So it’s the New Year, and you’ve decided to lose a few pounds. How are you going to do that? What exactly is your strategy? What has worked in the past? What has failed? Just exactly why did it fail? Can you re-double your efforts, and use that strategy again, or is it bound for trouble with a capital “T?” What else can you try?
Have you done any recent research on weight loss? As you likely know, nutrition is a fledgling science, with plenty of conflict regarding what’s the best way to go. If you find yourself feeling too confused to follow anything in particular, I recommend getting back to basics, and following three things you know in the bottom of your gut, that you should change, in order to eat in a manner that you believe would be consistent with healthier practices. Then follow those three guidelines, when grocery shopping, and as you prepare, and eat every meal.
How will this attempt be any different than all the rest? How are you going to stand out from the rest of the pack? I don’t mean to blow your mind, or burst your bubble, but only 5% of those attempting to change addictive behaviors, such as smoking, heroin usage, drinking, compulsive spending, gambling, over eating, or eating too much of the wrong stuff, fail. Sorry to say, but these are just the facts!
Are you ready to make a life long commitment to changing your lifestyle, or are you just bargaining for a little bit more time? If you are just prolonging the inevitable, the same problems will be staring you in the face next year, and you are likely to make the same resolution next year. All I can say to that is B-O-R-I-N-G. Don’t you want to make this year’s resolution a game changer?
What do you say? Is it time to make this problem vanish from your worry plate? If it is, then you are in for some hard work, and will have to make many long term changes. Most likely, one of the biggest changes will be about your attitude toward making these changes. Instead of focusing on feeling deprived, you will have to begin to ponder and think about what you will get in return. For each of us, it will a little bit different.
I guess it gets down to WHY you want to lose weight. What is really crucial to you? What’s in it for you? Generally, when you get in touch with your “WHY?” things get a little easier, and the tough tend to get going.
So let’s figure out your WHY! Do you want to look better? Are you into feeling better? Do you want to suffer with less disease? Live a bit longer? Get through more of your bucket list, before you move on to whatever after life exists in the cosmos? Do you want to move more, ’til the end of your days? Be less of a burden to others? Do you want to give back to the next generation? Do you want to spend more quality time with your loved ones? Do you want more fun, and less suffering? Are you trying to make a significant contribution to your field, before your time runs out? Do you want to run more? Ski more? Bike more? Fly fish more? Surf more? Explore more? Travel to the ends of the earth? What’s your thing?
You need to get in touch with your WHY, so that when you are in the thick of it, and temptation strikes, you can pull your WHY out of the back of your pocket, and look at it straight on. You’ll need to ask, “Is it worth it to give up this now, for that later?” Then you have a fighting chance at turning down the same old foods that got you in this mess in the first place!
Really and truly, if you know WHY you are doing this, you are more likely to be successful. So take some time right now to write down three of the top reasons you want to pursue this path. Then really think about the three options and rank order them in terms of importance. Write them out on a separate piece of paper, in the rank order, with the most important reason first. Now commit this reason to memory, and put the other paper, or document, somewhere safe, where you can refer to it, when necessary.
Without taking the time to really examine your WHY, failure is inevitable! So do your homework! It’s worth it, and so are you!
Lisa J Lafave, PhD, MBA, ACC, BCC
CEO & Founder of Coaching Rocks,LLC
The Wellness Coach at Building Better Bodies Rocks.
A Single Mom By Choice Raising Surrogacy Twin Boys
Written in My Little Brick in University Heights, Ohio
Leap Into Action!