When it comes to weight loss, the key element is to change your eating habits. Not easy to do. However, success will come if you commit to the daily repetition of your new healthy habits. I’ve seen it time and again with the clients that I counsel. The only way to create healthy habits is to do them over and over and OVER again. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a healthy lifestyle. You have to eat breakfast every. single. day. You have to eliminate cookies at lunch every. single. day. You cannot drink 22 oz of Coke every. single. day. We all want an easy fix and yet when I tell people that it’s as easy as doing it every day, they balk! They create wild excuses as to why they can’t do that. They tell tall tales of low blood sugar, hectic schedules, demanding spouses/bosses/children. And I look at them and say “You are in charge of your health. You have to commit to changing your habits and it’s as simple as doing [insert healthy lifestyle change] every single day.”
Remember when you were young and you were taking piano lessons or learning how to play tennis or soccer? You probably went to a formal group practice session at least once a week and you probably did a good amount of informal practicing at home. These are skills that we can use now, as adults, to create new healthy habits. Treat this new way of eating as a new skill - something that you have to spend dedicated time at practicing. You have to mindfully repeat these new muscle movements just as you did sitting on the piano bench or soccer bench. You have to really focus on what you’re doing to get better at it. Many clients have not been mindful in their approach to eating and therefore have developed poor habits. It takes real focus and attention to change those habits and learn new eating/shopping/cooking skills.
And then remember when you were finally able to play the song all the way through? Or you finally scored the goal or heard that resounding thwack on the ball with your racket? That came after weeks or months of practice and man, did it feel good! Those high five moments from childhood can be had again now in adulthood. You just need to practice and that feeling of accomplishment can be found again with regards to your health and your eating habits. You can feel great about your snacks, or your choices at dinner and you rejoice when the scale reflects that hard work.
I tell clients that there are many ways to approach weight loss and we will work together to find the right one for them. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all weight loss plan and I certainly don’t believe that I have all the answers. You are in charge of your weight, your choices and your commitment. I can help by providing various ways to go about your journey to weight loss or healthy eating and continuing to motivate you to repeat those new healthy habits over and over and over again. Just keep remembering that euphoria you felt at age 8 when the pop fly came your way and…..you caught it! You can do it again now, it just takes some practice.