Up and down, up and down and then maybe up and down again (numbers on the scale). Everything is getting loose and baggy… Wait, did I shrink this in the wash? Does it sound familiar? If you have ever tried to lose weight then you may be familiar with this merry-go-round. You see progress, the weight starts to comes down. Birthday Party. The scale creeps back up. You get to the gym four days a week and your university roommate is in town for the weekend. Progress Undone. You see this cycle repeat itself over and over again. Do you lose hope? Do you keep yo-yoing with the patio beers, parties and summer drinks? How do you cope? As someone who has lived this cycle, read on, I may have a suggestion or two.
Commitment
The first and foremost thing is you have to stay with the process. There will always be ups and downs, but the key thing is you have to stay with it. You just have to try and mitigate any damage that happens after a slip. If you know there is a birthday party, go light on lunch, lots of water and maybe stay away from the spinach dip. Get out for an extra walk, do an extra set at the gym and try to offset the bad with good. Whatever awaits you, no matter what, you just have to do those extra little things to make up for whatever life throws at you… And that is the hard part. Your commitment to the process and whatever your end goal is will be the MAJOR thing that keeps you moving in the right direction.
There will be stumbles along the way…
Keeping it Level
This is the hard part because let’s face it, when you do get into those jeans or hit that number on the scale you are going to want to celebrate. Good! Enjoy your success, but try not to lose you focus (really tough). If the scale heads in the wrong direction, try not to beat yourself up about it. Refocus and try and get back on the right track. The biggest key IMO (Mom, that means In My Opinion) is trying to stay in a neutral head space. This helps to keep emotion from pushing you farther out off the path when something goes wrong. Emotion? Think about it. If those jeans don’t fit, you may be hit with a wave of despair. Why am I even bothering? That can lead to a binge that could permanently derail You
Conversely if you hit that goal , you feel amazing! I can have that extra slice to celebrate. Maybe your new habits slip as a result and you will slide backwards (potentially losing that progress). The goal should be then to try not to get too high with the good or low with the bad and hopefully maintain a steady stream of momentum. This is where the network helps. Your inner circle can make things easier and maybe there isn’t that pressure for another beer, deep-fried bacon cheese dip or the extra deep fried pita. They are your biggest fans and they want to succeed. If they drink with you one night, they can help you Run the next day to try and make amends for the damage. Balance is the key that the Network can bring in the event you slip a little bit. Utilize their help to slow the yo-yo and to help you make good decisions.
The Person in the Mirror
So much of the process depends on the decisions you make. Sure, you can say it wasn’t my fault or it’s because something (a party, a night out, etc) happened, but this is your journey and no one can do it for you. It will not be easy, trust me. I’ve been on this trip for years. Some days are amazing, easy and the results are glorious. Others are slow, boring and sometimes moving in the wrong direction. Still, I keep moving forward. I weigh the options and know that if I do choose (and this is important) to have the fries, then I have to do extra work to offset them. This is your party and you have to be responsible for it.
Everyone’s journey will take a different path, but they will all have twists and turns. Your job is to cut down the twists and make as straight a path as possible, however you can. Don’t let yourself get too high or too low. Stay focused and keep believing that you can and will succeed.
Beez
