Healthy Living

Change & Achieve

by Matt Elphick

29/08/2021

Blog Change & Achieve

There are a variety of reasons why people gain weight: a lifetime of unhealthy habits, lack of motivation, depression, body image issues, hormones, injury, or even illness.

Change is scary. We get used to seeing ourselves in a certain way even though many times it is uncomfortable. Even if it’s obvious that making a big change can be beneficial, we prefer to hold on to what we know, where we are comfortable, which means doing the things we’ve always done.

We might not have all the answers but in today’s article we cover 5 things to remember when you want to move forward and make positive life changes.

1. It’s Just as Much About the Process as It Is About the Result

Sure, it’s good to set a goal like dropping a set amount of pounds to get down to a healthy weight. But it’s just as important to identify smaller goals. that will set you on a steady, long-term path in the right direction.

We get so wrapped up in end results when we think about life changes. We worry that if we start out towards a big goal, then we might not make it to the finish line.

We see this with quiet a few clients that get fixated on the number on the scales, rather than on how they are feeling in their clothes, how they are looking and enjoying the process of getting that end goal.

Set yourself a reasonable achievable goal and instead of getting fixated with it, learn and educate yourself throughout your journey.

Enjoy the process of moving forward.

2. Log Your Fears

You’ve heard this advice before — because it works KEEP A JOURNAL!

Even if you’re already tracking calories. Focus on how you feel while you’re eating, what you eat how you feel before and afterwards. After a few days, you might be able to identify some patterns, such as heading for a snack after a stressful work call or meeting, or starving yourself until your kids go to bed, then attacking the fridge!

You could discover an emotional component to your eating or that maybe you don’t have much time to yourself and need some more ‘me time’.

When you’re conscious of what’s happening on an unconscious level, you have more control of it. Once a fear becomes a tangible idea rather than something you can’t put your finger on, you can begin to make choices over it.

3. Break things up into smaller pieces

You don’t have to work in extremes. Many make the mistake of going from 0-100. They wake up one morning and decide they want to change their lifestyle. They cut every food item they love, they go from being couch potatoes to getting to the gym at 6am 5 times a week! Trying to face all these changes at once is undoubtedly overwhelming. Instead, break things down into smaller pieces. So, if you want to start your fitness journey start by writing down what you like to do and what you’re interested in. Then, consider starting to do your research, your nearest gym, investing in a personal trainer or you are ok training on your own. Make small changes to your diet instead of a total overhaul that is not sustainable long term. Next, you can approach this decision rationally and build up to making the choice.

4. KNOW YOUR WHY

By defining your purpose, you can diminish your fear of change. If you don’t know what you want, then any decision can be scary. But if you first understand your “why,” then when you have to make decisions or a change, you can ask yourself if it will align with your purpose. Why are you embarking on this journey? Why do you want to lose weight? This can help to eliminate options that don’t work towards achieving goals.

5 SEEK OUT SUPPORT

People get used to you looking a certain way or being a certain way, so changing that could make others feel betrayed or jealous.

Even if loved ones are genuinely happy about your weight loss, there might still be a fear that people in your life just won’t view or support you the way they did before. The possibility of new relationships after a weight loss can inspire fears, too.

Extra weight can be a great defence mechanism, because it provides an excuse not to have to face uncomfortable new experiences such as dating or establishing new friendships.

Much like writing things down can help you identify patterns and issues, talking about them also can help bring them to the forefront. Surround yourself with like-minded people that share the same goal as you. You can share thoughts and fears without embarrassment

LET US HELP YOU CONQUER YOUR FEARS

If you’ve been living in fear and are sick of it controlling your life, we can help you. We have worked with many clients to help them overcome their fears, so they can transform their bodies and their life. Now we’re ready to help you.

Book your free consultation today & conquer your fears.