re watching hours every night, you need to make a shift there.
- Look at your top rated activities. If you’re completely sure that weight loss falls within your top three priorities, the next step is to ask yourself why.
Find Your Why
Why do you want to lose weight? Is it so you can feel more confident and increase your self-esteem? Is it because you’ve seen a family member suffer serious health effects from being overweight? Is it so you can play with your kids or grandkids? The only requirement here is to make sure you’re doing it FOR YOU. Not for your SO, not for your friends or to get revenge (remember that episode of Friends where Chandler calls Monica fat so she loses a bunch of weight and the next time she sees him she still feels like crap because of what he said?) . You need to do this for your health and happiness. Benefits of doing this for you will certainly trickle into other areas of your life but your motivation has to come from within.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Now that you’ve figured out your priorities and have figured out your why, you need to make sure you’re actively making choices every single day that will lead you to your goals.
Years ago I had a goal of having visible abs. Every morning I’d wake up and do an “ab check.” I’d roll out of bed and head straight to the mirror to see if my abs had magically appeared overnight. They never did. Finally one day it hit me that of despite eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, my abs weren’t just going to just pop up one day. In short, I wasn’t doing the work it took to get there. I knew what I’d have to do if I wanted to get leaner and I asked myself if I was willing to make the sacrifices. My answer was no, not right now. Maybe someday, but not today. This made it so much easier for me to it let go. I sometimes still do the “ab check” but it’s definitely not every morning and I don’t have any attachment or expectations. All this to say there is no sense in feeling guilt over something that just isn’t on the top of our priority list.
Now if weight loss is a goal of yours, what can you do to move in the right direction? I’ve written about this before, but some options include:
- Tell you family/friends/SO about your goal
- Put your goal where you can see it
- Buy foods that support a healthier body
- Prep some food for quick grab n’ go meals
- Drink lots of water
- Get enough sleep
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve done the hard work. You know where you priorities lie, you know why you want to achieve your goal and you know what actions you have to take to get there. So what’s left? How about super simple Fat Loss guide that takes away all the guesswork without any restriction, deprivation, counting calories or tracking macros. I’m reallllly close to finishing my Fueled Physique #simplesanesuccessful Fat Loss Guide. If you’re interested click here and request your copy today and you’ll get it before anyone else, hot off the press!!