You’ve been on this rocky journey for years – searching for an effective and permanent way to keep the weight off. You have a drawer full of “motivational” gym clothing, another drawer full of supplements that are supposed to help burn fat and build muscle, yet the drawer where you want to proudly store your “fat jeans” is still empty. Actually, you are wearing that pair right now.
It’s easy to get frustrated and tired when no weight loss system or program seems to keep those extra pounds away, no matter how much you diet, exercise, and deny yourself, you can’t seem to get where you want to be. And all you can do is ask: “Why?”
The answer might be here:
- It all Starts in Your Head
Why do you need to lose weight? Are you overweight? Is your health suffering? Do you want to feel more confident in your skin? Now answer the question, “why are you the weight that you are?” Though we might be tempted to respond that we eat too much, can’t find time to exercise or we work shift work and can’t figure out how to eat around your schedule, go a little deeper. Are you stressed? Anxious? Maybe dealing with depression? Often we find that there are deeper issues that influence our eating patterns. If this is true in your case, start with treating your mind and develop a motivational plan that will help you reach your weight-loss goals.
- Jump Start
Though the pros are right when they say that you need a full lifestyle change to create a sustainable weight-loss trend, there is a wealth of research that suggests that having a “jumpstart” of 2 weeks can lead to quicker and more pronounced weight loss. That means that instead of slowly altering your lifestyle, it’s better to shock the system to get those first few pounds off, and then commit to a more sustainable lifestyle that will promote the weight loss you are trying to achieve. The difference is that now you will already have some results and be more motivated to continue to shed the pounds, hopefully with much success.
- Change it Up
If you have been doing the same thing for years and you are stuck in a rut, it’s a sign as good as any- change it up! Your body might be in a state where it is storing fat because of your restrictive diet, or just plateauing because it feels comfortable where it is. If you aren’t quite satisfied with the weight you at right now, look for interesting ways to “shock” your body into burn mode, like introducing a new workout or exercise routine, trying to cut out or reintroduce certain foods, or meet with a nutritionist about your dilemma. A professional might be able to put together a plan that your body will learn to love and get you to that lighter point.
The only thing that you should never do is give up completely. Picture yourself pushing a boulder up a mountain, higher and higher. At one point, you slip and the boulder starts rolling down. If you catch it even 10 meters before the base of the mountain, it’s that much closer to the top and you don’t have to start from nothing. Whenever you start to see yourself slipping with your weight loss goals, just remember that messing up one day doesn’t mean that you should give everything up and start from the bottom. Keep going as you were and one day you’ll get to the top.
