Happy Tuesday! As we roll into fall, what are you thinking about your weight loss efforts? Have you started? Are you seeing results? Are you stuck? Wherever you are in your journey, do you even wonder why we give up so quickly before we see results? In other words, why do we quit? Quitting usually means that we’re taking the easy way out. It’s easier to make excuses and return to old habits that keep us stuck in our weight loss. We like to see quick results, so if they don’t happen right away, the average person stops trying. 

We are impatient in nature and are twice as impatient when it comes to weight loss. I always hear clients demand that the extra weight fall off in a matter of weeks. What we forget is that the process of gaining weight most likely did not happen overnight, although our brains do a great job of convincing us that it did. This is where writing down the facts or circumstances is very helpful. You may very well quickly see that your weight has been climbing for a long time, not just recently. This gives you clarity about the facts so that you can take the drama out of your thoughts. You may hop on the scale and be adamant that you’ve never weighed this weight before until you look back in your notes and realize that this is not the case. Getting the facts helps you to decide not to quit.

What if you quit right before your body was ready to release weight? What if you quit right as the scale was about to move? What if you quit right before you lose some inches and your clothes fit better? What if it would have been almost ready to happen but you missed it because you quit?

When you’re tempted to throw in the towel and turn back to your old ways of overeating, try these 3 strategies!

1. Document your weight! In a notebook or on an app, keep track of how much you actually do weigh, no matter how often you weigh yourself. The mind plays tricks on us if we rely on remembering these numbers. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you see in black in white instead of a foggy memory.

1. Pay attention to how your clothes fit! This can signal a shift in your weight and can be used as big motivation to keep working on losing weight! Use this as an incentive to do the daily work. 
2. When you want to quit, agree to give it more time. Step back, pause, and remind yourself to keep going. Set a goal of a week or two to see if your weight changes. Resist the urge to give up. By being aware of wanting to quit, you can redirect your thoughts. 

There’s an old saying, “When you think about quitting, remember why you started.” Always cling to your why and you’ll get a jolt of motivation and determination which will keep you focused on your goals. So, the next time you are tempted to press the easy button to quit, try one of these strategies to refocus and move forward with your hard work to get the results that you want! 

You’ve got this!

Georgette