The kids have been asking this forever when you go on a road trip. But lately I’ve started asking it as well.
Is the heat ever going to stop? Have I exercised enough? And why does the scale creep down so slowly?
You’ve probably had similar thoughts and wished things moved faster, especially in your weight-loss efforts.
If you’re like most of us, when you first start a new weight-loss plan, you feel strong and motivated. You are absolutely determined to reach your goal. And for the first few weeks, everything goes well. You meticulously count food points, drink your nutritional shakes or write down everything you eat.
But real life didn’t change just because you decided to lose weight. People still bring cookies to work and invite you to birthday parties or happy hour. Others entice you to share a dessert. And eventually, you start to weaken.
Perhaps you get tired of planning and recording. Or you get side-tracked by stress, fatigue or work challenges. Next thing you know, you give into temptation and eat six cookies or have a couple glasses of wine.
In reality, falling off your diet isn’t the end of the world. Unless…you can’t get back on it again.
That’s what makes this such a critical point in your weight-loss plan. What you do next can affect the outcome of your entire program.
Just like taking the kids (and the dog) on a road trip, the only way to continue making progress with losing weight is to keep at it day after day.
Here are three important steps that will help you stay motivated and make progress with managing your weight.
1. Focus on TODAY
Every morning when you get up, tell yourself, “Today, I am doing my program. And I’m doing it all day long.” Then pull out the things you need for your smoothie or your scrambled eggs. Pencil a time into your schedule for exercise.
Make a plan for late afternoon or evening time when you tend to slip up. Be sure you eat a healthy snack between three and five o’clock today.
Decide how you will nurture yourself, especially during the evening when fatigue tends to wear you down.
2. Go back to what works
When you first started your diet plan, what helped you make it work? What tricks did you use to drink enough water or avoid food temptations? Was there a certain time of day that you did your exercise?
Make a list of things that contributed to your ability to stay on track. Then put these ideas back in place and use them to make your program successful again.
My list includes doing my exercise program everyday around 4pm. It also reminds me to always have a protein snack mid afternoon. And not having ice cream at night before bed. Sometimes, I’ll drink a cup of herbal tea in the evening and that helps fill the time where the ice cream slipped in.
3. Do one more day!
Success requires staying on your program day after day after day. Any time you’re tempted to give up on your dieting efforts, think about how much progress you’ve made so far. Then tell yourself that all you have to do is complete one more day.
Make a sign that says:
Just do one more day!
Post copies on the refrigerator, your computer, in your car, and anywhere else where it will help your focus.Use this reminder to help you push through fatigue, discouragement, and motivation struggles. Every day on the path is a day closer to your goals!
No, we aren’t there yet. But using these quick tips will help you continue to make progress on your journey. And eventually, you will reach your destination and be successful with managing your weight.