3 Steps To Get Back On Track With Your Weight Loss Goals
No matter what month it is, someone somewhere is realizing they set weight loss goals and they haven’t reached them.
It might be you, it might be me. It happens to all of us at some point in our journey to lose weight.
It can feel so discouraging when you have the to-do lists and the schedules and your goals are clearly defined, but something just keeps knocking you off course.
Even when we have the best of intentions we often find ourselves not being able to push through and do what we know in our hearts would make us happier. We know why we want to make this change, and we know how our lives will be better, but something just isn’t connecting long term.
I don’t know about you, but this is not a cycle I want to keep repeating.
So why can’t we stick to our weight loss goals? Why is it so hard to achieve what we set for ourselves?
In order to uncover the answers to these questions, you need to look at the thoughts that go through your mind when you set your goals to lose weight, when you start to question them, and when you end up putting them to the side.
The best way to do this is by using the self-coaching model. You will be able to directly define and assess the thoughts you have when you feel discouraged and dive deeper into understanding where they come from.
Because, the only way to start getting back on track with your weight loss goals, is to understand why you keep failing in the first place.
We operate out of subconscious belief systems.
Your subconscious belief systems are the ways in which you see the world. They are ways of operating and functioning that you have adopted in order to survive and thrive in this life.
Some of these beliefs are healthy and useful, and some actively work against your success.
Obviously, it is healthy for you to believe that fire will burn you. Or that walking around naked in 20-degree weather will not be a good choice for your health. But these aren’t the belief systems that you need to uncover.
It is the beliefs you aren’t aware of that hinder you most when it comes to making positive changes in your lives.
Before we dive into the steps to take in order to get back on track with your weight loss goals, it is important to understand what kind of negative beliefs exist around your weight loss.
One of the most common examples I see with my clients is the thought, “If I lose weight I won’t fit in.”
What!? This may sound so strange, yet time and time again, I see this happen with my clients. A person begins making changes, and then they start to get backlash from friends, family members, or people at work.
Have you heard any comments like this before?
"Look who's getting all healthy now"
"I better not eat this with you around"
"Don't judge me”
These comments are not intended to cause harm, but subconsciously we hear these and our reptilian brain sounds the alarm that we may soon be pushed outside the group.
What do you do when you are the first person in your most trusted group of friends to actually start making the positive change you all spend so much time saying you should do?
How do they react?
These are all thoughts either from you or your closest friends that work to shape the subconscious beliefs that prevent you from reaching your weight loss goals.
Another very scary belief could be that your spouse isn’t on board with the changes you want to make.
This one is terrifying. Not only does it bring up insecurity that your spouse isn’t interested or supportive of your goals, but it can also cause insecurity in your spouse because you are changing and they are afraid they are going to lose you or not know how to relate to you, or they could become jealous and lash out.
This might be a good time to remind you that Change is HARD.
To reach your weight loss goals you will be required to change your habits, beliefs, and ways of operating. And to rewrite your story often takes accountability, courage, rewiring your thoughts, determination, and a lot of self-love and grace.
One of our core needs in life is to belong and be loved. And if we sense that this new habit is going to put our being accepted and loved at risk, we begin to sabotage ourselves.
You might get sick, or binge.
You could find a reason it’s not the right time to work with a coach who could help you get results.
You look for signs that it’s failing and then accept them as truth.
You might say it’s too expensive to pay for a program or for healthy food. The excuses are endless.
And when you quit trying to reach your weight loss goals, while there is guilt, shame, or frustration that you feel, you also probably feel settled. You are no longer afraid that you might not fit into your group.
Your old beliefs about what you can and can’t do are proven true and you feel safe because it’s familiar. You are no longer uncomfortable (or pushing yourself to make a positive change) and now you can relax.
And as humans, we find comfort in feeling comfortable, in knowing what to expect, in minimizing risk and playing it safe.
So, what if you don’t want to play it safe? What if you are currently in this cycle, and want to break out of it?
Do you know what’s awesome? Once you become aware of your subconscious belief systems, you can redefine them any way you want, and then take the steps to accomplish the weight loss goals you want for your life and your health.
Sometimes you just need a little help, and that’s ok!
3 Steps to Get Back on Track With Your Weight Loss Goals:
1. Look at your old beliefs, and write new ones.
If you need help learning how to examine the thoughts connected to not accomplishing your weight loss goals, first check out the self-coaching model. This will show you how to locate certain thought patterns you have every time you don’t follow through the way you want to.
Then, once you have examined those thoughts and learned what might be part of your subconscious belief systems, it’s time to write new ones.
Because here’s the thing, you can choose to believe whatever you want about yourself.
If you are really being honest with yourself, the beliefs might go pretty deep, so as always, be kind to yourself when you are exposing your old stories.
Split a piece of paper down the middle and write your old, negative beliefs on one side, and then write the new, positive beliefs on the opposite side.
Here are some possible old beliefs:
I am meant to be 20, 40, 60+ pounds overweight.
I have tried EVERYTHING and nothing is going to help me lose weight.
Food is the only place I can find comfort when I’m stressed or sad or feeling a loss of control.
I am not lovable and stay overweight and insecure about my body so I never have to face how I really feel.
And now let’s change them for good:
I am meant to be [insert your goal weight].
There is a way out there that will help me lose weight.
I can find comfort in other ways than through food.
I am worthy of love.
The first step to getting back on track with your weight loss goals is to expose what it is that made you lose track in the first place. And then, you will know how to rewrite those thoughts in a way that leads to your success.
2. Start with one thing, do not try to change it all at once.
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, so let’s start with a real-world example.
Imagine all your beliefs are roads and your mind is a city. Some of these roads are dirt, some are paved, and some are highways in desperate need of repair.
What would happen if the city decided to improve every road across the entire city in under 4 weeks?
Let’s put aside the obvious that they already set themselves up for failure with this plan.
The people in the city would go crazy. No one would be able to travel anywhere. The construction crews would be stretched thin and exhausted. There would not be one working road in this time frame.
So, do you see the comparison I’m trying to make? Start with one road, or belief, at a time. And don’t take on too much at once. That highway, or deeply set belief, is going to be a lot harder and take a lot longer than the dirt road, or the surface level belief.
So, let’s start with some entry-level beliefs:
“I don’t have the time to exercise” becomes “I make the time to exercise”
What does this mean? There are two levels here. Maybe your original weight loss goals just did not logistically fit into the time you have available during the day, but maybe you need to make clearer boundaries to schedule a time for things that are important to you, like working out.
To give yourself the best chance at success, maybe start simple, and just set a goal to get 10,000 steps in each day. It’s not a detailed routine and doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your life. But, you might need to schedule a time for a 30-minute walk.
Do you see how you’re pushing yourself for change but not putting it outside of your grasp?
“I just can’t eat healthy” becomes “I eat healthy with the right plan”
Hi! Welcome to my life. There are definitely times when I realize I am not eating as healthy as I’d like to be. But, instead of jumping immediately into a new diet, I commit to tracking my food for 2 weeks and keep my calories in a healthy range.
And I hate tracking my food, but it offers accountability so I can see how I’m eating isn’t aligning with how I want to feel or fuel my body. And now I gave myself the information and the plan I need in order to see that I can, in fact, eat healthy.
These examples might not seem extreme to you, or they might seem completely out of your reach. It is ok either way. I am here for you wherever you are on your journey.
If you are able to push yourself a little further, go for it, but make sure to be realistic in setting your weight loss goals. Reach is good, but intentionally setting yourself up for failure will just keep this cycle going.
3. Get some accountability.
One of the most common subconscious beliefs I hear is “I can do this on my own.”
But the thing is, you don’t need to, and you shouldn’t have to. As humans, we thrive in groups, or when we have one person who we know we can count on to help us stay on track with our weight loss goals.
Because sometimes you need that outside perspective, especially when all you want to do is quit, and your friends are calling you crazy, you already broke your diet, and feel like you completely blew it anyways.
You need to have someone who is 100% on board with your weight loss goals, will be honest with you, and will keep you honest with yourself.
Find what works for you. Friends are great, but sometimes you end up finding success down different roads when it comes to your journey because of your different subconscious beliefs.
Maybe it’s joining a gym, or a mom’s workout group in your community. I offer weight loss accountability coaching 1:1 because that is what works best for my clients.
But just remember that no matter what you choose, it might feel scary at first, but it’s only because you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. You need to give yourself that little push because what you’re currently doing probably isn’t working.
Now, it’s your turn to take action.
Look back at the weight loss goals you set for yourself last month. Did you accomplish them? Did you fall short? Think about what thoughts and subconscious beliefs might have gotten in the way. And then rewrite them, set step by step goals, and find the accountability support you need.
You CAN get back on track, it just takes a little self-exploration and a whole lot of honesty.
And if you want the extra help and support, I am always here for you! Schedule a call today and we can talk about what goals you can’t seem to accomplish, and why.
Your success is just around the corner, there’s just a few pieces that need to be unlocked first!
All my love,