The process mentality to losing fat

stroutman81

You're doing something right when you check your weight and see no change (or even a slight increase) and immediately think, "Has my nutrition been consistent enough to where a loss should have been realized? If no, what can I modify to make the plan more realistically and consistently applicable? If yes, what modifications can I test out over the next block of weeks to get things dialed in?"

Your body's not going to give up fat when you're not consistent with your plan. Caloric deficits paired intermittently with caloric surpluses (typically binges) tend to net out to caloric equilibrium. Hence the need for consistency.

And if your plan's not dialed in, no amount of consistency and effort is going to earn you forward progress.

For this reason, a logical system of tweaking based on the line of questioning I presented above will win out - long term - over the emotionally driven approach.

I'm sure you know the approach I'm referring to... where you see that slight uptick on the scale, pout about a lack of progress, and then go find some insta-pleasure in a box of cookies to get you over this hump of self loathing.

Your body doesn't owe you losses simply because you believe they're deserved.

BikerGirlElaine

This is so true. I've spent several months mucking about and not making any scale progress. But I've also been asking myself questions like, "what if I eat more in the mornings" or "what if I eat more protein". Tweaking things until I can be consistent with my calories over time is going to be the key to making progress.

And I'm sure that after I get things 'dialed in' today, several months from now, things will change again and more tweaking will be needed.

luvdogz

bump-I need to remember this, thank you!

rachmaree

Well said, Steve!

stroutman81

My pleasure!

psych101

This is awesome :flowerforyou: so many people need to read this

Francl27

Well said!

Jocampgrl

Amen! This is the harder part of losing weight. Hard because it generally takes longer to ask those questions rather than stay focused on the number on the scale and the feelings associated with it.