Oh hey there, it’s been a hot minute. Summer is such a busy season and I cannot believe it’s already late August! I have a lot to catch you up on AND a ton of recipes coming I promise!!! In the meantime, here is a topic that I touch on a lot with clients. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Enjoy 🙂
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Weight loss is a tricky subject. It is one that everyone wants to dabble in but few want to be realistic with. Weight loss IS possible (when necessary), but to be healthy while losing weight is often a fine line to draw.
We’ve all said, “My diet starts tomorrow/Monday/next month/beginning of the New year/enter date of choice” with the hope that magical things will happen the second we “get our act together”. And when we finally do, unicorns will fly overhead and we’lll look like every before and after picture we’ve ever seen on social media.
Until we don’t.
This is no reflection on your inability to lose weight or reach a goal but it is a reflection on the outside world influencing your unrealistic expectations and standards. We think weight loss should happen overnight and in an ideal world where we are in a vacuum with no responsibilities, this could be true. However, you are busy and stressed and 500 other emotions wrapped in one, so let’s figure out what we can do to lose that weight.
Unrealistic Expectations Set You Back
Stop giving yourself unrealistic expectations. That’s not how any of this works. At least for sustainable (and healthy) weight loss that is. I am not saying weight loss is not possible (believe me it is) but the unrealistic pressure and goals we set just set us up for failure and disappointment. Not to mention, stress wreaks havoc on the body and can stall weight loss.
We forget that we are not one-dimensional and have a lot of other factors to consider including: activity level, sex, age, genetics, lifestyle, etc. We go down the path of comparison forgetting that we are not the person next to us. So, we do what the next person does expecting the same results, and guess what? We fall flat because our expectations are UNREALISTIC! You are so uniquely you and you must treat yourself that way with weight loss (and with many other aspects of your life).
Setting Realistic Goals
Okay, so how do you set a realistic goal?
Well, consider what your motivation is. Are you truly motivated to put yourself and your health goals first? If so, great! Check that off the list and let’s move on. If not, it is time to sit down with yourself and figure out what is holding you back (hint: it’s most likely the person staring back in the mirror at you) and dig in deep to find that motivation to continue on. Here’s the hard truth sometimes you are just not ready to get healthy or lose weight and while I’m not saying that’s right, it could be the main reason you’re not seeing results.
Once you’ve found the new motivation, consider where you would like your ideal weight to be (this is your first test in realistic expectations). Or think about the size, shape, or measurement you were the last time you felt yourself or felt your healthiest. If you have NO idea, that is where a coach comes in, seek their advice for help here.
An example on how you can find your ideal body weight is using the Hamwi method:
Men: 106lb for the first 5 feet and an additional 6 pounds for each additional inch
Women: 100lb for first 5 fee and an additional 5 pounds for each additional inch
Example: Female who is 5’5” would have an Ideal Body weight of ~ 125lbs +/- 10%
**Note: this is just a starting point! Some people are built with a larger or smaller
frame or are more muscular than others. Take this with a grain of salt and use it as a
reference NOT an end-all-be-all.
Realistic Weight Loss
If you have weight to lose AND you are doing so with the help of a coach, one pound per week is a good starting place. Any more than that and we are most likely going to plateau sooner and be unable to keep it off in the long-term.
Yes, this can be slow and frustrating, I get it. However, when you look back in a few months, you’ll feel the weight (pun most definitely intended) of the weight loss world off your back and a new found pep in your step. I’ve seen far too many people go about losing weight in the wrong manner. They may be working with a person or a program that has good intentions but in the long run they do more harm than good. If something seems too good to be true, it most definitely is.
How to Lose Weight
With a more realistic goal in mind, it is time to set yourself up for success. Remember, you are human and plateaus in your weight loss and health journey are bound to happen. It is those who continue across the plateau that find the most success, in this case patience (and consistency) is most certainly is a virtue.
So how do we lose weight? Patience, preparation, honesty, consistency, and the help of people who know what they are doing.
In Conlusion
Realistic Steps to Weight Loss
1. Find your Motivation.
2. Set a realistic goal: find a coach to help you and be realistic!
3. Plan Ahead. Meal planning can help set you up for success to lose the weight
at a sustainable pace.
4. Stop Stressing: another topic for another day but stress can lead to weight
loss STALLING. So stressing about not losing weight is sometimes worse than
not eating your best!
5. Be Consistent & Don’t Give Up! Those who put in the time and effort
consistently are those that see the best results over the long term. It’s not
glamorous but it’s worth it!
Stop putting the weight of weight loss on your shoulders and find someone to help you make realistic goals and set realistic expectations. You are far more than a number on a scale and your health should be your number one priority. End of story.
xoxo,
Sassy
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