Change is hard! Staying on track can be even harder. It’s okay if you don’t change everything at once. You’re not a super hero…or maybe you are. For the rest of us, the best way to achieve your goals is to set realistic goals.
Having a goal that you want to lose weight is probably not going to happen. Having a goal that you want to lose 10 pounds in 2 months is much better. It’s precise. You also need to have a reason for achieving that goal so when you’re having hard day (I call them character building days) you can tell yourself, I’m doing this for my kids, or I want to fit in that bikini for vacation. Whatever your drive is doesn’t matter as long as it’s important to you.
You also have to realize change takes time and it’s not easy. I hate seeing commercials on TV promising you’ll lose weight without changing your lifestyle in 30 days by taking a pill. That’s just not true. You need to be realistic from the start. You didn’t put on 100 pounds in a month. You aren’t going to lose it in a month either. BUT if you’re consistent you will continue to lose weight every month and every year, instead of gain and after a few years will be back to a healthy weight. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. It’s not temporary, it’s permanent.
If you want to be successful you need to take baby steps. Change one thing at a time. Maybe today you vow to stop eating fast food or stop getting a 600 calorie mocha latte every morning or only drink one can of soda a week. Whatever it is, promise yourself you will stop and not temporarily, but permanently. Then, once a month add on another goal.
Some days keeping your goals will be hard. This is normal to fight with yourself that today it’s okay to have a donut (for example), but the reality is you need to stay focused on what you really want. If you slip up and eat that donut it’s okay, keep going. If you’re cheating everyday then you need to take a step back and reevaluate. Patterns are what we are as humans. That’s the way the brain works, so we must re-train our mind and it takes time.
Your brain is a map. There are a bunch of roads. Think about an old worn out road. That’s the donut in this example. You have eaten one everyday for as long as you can remember. Your brain naturally likes that path. It doesn’t have to work hard to go down that road. It’s the path of least resistance. You want to build a road that goes around, but it takes time and once it’s built the other road will still be there and some days you may turn down because it’s so familiar. You must learn self control. Every time you say no and go down the new road so to speak it will get broken in and eventually your brain will “condemn” the old road and shut off access. This is a milestone, where not only will you not eat the donut, but you won’t even want it.
Do not be fooled, change takes time and keeping goals is hard. However, it’s extremely rewarding in the end and totally worth it! You are amazing and you can do it!!