The sad truth is that most of us have been unhappy with our bodies at one point or another, and most of us have wanted to lose five or 25 pounds. Did you succeed? AWESOME. If not, this could be why your weight loss plan is letting you down.
You’re overestimating the effectiveness of your exercise.
There are so many reasons to work out that have nothing to do with weight control, but if you’re using it to enhance your weight loss, you’ve got to keep in mind that it’s a lot easier to eat 1000 calories than it is to burn 1000 calories. That hour in a fitness class might take 300-600, which is easily consumed again in a couple of chocolate chip cookies. Exercise is good and should be a part of your life. But if it’s the only change you made in your lifestyle, you might be in for a longer road than you expected.
You’re not being consistent.
The little choices you make every day are the ones that will matter three months from now. Eating the entire pizza this evening isn’t going to help you, but it’s not going to ruin you, either. You’ve just got to get back on track tomorrow with your small, smart choices: water instead of soda, salad instead of a roll, the stairs instead of the elevator, and completing your exercise routine.
You’re eating like crap.
I dated a personal trainer once who described his eating habits as “fairly healthy.” All he really meant was that he supplemented well, he ate smart portions, and he avoided sugar in the form of candy, which is where we tend to think of all the sugar being. Aside from that, his diet was a disaster: tons of processed convenience foods (sugar heaven), diet soda (chemical sh*tstorm), and beer. This was a personal trainer making these mistakes, someone who is supposed to be teaching people to know better. Take a close look at what you’re eating. Just because you’re going a little hungry each day and you didn’t touch the office donuts doesn’t mean your diet is actually healthy and balanced. (P.S. No need to go hungry.)
You’re getting too trendy.
There are lots of diet plans out there, and they all work for someone. Truthfully, a lot of them would probably work for EVERYONE if the plan were followed to the letter. Trouble is, a lot of the diets aren’t sustainable lifestyle plans; they’re quick fixes intended to get quick results–that often don’t last, unfortunately. I’m a huge believer in the Bod•ē transformation plan, because it’s easy to follow, involves real, healthy food and high-quality products, and includes a “cheat” day where you can let life be life, wherever it leads you. There’s also an app to keep you on track. If you are the type of person that responds well to a plan, choose a healthy, sustainable plan. And then follow it. Consistently.
You’re not focusing on anything else.
Life is good, and if your sole focus is on losing weight, you’re missing a lot of stuff. If you’re talking down to yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself. If you feel guilty about everything you eat, that food is definitely not doing you a lot of good. Decide to lose the weight, be consistent about your means of losing it, and then let go. It’s going to take some time, but you’ve got some time.
Have you ever set out to lose weight? What worked for you? What didn’t?