Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows the process isn’t easy. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to lose 30 pounds or 130 pounds. There are just some things that will get your frustrated along the way. I’m currently trying to lose my pregnancy weight so this is something that is fresh on my mind and I thought it would be a great topic to talk about on the blog.
Problem #1:
Avoiding the social eating. Everyone wants to celebrate with food. Birthdays, holidays, because it’s Monday…or it’s Taco Tuesday, means there’s always some social event to celebrate WITH FOOD! I want to hang out with people. I want to be able to enjoy brunch, too. I know it’s about moderation, but there seems to always be something that people are gathering for. Learning moderation is a process, but staying in line with moderation is a lesson in self-control. When your weight loss journey and FOMO collide, there might be a little problem.
Solution:
Don’t skip out on hanging with friends and family, just restrict the times you go out during a 7 day period. If you are choosing to go out, don’t be enticed by the higher calorie menu items. Yes, there will be some nights if you choose to go out you will pay $15 for chicken breast, rice, and veggies. Also, you can live a little. You can enjoy the foods that you want…in moderation. If you’re trying to lose weight or even maintain your weight, there’s no way you can eat those high-calorie foods at every meal. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy those foods every once and a while.
Problem #2:
Finding the time to workout. A healthy diet of lean meats and veggies is essential for weight loss. (There are other things that essential too.) The daily diet is extremely important to the weight loss journey but so is getting active. Now that I have a child, it’s a little harder to fit that workout in, but I still manage to work out 5-6 days a week. I just have to get a little creative. Life does get in the way. There are days that are just packed with work and meetings. There are days when sleep evades you. There are days when you just haven’t eaten enough to even justify a workout. (These are all my problems and I hope those are some things that you struggle with too.)
Solution:
Find the time that is best to workout for you and stick with it. Logistically, it’s better if I work out in the morning. The later in the day I wait to work out, the harder it will be for me to get it done. Not everyone is like that, so find the time that works for you. It might be easier for some to go on their lunch break or go straight after work. Whichever time you choose is best for you, prepare for your workout. Know what kind of workout you’re going to do so you’re not wasting time when you finally fit it in. Pack your gym back and put it in your car so you don’t forget it or put your workout clothes out the night before. Set your alarms and stick with it.
Problem #3:
Dealing with the setbacks. Things aren’t going to go your way the whole time. There will be weeks when you slip up. There will be days you don’t have time to eat. There will be days that you just want to skip the gym. Most importantly, there will be times when you step on the scale and you won’t see a change. Those are blows to your positive mindset, especially when you’re putting your best foot forward in the process. You will get angry, very angry.
Solution:
Let those moments fuel you. Take that anger and let it guide your next week of workouts and healthy eating. The most important thing is to just remember that those setbacks do happen. Our bodies are complicated things and some weeks, the body just might need to readjust. It’s not the end of the world. It is the end if you choose to let those setbacks stop the journey. But things will continue to move forward if you continue to work. Take it for what it is, a setback and just keep moving forward. You will make it through.
The weight loss journey isn’t always going to be easy, that is why it’s a journey. Things will happen, you will get mad, but that doesn’t mean your journey is over. Take it one day and one pound at a time. You can do it!
