Transition years are hard. Think about everything that you put your mind to this year and accomplished. Graduated...new job...big time stuff.
The year we moved I gained back 12 of my hard earned lost pounds, SO frustrating...but here I am, still moving forward. I've only lost 2-4 of those pounds. Keep at it, keep your chin up. (I know...cheesy)
I agree w. Austin transition years are VERY HARD, I'm in the same boat I gained back a gross amount of my weight too, but thankfully I'm losing again. Sorry in advance for the long comment, but I saw this post and thought it'd might help.
_________________________
Take This Self Exam and Get to the Root of Your Weight Loss Struggles by Bob Greene (RSS feed) Aug 7th 2009 1:00PM
Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
Email More You want to lose weight. You want to be in shape. You want to live healthier. But for some reason, you just can't make it happen. Whenever people ask me for advice on how to overcome this issue, I often respond with a question: Why haven't you been successful at losing the weight? Many give me what I call a surface answer: Something like, "I don't have time" or "I feel guilty doing things for myself instead of my family." But often the real issue is something much deeper. Maybe you're feeling unfulfilled in a relationship, so you turn to food to cope. It could be that financial stress causes you to misuse food. It can also be an issue of self-worth. If you don't value yourself and feel that your health is worth the effort, then you won't hit the gym or go for that scheduled run.
To uncover what's standing between you and your best life, ask yourself these five important questions. Instead of simply answering them on the fly, sit down and really think about each one. Jot down your answers so you have a written reminder, which you can refer to whenever you need a motivation boost.
1. What are you really hungry for? Many people turn to food when they're feeling depressed, angry or bored. Try to figure out what causes you to overeat. A food and mood journal can help you spot any patterns. You may know that you can't find companionship at the bottom of a bag of chips, but until you identify that loneliness is at the root of this pattern, you won't be able to break it.
2. Why are you overweight? Answers like, "I don't like the taste of vegetables" won't cut it. These are merely obstacles -- not the real reason that you're struggling to slim down. Many people use their weight as a security blanket. They worry that if they lose a lot of weight, people will be able to see them for who they really are. For others, it's fear that's holding them back -- whether it's a fear of making a change or even finding success. You may have to do some digging to figure out the answer to this question.
3. Why have you been unable to maintain weight loss in the past? Looking at your weight-loss history can be very valuable -- you can pinpoint what works (and then incorporate these things into your current plan) and what doesn't (you'll know what to avoid as well as where your weaknesses may be).
4. What in your life is not working? When life is out of balance, it's easy to stray from your healthy-eating or regular workout routine. To figure out the areas in your life that need attention, I recommend doing the Circle of Life exercise.
5. Why do you want to lose weight? The easy answer to this question is: To fit into a certain size dress or to look better. But to really stick to a program long-term, you'll need a deeper, more motivating reason. For instance, maybe you want to be around to see your grandchildren, or perhaps you're a new mom who needs the energy to keep up with her growing family. If you find a reason that has value and that improves your life, you're more likely to stay the course when you're tempted to go off track.
4 comments:
Transition years are hard. Think about everything that you put your mind to this year and accomplished. Graduated...new job...big time stuff.
The year we moved I gained back 12 of my hard earned lost pounds, SO frustrating...but here I am, still moving forward. I've only lost 2-4 of those pounds. Keep at it, keep your chin up. (I know...cheesy)
thank you for that.
i know i'm not alone, it just feels so hopeless sometimes!
I agree w. Austin transition years are VERY HARD, I'm in the same boat I gained back a gross amount of my weight too, but thankfully I'm losing again. Sorry in advance for the long comment, but I saw this post and thought it'd might help.
_________________________
Take This Self Exam and Get to the Root of Your Weight Loss Struggles
by Bob Greene (RSS feed) Aug 7th 2009 1:00PM
Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
Email More
You want to lose weight. You want to be in shape. You want to live healthier. But for some reason, you just can't make it happen. Whenever people ask me for advice on how to overcome this issue, I often respond with a question: Why haven't you been successful at losing the weight? Many give me what I call a surface answer: Something like, "I don't have time" or "I feel guilty doing things for myself instead of my family." But often the real issue is something much deeper. Maybe you're feeling unfulfilled in a relationship, so you turn to food to cope. It could be that financial stress causes you to misuse food. It can also be an issue of self-worth. If you don't value yourself and feel that your health is worth the effort, then you won't hit the gym or go for that scheduled run.
To uncover what's standing between you and your best life, ask yourself these five important questions. Instead of simply answering them on the fly, sit down and really think about each one. Jot down your answers so you have a written reminder, which you can refer to whenever you need a motivation boost.
1. What are you really hungry for?
Many people turn to food when they're feeling depressed, angry or bored. Try to figure out what causes you to overeat. A food and mood journal can help you spot any patterns. You may know that you can't find companionship at the bottom of a bag of chips, but until you identify that loneliness is at the root of this pattern, you won't be able to break it.
2. Why are you overweight?
Answers like, "I don't like the taste of vegetables" won't cut it. These are merely obstacles -- not the real reason that you're struggling to slim down. Many people use their weight as a security blanket. They worry that if they lose a lot of weight, people will be able to see them for who they really are. For others, it's fear that's holding them back -- whether it's a fear of making a change or even finding success. You may have to do some digging to figure out the answer to this question.
3. Why have you been unable to maintain weight loss in the past?
Looking at your weight-loss history can be very valuable -- you can pinpoint what works (and then incorporate these things into your current plan) and what doesn't (you'll know what to avoid as well as where your weaknesses may be).
4. What in your life is not working?
When life is out of balance, it's easy to stray from your healthy-eating or regular workout routine. To figure out the areas in your life that need attention, I recommend doing the Circle of Life exercise.
5. Why do you want to lose weight?
The easy answer to this question is: To fit into a certain size dress or to look better. But to really stick to a program long-term, you'll need a deeper, more motivating reason. For instance, maybe you want to be around to see your grandchildren, or perhaps you're a new mom who needs the energy to keep up with her growing family. If you find a reason that has value and that improves your life, you're more likely to stay the course when you're tempted to go off track.
thank you for that post, Kris. It did help me to re-think a few things.
Post a Comment