The diet industry make billions of dollars each year telling you that something exists outside of you that can make you lose weight. That's the scam.
We are heading into the holiday season, so beware of the annual tradition of feast-then-famine in more ways than one. Get ready for all the new diets and “get thin quick” schemes starting to pop up everywhere.
If you’re like most women at midlife, you've tried and failed at achieving the fitness transformation you've always dreamed about. Every failed attempt to reach your goal and sustain it erodes your self-confidence and keeps you up late at night saying things to yourself that you wouldn’t dare utter to your best friend.
When it comes to the latest thing (no idea what it will be this year), “shiny object syndrome” definitely applies. You might catch yourself thinking that you haven’t gotten fit or lost weight yet because you lack the willpower, and that this new diet will finally be the one to get you back into skinny jeans you wore in the '70s.
Except... there’s just one problem with this. All these new 'fad' diets are based on a fundamental scam that will, well....., keep you feeling fat forever. People will keep telling you that if only you have this one thing, this special plan, this secret - you’ll succeed.
The scam is that there is actually something outside of you that can make you lose weight.
There isn't.
There’s no solution out there in the world to change the way your individual body looks; that's because the solution is not out there, rather it is 'in there' - inside you.
If you want to lose weight, you need to fundamentally shift your mindset first. Mindset matters most!
The weight loss and fitness industries make billions of dollars each year by repeating this misperception of how weight loss works. And we have bought into it. We’ve been scamming ourselves – for years!
It's time to stop the scam!
Once you realize that the answers must (and will) come from within, you can put structures and tools into place to facilitate the process.
Start with these three steps (and by the way, these are the first 3 steps to sustainable fitness that we focus on in my new program, the Back to Basics (B2B) Method Transformation Program. Stay tuned for details!)
I guarantee that skipping this step will ensure failure. This is because you can’t begin without knowing your starting point. Get your butt on the scale. Yes, I know the scale doesn't tell the whole story. That's why you'll also take your measurements - and photos from the front, side and back. I know it's painful to think about - and do. I remember all too well the despair I felt when I started my weight loss journey.
I wouldn't tell you to take this step if it wasn't critical to your success.
Next, record what you’re eating. Notice the thoughts you have about yourself, inside and out, as you make food choices. Write them down. You have to address how you feel about food and what needs are being met by your current choices. It's not just about the food. It's about how you are using food to meet your needs. Trust me, you will be shocked when you look back over the results.
Now that you have a starting point and you have collected the right data, it’s time to design a plan and make a commitment for better health and happiness. This is about the logistics, but you have to be really honest with yourself when you envision your journey. What steps are you actually willing to take regularly? If you try one of those 'shiny object' plans to lose weight, I'm telling you right now it will likely not feel sustainable for YOU in the long run, therefore, you will NOT succeed in the long run.
The all-or-nothing approach always leads to nothing.
People fail because they set their standards too high. They white knuckle through the all until they fall into nothing.
You're too smart for that trap!
When designing your plan, you need to figure out roughly how many calories your body requires to operate properly in weight loss mode. Do you know your target number? Besides eating the correct amount of calories, you need to incorporate purposeful movement (ideally some kind of resistance training), proper hydration and sleep.
Moderation and baby steps are required when designing your plan. This requires patience, resilience and commitment.
Change the mind, change the body. Simple, but not easy.
This is the single most important element to make a practical, achievable and sustainable change. It’s also the antidote to the #1 weight loss scam I told you about at the beginning of this blog post! Don't skip this step!
Here’s an example of how you can reframe common unhelpful thoughts around exercise:
Now try practicing reframing your thoughts around your body, your nutrition, your health and your life!
Are you ready to really do the mental work it takes to change your life?
“If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”
-W. L. Bateman
Becoming trim, fit and healthy isn’t a one-time affair, it’s a lifelong passion.
Categories: : Nourish