I know that some of you are struggling. You’ve gotten knocked off a weight loss program and are struggling to get back on. You keep going into it with good intentions, but it’s just not happening.
I remember those days. I’ve gotten knocked off, and I’ve struggled to get back on. The first thing you have to remember is that weight loss is kind of like holding sand in your hands.
If you hold your hands relaxed, the sand will stay there, almost effortlessly, but as soon as you start to grip it to hold it tighter, the sand’s going to spill out even more quickly. Instead of getting stricter with yourself, instead of going into it thinking that you really need to punish yourself for past behavior, I urge you to change your thinking. Tell yourself, today I’m going to give myself a break and have my maintenance calories.
Take a diet break. Go on maintenance. What does that look like? I’m glad you asked me that. It does not mean ditching all your healthy habits you’ve been establishing. It does not mean just going crazy and eating whatever you want. It means you find a balance between a deprivation of, say, 500 or 700 calories and what you should be eating.
It’s adding some nuts to your oatmeal, adding some sour cream to your salad, doing these little things that make you feel like you’re not quite as deprived. When I go into maintenance, I add a few healthy things to my diet. I don’t start going by McDonald’s or this or that and the other.
I think this is a key, because I think a lot of times people don’t see a diet or weight loss program out because they go balls to the wall. They say, “I’m going to lose this weight in three months. I’m going to make sure this happens.” Wait a minute. You’re supposed to be doing this for the rest of your life.
Taking a small diet break and maintaining your weight and experiencing that is a key to long-term success. I would not be here without having done it. I’ve lost 170 pounds and kept it off now for over three years. Trust me when I say taking a week to eat at maintenance can sometimes be the best mental and physical reset.
I will be sharing a lot of other really good tips that have helped me get back in the mode of doing it when I’ve kind of lost my way or struggled. Comment below or on Facebook and share your struggle or tips for getting back on track.