Will you be thin tomorrow?
I'm finally, finally back on track! After a few months of trying to adjust my eating patterns to my new busy lifestyle, and having the clear head I need to put the energy and focus you need to lose weight seemingly effortlessly, I've suddenly got it again.
I wanted to go over a few stumbling blocks people can have that stop them from losing weight - some of which I've experienced or struggled with, and others I've observed. But first I want to tell you what my four-year-old said when I told her I was going back on to my eating plan.
"Will you be thin tomorrow?"
I think this sums up why some people don't start the process. I know for me, if I start to add up in my head how long it may take, or how much I have to lose, it feels insurmountable. I make small goals, get there, rest there, then move on. A big goal is just too big to crack. If it's too hard, I don't want to fail, so I don't even try.
I answered her, saying it was going to take a little bit longer than that, because it took a while to get bigger, so it will take a while to get smaller.
She paused and said: "Okay, but just so you know, you really are only a little tiny bit fat."
Nothing like a compliment from a fou-year-old!
So I'm on day three, and my head is clear. I've been here before and I'm feeling good about it. For a start I'm just not feeling hungry. I'm not obsessing about food, or freaking out about my next meal, and while I KNOW it's just water and my body cleansing itself, I've already lost a kilogram - the first loss in more than three months.
So...besides it feeling like too big a job, why else do we struggle?
Here are some common reasons:
1. We are in a state of constant stress.
I work with teachers, showing them how to reduce their own stress but also how to provide a positive learning environment for their children. One thing is sure, if you are under a lot of stress, it's hard to learn. If eating a healthy diet isn't on autopilot for you, it's really hard to adapt your diet. Sometimes you need to prune back something else in your life before you can lose weight. For me, the fact I have a 10-day stretch at home is completely helping me this time.
2. We are surrounded by people who have unhealthy habits.
It's hard to swim against the tide. I've found that putting people around me who don't have a bad or fearful relationship with food has really helped me. Funnily enough this doesn't mean never eating nice foods. If I'm around people who love food but don't eat rubbish, or eat too much of anything, it's what I'll do too. Who are your eating companions?
3. We are scared of being hungry
I think this is a biggy. We may not need to eat, but we worry we'll be stuck somewhere and need food, so we pre-empt the issue. But in this day and age it's unlikely that we will be hungry, so often we eat more than we planned. Nothing will go wrong if you are a little big hungry. We need to expect it.
4. We bite off more than we can chew.
Starting a weight loss plan that involves changing everything overnight is more than we can manage. Start with food changes first, add some walking and then, when you need a little more challenge, up the exercise. A lot of exercise at the start can sometimes increase your hunger, which is not what you want! It's easier to create a deficit in calories in, calories out, by just reducing food intake than by relying on burning it off.
I'm feeling really good about being back on track and seeing results. I may not be thin tomorrow, but I'm edging closer to my goal again. HOORAY!
Do you think I've described some of your barriers to weight loss success? Or do you think your reasons are different?
Rachel Goodchild is on Twitter and Facebook.
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Number 2 is one for me - the cheese in the fridge for the flatmate's sandwiches, which will end up in mine or on the dinner. The workmate who's pregnant, and snacking constantly, who I can see out the corner of my eye (it took a couple of weeks to catch on to that one, my brain took her snacking as a sign it was time for me to eat). I've managed to rearrange the fridge so I don't see the cheese, and the colleague is on maternity leave now! I also try to start my snacks with a drink of water or herbal tea, which seems to stop me eating as much.
And number 4 - every now & then I'll draw up a plan - training for an event, trying to plan out when & what to do. It either gets overwhelming & I ignore it, or I think "well, look how much time I have to get all that done, I can miss a day or two & I'll manage" and end up missing 6 weeks of an 8 week training plan, or life gets in the way - a meeting comes up & I can't get to the gym after work or get a run in before the sun goes down, I have a bad sleep & can't drag myself out of bed for a swim. Now, I just grab the time that I have. If I find myself with an 'empty' evening, I'll go for a walk or to the gym. If I slept well, I find it easy to jump up earlier & bike to work or go for a swim. If I feel like I didn't get much done throughout the week, I might do something extra on the weekend, like a longer swim or bike ride. The realisation that it all evens out in the end was a key one for me.
For me, its a combination - probably 1 and 2 on your list feature. I'm often either stressed or bored (I can manage to be in a state of both at the same time which is unhelpful). I find that when I get like this, I tend to eat or snack, even when I'm not hungry, and those comfort foods always take precedence over the healthy options. I think I am a master at self sabotage as well - I start off really well, start losing weight then let it go bit by bit cause 'I have done so well' - its a bad cycle to be stuck in. Oh, and @Alice2 - I do exactly the same re training for an event - its so easy to let thing overwhelm you if part way through the training programme you get sick or injured etc.
I’ve hit a wall as well… started out as a trip overseas… treats were allowed. Straight after that, I injured my leg. So now I can’t run, which I’ve been depending on. And if I can’t exercise, I feel like eating right is a waste of time. Then I beat myself up for not staying focused. It’s a stupid vicious cycle!
Any ideas, preferably cardio, for a partial cripple are welcome.
I've had to rejigger my eating, Ive managed to keep 50kg off for four years but have recently discovered that due to the overeating from age 12 my thyroid is stuffed and i might have a colon problem. I urge everyone to get a totaly check of your body - Metabolisom check is the way to go ! now i have less that i can eat in the carb range (by by potato and pasta) but i am discovering options and may even go veggie !
Yay good for you. I find it's much easier when you are in the right headspace too. My only problem is modivation to get to the gym after work - It's cold and I'm tired it makes it way too easy to just not go.
Mine are 1 and 2. I'm in a high stress job and have a husband in a high stress job - both are somewhat temporary solutions but have coincided at the moment. Unfortunately my husband's response to high stress is to eat and drink more than he should but he's getting it under control and I've found that I can moderate my serving size a lot better than I used to! Like you I've been going nowhere fast for a few months but have suddenly felt like I'm back in control again - yay! (and congrats, good feeling huh?)
My problem is that I will be good all week, and by the time it gets to Friday I think, "Hey, I've been good all week, I deserve a night of not thinking about calories" and then proceed to drink a lot and eat pizza. I need to keep myself on track, all the time, not just weeknights!! I can't change that my life is busy and social, so I need to change how I cope with it. Just because every one is eating pizza and drinking beer, doesn't mean I have to.
.... yes, much easier to write than action!!!
The other thing I just did was take some photos of myself, which will be 'before' photos. They were surprising!! Now, in two weeks I will take some more. Hopefully there will be a difference, and hopefully it will motivate me.
Your number 1 barrier sounds like a crock to me. What is it about stress that stops you eating healthily? I can perhaps understand why it might stop you excercising, if you are tired and don't feel like going for vigorous exercise, but know that exercise helps reduce stress.
Number 2 barrier: you need to get used to people around you eating unhealthy foods, in the same way an alcoholic needs to get used to their friends drinking around them.
I have found the best way to reduce weight is to have little goals along the way, and measure my weight daily. So, my first goal was to be below the obese level according to my BMI, then double figures, all the time with the final goal of 95kg in mind. As of this morning, 2.0kg from that target.
As for weighing myself daily, I find it helps in that if there has been a morning tea shout, or I've been out to dinner, I see the results of that fairly soon, and can adjust exercise and diet accordingly. Charting it helps, but then that's kind of geeky. Maybe just write it down. Oddly, if I have a hard-out day exercising, my weight climbs for a day or so, then drops.
My weight can vary by 1-1.5kg throughout the day, so it is best to weigh yourself at the same time every day, wearing the same clothes (or nothing). That way, you remove a lot of inconsistencies in your measurements. First thing in the morning is what I do.
I tend not to think of the barriers, but what I can do to help me lose weight. Call it a glass half full approach, if you like. So, what I can do is monitor my weight, eat well, and exercise often.
I think number two is a huge one for most people. It's so easy to eat like those around you. When you eat differently, no doubt someone will have a go.
I decided I needed to get over it. So I'm that freak in the tea room with tuna, broccoli and rice while others munch on their toasties. Is it hard? For sure. But, I feel fantastic after lunch whereas everyone else is feeling a bit low. Plus, now I get asked for tips on health. Once people see how determined you are to stay healthy, they back off.
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Good job Rachel! I'm sick with a cold / chest infection at the moment, so thats thrown my dietary style all out of whack - I'm not eating as much (because I'm either not hungry or it doesnt taste right), But I'm also doing NO exercise - apart from having coughing fits - walking up the stairs at home is exhausting sometimes.
So I'm being gentle on myself - when I want to eat, I eat whatever I am craving at the time. I'm hanging out to get better and start exercising again, thats for sure!
At this time of year, I think being sick is a big distraction from maintaining a healthy eating programme. I'm just really glad I'm not also trying to look after kids while this sick - I dont think I would cope, I can barely look after myself!