So the cycle begins...again.
To paraphrase, these are the times that try our souls…
So, we are two weeks into our resolutions to live better lives. New year, new you, right? But the problem is that we are ready to go back to the old ways…or worse yet, we have not even started on our journey to better health…
And so the cycle begins. You know what I’m talking about. The cycle that says that we are “never” going to make it because we are “[insert your personal criticism here…]”
Self-doubt and criticism comes to easily for many of us. It is that thing that stops us (or gives us a reason to stop) from achieving our goals. We feed into our own feelings of self-worth and question why we even deserve to have the life that we only dream that we can have. This is wrong and we have to get off of that cycle.
I remember once thinking that if I had “three wishes” I would know that one of them would be to have a slamming body and that I would be weight and height proportional. I remember thinking (to make the wish “perfect”) that my change would have to be gradual, because if I just woke up with a “banging body,” people might not recognize me. Then it hit me. I don’t have to “waste” that wish…I have the tools and the power within me to ACTUALLY lose the weight…gradually. I just needed to set my mind to do it. It was really one of those “aha moments” that Oprah tells us about…
So, if we have the power within us to lose weight, why do we sabotage ourselves?
If you are feeling that you are ready to give up on your journey to better health, or if you have not yet started, here are some tips that you can consider and use to get yourself back on track!
Remember. Remind yourself of why you started your journey. Did you make a list of why you are doing this? If yes, pull it out and read it – slowly. Remind yourself of why you are doing this. If you haven’t made a list, make it now, put it away for later when you need to remind yourself that you matter…that you come first and that you are worth it!
Visualize. Grab a magazine or explore online, images that inspire you to lose weight. Make a vision board, or put the images up on Pinterest or in a file in your computer. I love looking at great clothes, and I often look at designs that I would like to wear when I lose weight. They help me to remember why I am undertaking this journey.
Accessorize. Pull out old clothes. If you have started your journey and are simply in need of some inspiration, pull out old clothes and see if they feel better, fit looser or (better yet) are falling off of you.
Phone a friend. Sometimes talking about the challenges that you are having can feel less desperate if you speak to a friend. If they are also struggling you can be a support for each other, if they are not struggling, they can be an inspiration.
Double Down. Sometimes, the best way to get motivated is to dig down deep and “just do it”! Ignore your sadness and your concerns and “trust” that the process will see you through to the point of being motivated. If you control your calories and increase your physical activity so that you are burning calories, you will lose weight. Sometimes it has to be enough to know that the process will work if you follow it…also known as “faking it, until you make it”!
