There’s no way to avoid it—losing weight takes a lot of effort. You have to plan meals, track what you eat, and avoid food temptations.
For most people, it’s extremely hard to stick with goals of healthier eating and exercising.
No one is ever immune from bad days, stress, and fatigue. And the ongoing challenges of life events can certainly make it hard to stay on your plan.
But that’s not a good reason for giving up! Instead, you need to learn how to face the tough times without allowing them to pull you off track.
If you’re like most people, you’ve done a lot of hard things in your life. Giving birth, working at a job, moving to a new city, even cleaning the house—all of these fit the description.
In reality, you can do hard things!
So instead of caving in on your diet because it feels too hard, buck up and tell yourself, “Of course it’s hard. But I’ve done a lot of difficult things in my life, and this isn’t any different. I know that I can do hard things!”
Today’s assignment (My answers are in blue)
1. In the space below, write “I can do hard things.” Think about the places or times when you need to remind yourself of this. Record them as well.
I can do hard things! I’ll remind myself of this after long, stressful days when I want to overeat as a way to recover.
2. Make a list of hard things you’ve done in the past. Remind yourself that you are a strong person.
Went back to school and got a master’s degree
Got fired, then found a new job
Ran a weight-loss clinic for 15 years
3. Tell yourself you can do hard things, including staying on your diet and your exercise plan. Then do it. Write some notes about how this works for you.
I can do hard things such as stay on my diet program day after day, exercise at least 5 times a week, skip drinking wine
Excerpted from Day 71 in 100 Days of Weight Loss.