The journey to weight loss is sacred
The question I get the most when people see my weight loss transformation is, “how do I begin losing weight?” or my particular favorite “where did you start?”
I love these questions, but it’s difficult to answer without being very cautious with my response. The journey for each individual is a sacred one. What might work for me may not work for you. How you achieve physical fitness may look different from the way that I was able to.
But, even with those truths, there are some universal principles to losing weight. There are specific mindset shifts that need to happen before you can begin to lose weight naturally.
It’s Not A Race, Treat It Like A Marathon
A race is fast. You take off and before you know it you and your opponents are crossing that finish line. You’ll barely remember how you got from the start to the finish. It’s over just that quick. If you had to run at that pace for let’s say the duration of 5-10 miles, it’s likely that you’d lose steam and either have to slow down or stop completely.
Weight loss for people who have a lot of weight to lose is not a race, it’s a marathon.
For those of us that have double and triple digits to shed, it’s difficult to sustain the pace of a marathon when you’re moving faster than your body & mind has been trained for. Get me? Let me clarify.
If it’s your first time running a marathon and you aren’t already someone who does a lot of long game running, taking off extremely fast will inevitably work against you. You’ll tire quickly & eventually slow all the way down & most likely you’ll quit altogether.
If you head into losing weight the mindset that I am in this for the long game, and I do not need to race to my finish line (goal weight) it’s more likely that you’ll choose healthier and sustainable methods to achieve weight loss.
Two things I’ve learned not to do: 1. jump into the journey head first, going cold turkey on all the foods I’ve loved for decades & 2. join a gym memberships I’m never ever going to use.
Here is why:
Deprivation never worked for me. I’d deprive myself of the things I craved for a few days then I’d lose control and go on a binge and have to start over.
Total workout exhaustion never worked either. Doing a vigorous workout early into my journey just made me dread having to workout the next day. Dread fostered a mental environment for fear, fear turned into procrastination which lead way to excuses and then I never went back for day 2, or 3 or 8.
Those two things above is the precise reason why you will never ever stay consistent. You’re hanging your hat farther than you can reach it babygirl.
Build up some consistency before you try to somersault into an overly restrictive diet & far too strenuous workout in the gym.
Start slow. Would you go 90 MPH on a motorcycle if it was your fist time being on one? Hell no. Don’t do that shit with losing weight either. One last thing on this: spring must come. As long as you’re breathing still, six months from now won’t go any faster or slower, it’ll just come. Imagine if you just went into the journey with the mindset of staying consistent rather than getting your results super fast.
Gather Your Data | Know Yourself
STOP! trying to be like the fit ladies on Instagram and Youtube.
You are NOT them.
You are NOT up to their physical strength.
You are NOT ready to do what they do.
Understand that this is YOUR journey and you will need to figure out what works for YOU.
Don’t force their regimen into your life if it doesn’t fit. Results are results and it doesn’t matter how quick or slow you’ve achieved it. It’s your journey, get there at a pace that is most comfortable to you.
The data you’ve gathered over many years of weight loss failure/success is what you will use to keep you consistent.
My data (past failures) have taught me that putting something unobtainable (know yourself; for example GYM when I know I cannot get there due to my schedule) on my to-do list 1. delays my progress 2. gives me a “valid excuse” to not commit to my goals 3. makes me feel bad about myself when I do not show up for myself.
Know your strengths, know your self sabotage behaviors, know your triggers!
Accept Defeat and Begin Again
The biggest problem for me is that i get totally bummed after I’ve “failed.” I’ll have a great week and then the weekend comes along and i can’t resist a pizza or two and a cheat meal turns into a binge weekend and then things get ugly. I end up losing hope and continue stuffing my face with food that makes me feel good. Before you know it,it’s been three months since my last weight loss attempt.
This is not the way ladies. if you slip up and enjoy a pizza, bnge for the weekend, fuck all of that and keep it going. Get right back to the park or gym, get back to juicing or eating clean.
Forgive yourself for that mistake, gather your data and keep it moving. Don’t fall into the trap of feeling sorry for yourself, beating yourself up for human mistakes, accept your humanity and keep it going!
Shift your FOCUS, immediately.
Weight loss is just as mental as as it is physical. I’d even say it is MORE MENTAL than anything else. Losing weight will require an immense amount of mental stamina. You have to be willing to FOCUS on your goals.
This will require you to resist. How do you resist? How does a pizza lover resist enjoying a slice of pizza when the office staff treats you and all your co-workers for lunch? Focus. Your brain will go on a tangent. The only thing you will be able to focus on is, how good that slice of pizza looks and possibly how GOOD eating that pizza will make you feel.
Your focus is wrong. Focus or think really hard on your goals, and think of nothing else.
Do not let any other thought into your mind. For the most part, don’t give the office party too much thought. Acknowledge the presence of it, then move on, do something else. Step outside, allow all of it to be eaten but don’t spend to much time thinking about it.
This kind of focus takes practice but once you do it one time, you’ll be better equipped for a second time.
November 27, 2017 was a Monday and the very end of the month. I started anyway. Stop waiting for the first of the month, don’t wait for a Monday, quit planning and hoping and wishing and start doing.
You will never ever find the perfect time to start. It does not exist. You need nothing else but everything you are already equipped with to begin.
If you want to lose weight, literally take the very first step right now!
Edit June 22, 2018 Its been six months since I wrote this post and have lost a total of 60LBS. I currently weigh 216LBS.