If fat loss, food freedom, and body confidence were as easy as eating the “right” foods and working out enough, my guess is most of us would have achieved our dream bodies a looooong time ago.
How you think about these things matters more than you realize. It’s true that eating goal-supportive foods and moving your body is important, but so is having supportive thought patterns around these behaviors.
Too many women approach fat loss from a place of hate and shame. They focus their energy on restricting food intake and forcing themselves to push through long, sweaty workouts.
The reality is, punishment and shame can only take you so far before you crash and burn. And instead of progress and improved health, you’ll be left with disappointment and frustration that you failed yet again.
Follow these steps, alongside healthy eating and movement habits, for true, lasting change you can actually feel good about:
1 >> Recognize unhelpful or self-destructive thought patterns:
“I’ll never be successful, I might as well quit.”
“It’s easier for her because of X.”
“I have no self-control, if I eat one cookie I’ll eat them all!”
“I hate exercising and vegetables so I’ll never be healthy.”
“I ate some pizza and now everything is ruined. Guess I’ll start again Monday.”
“I have to eat clean foods only. Processed food is bad.”
These are all common but completely unproductive thoughts. Instead of helping you towards your goal, they only serve to hold you back. In order to create change, you must first create awareness.
2 >> Focus on reframes or fact-check yourself. Now that you have awareness of your personal thought patterns, it’s time to do something about them! You can choose to reframe them or simply decide they’re untrue and no longer worth your time. This can look like:
“This process is taking longer than I thought, but every day I’m closer to my goals.”
“Actually, I’m an adult and no one is forcing me to finish the cookies. Eating 2 cookies is great, and now I’m going to put the rest away even though I wish I could eat more. That choice doesn’t align with my goals.”
“I don’t like traditional workouts but I enjoy walking with a friend and playing tennis. I’ll focus my energy there.”
“I overate some pizza today. That’s totally fine, I’m human and allowed to be imperfect. I’ll wait until I’m hungry and then eat a more goal-supportive meal.”
3 >> Practice patience and self-compassion. You’ve likely had some of these thought patterns for years, if not decades! They won’t go away overnight. Expect them to stick around for a bit. That doesn’t mean you’re failing! It’s hard for your brain to rewire them. Stay focused on your reframes and fact checking. Be kind to yourself when you fall back into old habits. The longer you stick with this, the quieter your old thought patterns become.
Creating lasting change isn’t always easy, or pretty. It requires that you get honest and vulnerable about what’s truly holding you back. But rest assured, leaning into that discomfort does pay off in the end!
As always, if you need any help, do not hesitate to fill out a Coaching Application.
We’re always here to help,
Coach Lauren