There are some undeniable weight loss facts that you are probably ignoring right now. So often I hear people say, “losing weight is hard” or “I get off to a good start and then I eventually give up.”
Losing weight and keeping it off is a process that takes time.
Have you tried to lose weight then lost your patience with the process (and yourself) and you end up throwing in the towel on your weight loss goals again?
This eventually feels exhausting and your belief in yourself and your ability to lose weight begins to wane.
If you believe that losing weight is hard or you eventually give up, it’s probably because you have unrealistic expectations about how much weight you should lose in a certain period of time and your frustration and disappointment takes over…leading to more negative emotions to stuff down with food.
If this sounds like you, here are 10 weight loss facts to keep in mind when it comes to the process of lasting weight loss.
Weight Loss Fact #1: If you’ve tried a million different diets, you’ve, most likely, been given the wrong information when it comes to “the how” of losing weight and keeping it off. You’ve been taught that you need to cut out all the foods you love, especially carbs, if you want to lose weight. This is incorrect and, as you’ve probably learned the hard way, it will backfire every time.
Weight Loss Fact #2: Do you only focus on changing the food that you eat when you try to lose weight? If so, you are missing the major piece to the weight loss puzzle. You need to pay attention to changing WHY you gained weight to begin with. What habits, behaviors and mindset got you to where you are right now?
Weight Loss Fact #3: It’s not so much that losing weight is hard, staying consistent is what’s hard. This is where the “eventually I give up” comes in.
Weight Loss Fact #4: When you pay attention, you will hear your own thoughts giving you permission to eat when you are not physically hungry and to eat your emotions. This is what has you consuming more calories than your body needs leading to weight gain.
Weight Loss Fact #5: Your eating behaviors are wired into your brain. You have to re-program your brain in order to change your eating habits. This is why weight loss feels hard and you eventually give up. It’s easier to revert to your old behaviors than push through to keep practicing your new behaviors when it begins to feel hard or tedious. This is what one of my clients referred to as ‘control fatigue’. It’s a real thing causing you to throw in the towel on yourself.
Weight Loss Fact #6: You CAN lose weight and keep it off.
It IS possible to change the way your brain is wired.
It IS possible to stay consistent.
It IS possible to change your mindset, habits and behaviors that have you gaining and re-gaining the weight.
Here is how you know Fact #6 is a real fact.
Notice the mindset shifts that my client Jennifer had when learning to create her new and healthy behaviors:
“I’m I’m less drawn to going out for dinner every chance I get because food isn’t the “luxury” at the end of a long day. Whereas before if I’d had a long day and we didn’t eat out, I’d feel crabby about it, I realized in hindsight. Now, I’m driven by cooking healthy at home, and it’s not disappointing or inferior in any way. It’s just a meal. And the cherry on top is that food isn’t my focus the rest of the evening/last next morning when I’m feeling guilty. I ate and moved on with my life. Total non-event. Who is this new person???”
Notice the shift in Julie’s self-belief:
“I had a thought late last night as I was dozing off that I’d genuinely never had before. I could really, truly imagine myself fitter, ligher, looking better, living a healthier lifestyle in the future (I sort of pictured 6 mo from now) but I actually got really excited about that future. Not in a hopeful sort of way, as I’d done before, but in a very realistic, “it’s going to happen” sort of way. It felt like my brain breaking through some of those limiting beliefs. It was a novel feeling.”
Carol shifted her vacation brain thinking:
“I’m a little nervous about how I’ll fare when I don’t have my go to and will need to eat out for most meals. Vacations usually trip me up. But now I think…use the same tools. Small portion sizes, putting half my food to the side, checking in, balanced meals. A trip doesn’t change how I eat, which is for fuel. You can practice that anywhere. My first time traveling with my new mindset which I can put to use and prove to myself it’s totally doable.”
Not long ago these women couldn’t see what was standing in their way. They kept repeating habits and behaviors that was producing the same results…constant dieting without lasting weight loss results
It’s making mindset shifts that led to new and better habits and behaviors and THINKING that leads to lasting weight loss.
Weight Loss Fact #7: You CAN learn how to change your mindset so that you can stay consistent on your weight loss journey and STOP throwing the towel in on yourself.
Weight Loss Fact #8: It’s possible lose weight without cutting out ALL of the foods that you love.
Weight Loss Fact #9: When you practice being patient with yourself on your journey you will lose weight and keep it off.
Weight Loss Fact #10: Being overweight isn’t a permanent state of being. It’s 100% changeable.
The question is…are you willing to accept these weight loss facts as truth and do what it takes to change? If you are, click here to speak with me.
To your health!
