Hello Dear One!

Have you ever been hyper focused on a weight loss goal (lofty or otherwise) and found yourself to be OBSESSED and UNGLUED about assessing said wished for change?

If you’re anything like most people, you might have found yourself to be scale/fitbit/MyFitness Pal/heart rate monitor/body fat percentage/etc obsessed.

The reason why this is not only not helpful (which you may have already figured out), or even detrimental (which you might have experienced as well)…

is that TRACKING doesn’t create change!

Behavior does!

AND when we fixate our FRUSTRATION (which ahem, if it’s high, does NOT have to do with your waistline or weight) on the number on the scale not moving, we often LOSE IT resulting (generally) in an attitude that has us throwing up our hands and participating in activities that are COUNTERPRODUCTIVE for we’re trying to achieve.

So…

How do you care and be aware but not act or FEEL CRAZY??!

Step #1: FOCUS ON BEHAVIOR

This is something that I redirect my fat burners in Fat Burning Mastery with, as the truth is if they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing – THEY’LL BE LOSING WEIGHT!!

Step #2:  STRESS CAUSES WEIGHT GAIN

One of the 5 parts of Fat Burning (check out that series here) is STRESS, ie: keeping it low.

When we freak out about what we believe isn’t happening, cortisol and adrenaline rise keeping us in a Sugar Burning mode making us hungrier and even making our blood sugar and insulin levels rise.

So instead of ratcheting yourself up, aim to CALM YO’SELF DOWN, for this very fact alone.  Stress hurts the effort, not helps it.  Regardless of what else is going on.

Step #3:  TALLY THINGS AFTER THE FACT/ONCE A WEEK

Personally I am a fan of using a fitness tracker at this moment in time AND potentially for new fat burners when they aren’t getting what they’re anticipating. 

Tabulating what’s gone on can lend itself to being a useful reality check (“I only had carrots last night.” = a couple small slices of pizza, chips, and a beer just to be social…) especially when our memory is less than stellar.

But how I advocate using it is AFTER EATING.  

Get educated, and set up as to what to eat through Fat Burning Mastery (check that out here), EAT, get FULL, and THEN plug in whatever was on your menu for the day/evening.

This helps us use our bodies as the guide for fullness and not a number.

And if you are aiming to weigh yourself, do it once a week (OR LESS!) on the same day/time, with little to no clothing on and see how you’re trending.

The TREND  is what you wish to look for, not necessarily some mega jump (though that can happen).  And even if you did experience a windfall of weight loss, the truth is that will happen AT TIMES as well, and not necessarily ALL the time.

Step #4: FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS THAT YOU LOVE AND ARE INTERESTED IN

Truth be told, goals are great.  Having what you desire is what should come to be.

Being obsessed about being a particular size/weight is WAY more about OTHER things not being awesome, not what we’re most visibly struggling with.

So start to dig for MORE in your world.

What would be SO FUN??!?

What have you always wanted to do?

These things matter!

They will take your attention off the possibility (or high emotion around) the number on the scale shifting AND they will NOURISH you to the degree that you won’t be running back to the cupboard or fridge for more things to put in your mouth for pleasure/stress/frustration/etc.

Step #5:  AFFIRM THE CRAP OUT OF YOURSELF

When we are aimed at change, especially big change, we MUST celebrate ourselves ALL THE TIME.

It’s so easy to be hard on ourselves and to feel unworthy of the effort change requires ESPECIALLY when we’re grinding ourselves down about any number of things.

And when we feel crappy, we treat ourselves crappily.

But if we feel GOOD because we’ve been affirming how smart, gorgeous, skillful, strong, special…we are it is INFINITELY easier to follow through on our desires and our highest good.

Because we’re worth it!  

And we’re clear about that.

(Check out the past blogpost and podcast Good Now vs Good Later that might be useful reinforcement.)

So that’s it!

Please remember that putting your energy into what you can actually control is infinitely more helpful when you’re looking for a result to occur.  

Hopefully those steps and tips spell something reasonable and useful in your mind, and that if you have wrestled with this, and even thought about NOT attempting trying to lose weight again because of how EMOTIONALLY challenging it felt – please give this a try.

And please let me know if your experience is ultimately different as a result.

If you need more instruction or support around a path to weight loss that sets your body up to burn the fat that it’s stored, please learn about fat burning, Fat Burning Mastery, or about coaching and training programs that also incorporate this approach to fat loss.

 

To getting you clearer on how the body works, and how to make it work for you.  

xox, M