As I have shared in previous blogs, this is not the first time I have attempted to lose weight and improve my overall lifestyle. I cannot tell you how many times I have gotten so close to goal only to lose focus and move right back in the wrong direction. I am ashamed to say that I may not even be able to count my attempts on both my hands. But why do I continue to make the same mistakes over and over?
I truly believe that the reason for my failures to reach goal are due to complacency. First, when you start hearing how much better you look as you lose weight, it makes it hard to justify to yourself that you still need to get up early to get your exercise in. It makes it easier to eat those foods that tempt you to overeat. If I look so much better, why should I bother tracking what I eat?
Also, I find myself getting complacent because I feel like I know what a good-sized meal looks like, so I stop weighing and measuring. After all this time I should know what 4 ounces of sliced turkey looks like, should be able to eyeball a cup of rice, and I should know how many chips I can safely eat at a Mexican restaurant. It is this laziness that will slowly but surely pack back on the pounds.
Related to the above, but really in a category of its own, is being careful about those extra little bites that make their way into your body. When you get complacent, you can add a couple hundred calories to your daily intake in tasting the dinner you’re making, sampling your child’s macaroni and cheese, or grabbing a handful of nuts as you do your baking. When you feel good about yourself, it can be easy to forget to be careful about all these little “meals.”
I am not satisfied with good anymore. I need to get to great this time and stay there…this is my ultimate goal. I feel that this time I have a plan, which will really make the difference. I am exercising at least five days a week, I am drinking my water, getting more sleep, and I am even working on the dreaded food tracking. With all these strategies in place I truly feel that this time is different. Two years, ten years, fifteen years from now, I still plan to be at my goal weight, and you will see my flabulous body running off into the sunset.
I truly believe that the reason for my failures to reach goal are due to complacency. First, when you start hearing how much better you look as you lose weight, it makes it hard to justify to yourself that you still need to get up early to get your exercise in. It makes it easier to eat those foods that tempt you to overeat. If I look so much better, why should I bother tracking what I eat?
Also, I find myself getting complacent because I feel like I know what a good-sized meal looks like, so I stop weighing and measuring. After all this time I should know what 4 ounces of sliced turkey looks like, should be able to eyeball a cup of rice, and I should know how many chips I can safely eat at a Mexican restaurant. It is this laziness that will slowly but surely pack back on the pounds.
Related to the above, but really in a category of its own, is being careful about those extra little bites that make their way into your body. When you get complacent, you can add a couple hundred calories to your daily intake in tasting the dinner you’re making, sampling your child’s macaroni and cheese, or grabbing a handful of nuts as you do your baking. When you feel good about yourself, it can be easy to forget to be careful about all these little “meals.”
I am not satisfied with good anymore. I need to get to great this time and stay there…this is my ultimate goal. I feel that this time I have a plan, which will really make the difference. I am exercising at least five days a week, I am drinking my water, getting more sleep, and I am even working on the dreaded food tracking. With all these strategies in place I truly feel that this time is different. Two years, ten years, fifteen years from now, I still plan to be at my goal weight, and you will see my flabulous body running off into the sunset.
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