Losing weight is never an easy journey. It might start well, but after a while, you lose motivation and quickly regain the lost weight (and then some). You bounce from diet and diet, trying to find the right one and end up frustrated and defeated, believing it is all too hard.
Sound familiar?
In this week’s podcast and Youtube video, I’m discussing the most common reasons our weight loss attempts are unsuccessful and how to overcome them. Here are the top three.
- Not Cultivating The Right Mindset
The weight loss world is extremely action-focused. We obsess over finding the best diet and looking for the newest hacks and techniques. One thing that is RARELY spoken about, though, is mindset.
Now hear me out. I’m not about to suggest that if you tell yourself you can lose weight, you will do it, regardless of the action you take. However, cultivating the RIGHT MINDSET is the missing piece of the puzzle for most people.
Along with finding the diet and tactic that works for you, you must cultivate a strong and supportive mindset. What does this mean?
Well, we all have ingrained beliefs about why it is so hard for us to lose weight. We may tell ourselves it’s difficult because we love chocolate too much, we don’t have time to exercise, or that our weight is due to our genetics and is out of our control.
Now, this is what happens when we attempt to lose weight without addressing our mindset first…
Our beliefs and stories start to creep in, such as the belief we cannot resist chocolate after dinner. This triggers negative emotions, which drives us to self-sabotaging actions, like giving in and eating chocolate. This behavior hinders our results, creates more negative emotions, and traps us in a cycle we cannot escape.
However, if we can cultivate a strong and supportive mindset, we can recognize that the thoughts and emotions we experience come from the stories our mind makes up.
This awareness empowers us to challenge those stories, helping us stay focused on our goals. It also allows us to show compassion to ourselves so that we don’t beat ourselves up for having cravings. Instead, we accept that the weight loss journey is difficult, which helps us feel more encouraged to keep going.
- Seeing Weight Loss As A Temporary Means-To-An-End
Talking about mindset, most people approach losing weight with this perspective: “I just have to suffer for a few weeks until I lose the weight, then they can go back to my normal life.”
But what happens when you return to your normal life?
Sooner or later, you return to your old eating patterns (you know, the ones that caused you to gain weight in the first place?), and you quickly put the weight back on.
Instead of following a super restrictive 2-week diet that makes us miserable and hungry, we should make smaller, more sustainable lifestyle changes.
This could be reducing sugar, not snacking after dinner, eating less meat, etc. We are not restricting ourselves from everything we enjoy; we are just making changes to create a healthier lifestyle.
Sure, when you approach weight loss this way, it may take longer to lose the pounds, but do you know what? The weight is much more likely to stay off and you’ll have a far more enjoyable experience.
- All-Or-Nothing Thinking
Another common roadblock to losing weight is thinking if we make one small error, all hope is lost.
How many times have you given in and eaten one cookie only to tell yourself, “Well, now I’ve ruined it, so today might as well be a write-off.” Cue excessive binge eating.
This links into point number one – mindset. We make one small error, which triggers self-deprecating thoughts and feelings of guilt and shame. This then leads to self-sabotage, and before we know it, we’ve finished the entire pack of cookies.
However, if we zoom out and look at the situation from a clearer perspective, we will see that one cookie really isn’t a big deal. One cookie doesn’t jeopardize our diet or ruin our day.
Then, instead of beating ourselves up about having one cookie, we can practice self-compassion. This allows us to get straight back on track – and the rest of the cookies will stay in the packet!
If you can relate to these weight loss roadblocks, be sure to watch the full episode on Youtube. Here I’m sharing other common challenges AND a tool you can use to prevent them from happening again.
If you prefer an audio-only version, here’s where you can listen to the podcast episode:
Resources Mentioned:
Download my FREE Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life workbook here: https://drkimfoster.com/mindset
Apply for the Wellness Coach Academy today: https://wellnesscoachacademy.com
More Helpful Resources:
- Download my FREE Marketing Checklist for Health Coaches: 12 Ways To Get Clients https://drkimfoster.com/checklist
- My Free Class: How To Build A 6-Figure Health Coaching Business Using One Signature Program
- Kim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkimfoster/
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