Over and over again when people plateau their weight-loss they tend to sabotage themselves, they easily fold the towel and give up on their hard work, money spent, time and sacrifices for the pleasure of having their favorite food or dessert. It is easier to tell ourselves, what is the point? I am not pointing the finger, I am in total agreement with reality, I had been there so many times I will not waste your time counting.
I promise to be honest perhaps by seeing my struggles you might know that you are not alone. I had a friend who was my dieting buddy; every time she started a new diet she shared it with me and I followed right along. We always lost weight no more than ten pounds, and always gained it back with a bonus, an extra three pounds. Does it sound familiar to you?
The last time I dieted I literally felt like I was going to die. I know some of you can identify with me, or feel like you are looking at yourself in the mirror. After this last episode I promise myself it was going to be the last time I was going on a diet, and I kept my promise; although I was uncomfortable with my size I decided I was doing to wear my 180 pounds on my small frame.
That was me, stayed away from scales until I was ready to get some help.
I finally got to the point where I said to myself, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, this time I meant it. I hired someone to help me, yes a coach. This is still painful to recount it; because no one likes to show their weaknesses. I had truly lost control of myself. Today I am here to tell you it is possible to get over this food addiction with the right help.
I now call myself the companionate coach; I pass no judgment, because I truly understand that my clients are the mirrors that reflect to me who I used to be. Also I want you to know this is an ongoing battle at any size, because as I became healthier the binging went from chocolate to bananas, raisins, kale chips… I will gladly report that finally I have conquered my food addiction. I know that stress tends to induce this disease, so I stay away from stress as much as possible.
Many times people give up, because they do not have the encouragement, either from friends, spouse, children or co-workers. It takes more than desire to breakthrough this bond we have with food. Most of the time we honestly don’t realize what we look like, until we step on a scale and shock ourselves to reality.
That is me Before 1991 and After 2007
How do I know this works? I know it works because I was able to maintain my weight for over a decade.
I found out through my struggle that people are inclined to pursue pleasure and walk away from pain, instant gratification is likely to be a stronger motivator. For me it was Swiss chocolate that was my instant gratification, good old snicker bars would do the job too. Anything to fill the void that was inside of me; those pretty clothes that were in my closet in all sizes could not do it for me since they were in my distant reality.
I am going to share with you the way I overcame my weight-loss plateau
- First I became more compassionate with myself
- Second I looked deep inside myself to find out what was eating me up, and causing me to eat so much of the wrong stuff
- Third I was ready
I will leave you with this list to help give you a start, please feel free to adjust this list of suggestions to fit your needs
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Hire a coach to help hold you accountable and provide you with support and assistance in putting an end to your excuses
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Change your perspective, think long term lifestyle changes to replace your diet
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Take a look at your habits and emotional issues around your weight
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Change exercise routine, stay active
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Make realistic goals
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Stop seeing weight loss as a challenge, instead see it as a journey to self-discovery
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Find your inner motivation
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Give it time to work, remain focused on the process
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When you are heading in the wrong direction take time to recommit
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Evaluate your progress, take time to look at your goals and adjust them as needed
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Don’t be fooled by diets promising you a quick fix, it is like building a sand house on the beach, the next wave will take it away
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Avoid stress at all cost, it can send you on a binging spree (try Yoga). More importantly when you lower the stress in your body it helps to decrease your stress hormone levels and increase your insulin levels to signal your body to burn food as fuel rather than store it as fat
If you are still unsure about your weight issues, look at long term dangers that might cost you your life. According to the Center for Disease Control the top two leading causes of death in America are heart disease and cancer, diabetes is number six on that list. I believe in individuality therefore I do not want to be a part of statistics.
Always be sure to involve your doctor in your weight loss program.
Remember slow makes the race, start small and be consistent.
Are you ready?
Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide general educational information. Information provided should not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, you should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.
This article is not an attempt to practice medicine or provide specific medical advice, and should not be used to make a diagnosis or to replace or overrule a qualified health care provider’s judgment. Nor should readers rely upon my information if they might need emergency medical treatment. I strongly encourage readers to consult with a qualified health care professional for answers to personal questions. By writing this article I do not establish a doctor-patient relationship with the readers.
The information and opinions expressed here are believed to be accurate, based on the best judgment available to the author, and readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries.