When you decide it’s time to lose the weight you’ve been carrying, it can be a difficult time for your self-esteem. Now that you’re finally measuring your weight and noticing the habits that have gotten in your way, you may be appalled. In wondering how you “let yourself” get to this point, you may overlook the fact that these things happen, and it’s not always your fault. What’s important now is focusing on the part of you that wants to change and looking ahead to a brighter future.
We naturally resist change. Even when you’ve decided to make a major change in your life, you may find that you sabotage your own attempts. Some people do this without even realizing it. One common example of this is making one dietary mistake early in the day and deciding the whole day is ruined. Another is telling yourself you can’t do it because you haven’t done it before. Another common example is thinking that you’re not worthy of the work and that you should focus on other things that feel more in control for you. Look out for these signs of self-sabotage, and work to reframe your thinking as you build better habits.
Awareness is the first step to overcoming self-sabotage. At first, becoming aware is a constant process of questioning yourself when you’re about to do something that you know won’t help you reach your goals. Over time, it builds into seeing the bigger picture, understanding what led you here and what you can do to move forward.
Giving yourself grace is the most important step in this process. It may help to think of how you would look at another person who stumbled in the same way. Would you look down on them, or would you understand that they’re human and be even prouder when they succeed the next time? Remember, you’re human, too. Mistakes happen, and what matters most is what we do next.
When you’re on a weight loss journey, you may believe that the only “success” is watching the needle move on the scale. However, there are plenty of other things you can celebrate. We call these “non-scale victories.” When you stick to your diet plan for a full week, that’s worth celebrating. When you reach new exercise milestones, celebrate that too! You may even find yourself celebrating things like not getting winded when climbing stairs. Whenever you take a step closer to your goals, take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come.
A setback, even a major one, isn’t the end. It’s a step on the journey to meeting your goals. Look for the lesson in every setback. For example, if you overeat and feel bad later, remind yourself that eating proper portions of nutritious food is a better path forward. Think about why it happened, and use some of your new, healthier habits to cope. No one’s weight loss journey is perfect.
Whether you have a strong support group or a small set of allies on your weight loss journey, it starts and ends with you. You need to be your own cheerleader, even when it’s hard. Having a positive attitude will do as much for your weight loss goals as the lifestyle changes you’re making to reach your goals. So, keep at it, and remind yourself, you’ve got this!
