The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with more and more people wanting to make lifestyle changes for the better, but I think we are entirely overcomplicating it.
Before you start demanding change from yourself with a strict diet you can’t sustain, you need to practice creating a level of comfort and awareness to be able to adapt to the changes necessary to make weight loss happen.
Similar to putting a child in the pool for the very first time. For them to learn to swim, they need to develop awareness of the water, learn to float, adapt to temperature, etc. If they feel uncomfortable initially, they probably won’t want to stick with it. If you don’t slowly learn to adapt to your new habits, you won’t want to stick with them either.
Shifting the focus away from restrictive dieting and focusing on these 5 practices, will not only help you lose the weight but help you to better maintain it.
The Power of Your “P’s”
PRACTICE
Imagine your kid gets frustrated because he’s not the best basketball player on the team. What would you tell him? You would probably tell him that if he wants to get better, he has to practice. He has the same potential skillset as anyone else on that court, but the more practice he puts in, the better he will be.
The more practice you put into the daily habits required to lose weight and keep it off, the better you’ll be too. Keep your practices simple.
Half your body weight in water daily
Protein in every meal
Fruits and vegetables
Cardio you enjoy
Eating when you’re physically hungry
Getting 7-8 hours of sleep
PERSEVERANCE
Ask yourself what the most significant thing you’ve ever accomplished is. Maybe a career accomplishment, parenting accomplishment, a long-time friendship, a solid marriage…whatever it is, I bet that didn’t come with a magic bullet. You have to continue to persevere with whatever difficulties you face. Weight loss is simple, but not always easy, Keep going.
PATIENCE
“Slow and steady wins the race” is the last thing anyone wants to hear when trying to lose weight but I always think back to the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare worked really hard for a short period of time to win that race, and he got tired and quit, while the tortoise took his time and worked at a more moderate pace, and crossed the finish line first. The faster you try to go with weight loss, the quicker you’ll backpedal. The time has to pass no matter what, right? Build systems for yourself, there is no rush.
POSITIVE MINDSET
You need to cultivate a mindset that allows you to believe you can succeed. You can look at mindset as the foundation of a house, without it, the structure would crumble. There are things we have no control over, things we have some control over and things we have total control over, mindset is one thing we have total control over, use it to your advantage.
PERCEPTION
Perception is a choice. If you focus on the negative, you’ll see the negative. If you focus on the positive, you’ll see the positive. If you focus on what’s going right, you’ll stick with it, if you focus on what’s going wrong you’ll quit. Let the focus be on all you have to GAIN not all you have to lose, you choose