I recently have had many people ask me about the secret to my weigh loss success. Today folks, I'm going to tell you. I'm going to let that proverbial cat jump right out of the bag. This is what I want anyone who struggles with weight to know. The secret to shedding pounds is…
THERE IS NO SECRET!
Trust me when I say this. Everything you need to know, you already know. Every tool you need in your weight loss toolbox, you already possess. Unless you are living under a rock, you know that the way that anyone loses weight is by cutting calories and increasing exercise. Seriously folks, that's it. That is all I have done--No fad diets, no gimmicks. The problem is, although we know what to do, we don't alway have the mindset needed to put it into practice.
This is exactly where I found myself in January 2012. I was miserable--and I don't say that lightly. I absolutely hated looking at my body in the mirror or having my picture taken--anything that allowed me to see the body that I had literally eaten myself into. Physically, I felt terrible. My body ached, my feet killed me, and I couldn't walk even reasonable distances without getting out of breath. I avoided shopping for clothes. I couldn't stand going into the dressing room and trying on clothes that weren't flattering, fit poorly, and couldn't mask my problem. I'd even stopped wearing makeup, because I figured, with a body like mine, what the hell was the point. Mentally and emotionally, I felt like I was sinking into a bottomless pit of hopelessness and despair. But here's the thing. As emotionally and physically taxing as that time was, it finally caused me come to a crossroads. I could either go on living the way I was living, or I could fix it. And--I'm so glad that I dug deep inside and found the inner strength to choose the latter.
Although there isn't a "secret" to my success, I do believe there are helpful guidelines--guiding principles I want to share with others who might be in the same boat I found myself in three years ago. Today, I'm going to share them with you.
1. Be Ready Mentally: Losing weight starts with your mentality. You can't and won't lose weight until you are mentally ready to do so. No one else can make you. Your mama can't twist your arm. Your partner can't nag you until you change. Your doctor can't scare you into submission with her statistics about heart disease and diabetes. YOU HAVE TO DECIDE. It might sound selfish, but this is about you. It isn't about anyone else. You will be the one that is responsible for making the changes and sacrifices necessary to drop the pounds, so you have to be in the frame of mind to do it. I'm here to tell you--until you reach that place in your own head, you can't and won't do it. The key here is believing in yourself and loving yourself enough to change. And you know what--that is a difficult but necessary mental shift that you are just going to have to make.
2. Take Responsibility. Own up to it sister. You put the weight on. You have to be the one to take it off. One caveat though: you have to be careful with the blame and shame that comes with this one. You have to stop blaming your own weight issues on whatever it is that you find to blame them on. Stop telling yourself its all genetic. Stop telling yourself its because you have an insatiable sweet tooth. Stop telling yourself that you don't have time to exercise or prepare healthy meals. These are lies that we tell ourselves to justify the behaviors that put ourselves in this predicament to begin with. Lies I repeatedly told myself until they became so ingrained in my psyche that they still creep into my head today.
However, on the other hand, you can't beat yourself up. Stop shaming yourself--you know you do it. I still do. You cannot change your past. You can't take back the bad choices that made you pack on the pounds. What you can do is make positive choices that will impact your future and help you succeed. Once you accept responsibility you can begin making the changes necessary to meet your goals.
3. Find Accountability. One thing that really helps me is keeping a food journal. I currently use my Fitbit to do this. There are also online programs such as Sparkpeople.com and Myfitnesspal that can help with this. Without tracking, it is so easy to overeat. Seeing a visual of my caloric intake helps me stay on track. Think of it as you would a household budget. If you plan your financial limits and then track your expenses, you are much less likely to overspend. The same is true when you plan a calorie limit and then track the number of calories you consume.
Exercise accountability is also key. Again, find something to track it! It is so much more motivating for me to know how many calories I'm burning as I exercise. I've found success with my Fitbit. I love it! Being able to actually see the numbers makes me want to burn even more. I also like how Fitbit allows you to compete with others. This is really a motivator for me.
Finding social accountability is also important. If you can find someone else who shares your weigh loss and fitness goals--be that a romantic partner, friend, or even an online support group, you will be more successful. Work together to keep yourselves on track.
4. Stop Beating Yourself Up. You have to realize that no one is perfect. You will stumble. You will eat things you shouldn't. You will cheat. The thing you have to remember is this. In the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day!" If you screw up today, pick yourself back up tomorrow and try again. One piece of chocolate cake won't sabotage all of your hard work. What will sabotage your efforts is letting small failures defeat you.
So, folks--that's it. The secret/no secret of shedding the pounds. This is what I know, and this is what I want to share.
This is how you can go from here...
To here…
And BEYOND!
If you really want a secret, here it is…believe in yourself. You can do it. You can change. You can be who you want to be. Stop lying to yourself, pick yourself up off the couch and just do it!
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