some reasons people sabotage their new lifestyles

imagymrat · May 2010

I see these posts time and time again. People are going along for a week or two just fine, then bam a party comes up or the weekend hits, and everything is thrown out the door, and all the progress made is for nothing. Here's some reasons why For many people who set out to lose weight they narrow their focus to what to eat and how to exercise but they leave out one very key ingredient that is how toTHINK!. If you want to lose weight and not sabotage your efforts and put the weight back on then I encourage you to take a couple of minutes to read on and discover how you can learn to think differently and make losing weight a total success.

1. Their reason for eating healthy ends. Many people are so focused on reaching their goal that once it is reached they find there is no motivation to go on. In order to keep the weight off you want to develop a mindset that includes leading a healthy lifestyle for years to come.

2. Stay focused on the positive. It is easy to get overwhelmed with weight loss and this can lead to sabotage. In order to keep weight off you will want to train your brain to focus on all of the good and positive things that losing the weight has brought into your life. This builds your motivation and appreciation for all your efforts.

3. Not being flexible. There will be times in life when the right foods are unavailable or you are too busy to get to the gym. For these time allow for a mindset that is flexible and move to an alternate plan instead of giving up.

4. Looking at your efforts as a temporary diet instead of a lifestyle. The biggest reason people sabotage their weight loss is because they are looking at their efforts as a limited diet. In order to keep the weight off you will want to look for long-term ways to eat that keep you satisfied both mentally and physically.

Remember this is a lifestyle change, not a temporary quick fix, if you don't understand your behaviour patterns and why you sabotage yourself, you won't be likely to be very successful in weight loss. Think, even if it's about putting a piece of chocolate into your mouth, question why the chocolate, why not a handful of almonds..just think about it, it's the only way to make permanent changes. Even when it comes to exercise, think about why you're doing it, not because you can eat ice cream, or to just burn a few caklories..although it's a nice perk..but you're making your body work more efficiently. You are building strength and a healthier body, you are energizing it, making it work to your advantage..burning extra calories, helping your posture, making you look good and feel good....Just take a moment and to think.

DanOhh · May 2010

Good post!

hill242 · May 2010

1. Their reason for eating healthy ends. Many people are so focused on reaching their goal that once it is reached they find there is no motivation to go on. In order to keep the weight off you want to develop a mindset that includes leading a healthy lifestyle for years to come.

It's interesting to me that you posted this today. I was recently thinking about why some people (including myself) have failed to maintain our weight loss. I think your first point is very critical, at least in my experience.

I think eating right is the best way to fuel our bodies, and caloric deficits are the best way to lose weight. Exercise is like this bonus we can give ourselves as it makes our bodies healthier, stronger, etc. But what if we don't like exercise, because our definition of exercise is "that thing we do when we go to the gym and listen to an instructor call out movements for an hour"? Or maybe it's "run on the treadmill for 30 minutes" or "go from Machine A to B to C, repeat 3 times". None of those personally sound appealing to me.

For me, what got it to finally click, is that I want my "diet" to support my active lifestyle that I have developed. I like two things: mountain biking and Crossfit. If I make poor food choices, I make these activities much more challenging and not as fun. When I eat right and as I've lost weight, these activities are much more enjoyable and I can ride longer, or lift heavier, etc. So having these forms of exercise in place that are more appealing, at least to me, and drive me to improve myself every day, I think I have a motivation to continue making the right choices in my diet.

Just my 2 cents. Excellent post, imagymrat.

snowsflake · May 2010

Well put! It is a lifestyle change, which is why I HATE the word diet! "I'm going on a diet...I'm going on a diet!" I finally had to get off the merry-go-down, and get on the lifestyle train...we don't like change and when we do it is so drastic we end up rebelling against it.

I finally had to come to accept that I will never be perfect 100% of the time and be able to live with it. Once I did that it helped me get rid of a lot of the pressure I was putting on myself. I can still have a bad day or days, but that doesn't mean that I give up. I accept that I'm not perfect...and that's okay with me!

imarlett · May 2010

Great post! This so applies to me, well applied. I am off the merry-go-round of binging then going on a diet. I am changing my life. Thank you for putting it so eloquently.

Felixanvk · May 2010

Thank you for your post!
I am one of those typical ones...
I was doing fine for 2 weeks. I went to a store to buy weight for work out. At the register, I saw some chocolate ... so I got 3 instead of 1... 3! And of course I ate them on my way home. When I add the calories value... I was sooooo discourage and I though... no body would care... this is so tiring...
I was reading thru a magazine this morning and I saw that resurch has proven that if you have work out DVD's and weight close to your tv, you would do it.
With all my shame, I thought, I need to loose all those 900 and more calories. So I did it, and before I eat something I try to write it so I will see how much I am putting in my mouth.
We were doing this together with my husband but he got tired before me... this time I did not quit with him. Even though this website is my only encouraging thing... I want to loose those weights before tooo long!
Thank you for posting...
They were great

skroll · May 2010

Thank you so much! I really needed that today. I am making lifestyle changes and it is not always easy but I am making progress one step and one day at a time. I have made a commitment with my heart if I can just get my head to keep me focused!!!

vinjama · May 2010

4. Looking at your efforts as a temporary diet instead of a lifestyle. The biggest reason people sabotage their weight loss is because they are looking at their efforts as a limited diet. In order to keep the weight off you will want to look for long-term ways to eat that keep you satisfied both mentally and physically.

Good post. And number 4 is exactly the ideology I adhere to as well. That word "Diet" or when people say "I need to go on a diet" is the reason for why learning how to eat healthy becomes such a chore and hassle. It assumes that once all the desired weight has come off, they can quit their diet and go back to indulging once again.

I admit, it is a struggle in the beginning in understanding proper NUTRTION. But learning the fundamentals of THAT word, I believe is the key to success and long term commitment. Nutrition, is something that one can actually develop a life long passion for.

AFLABRAT04 · May 2010

bump for later! Looks like great advice....

OctoberBabe · May 2010

I agree...good post!

catfan · May 2010

Great post---As I was logging on I was trying to figure out why I constantly screw up my progress..Thanks for giving me alot to think about!!

KeriD · May 2010

Well said!!!! I am one of those people that gets my weight down and for some crazy reason, I feel like I don't deserve it. There is no reason I should feel that way, I had a great upbringing and I have a great life now. I get part way there and start with the mental attitude of....I'm not capable of getting any further and that I am not deserving of this weight loss. The head stuff is soooo hard to deal with!!!!!

FabiolaEnvy♥ · May 2010

thanks for posting this

im gonna steal it and put it into my blog so i can go straight to it whenever i struggle in the future.

right now im not. but its still great to have that in mind

thank you sweetie!!! i love your knowledge and your ways of making this fit just right

Edited: btw your name is right on the blog :blushing:

aunienue · May 2010

good post, bump

NaturalMom · May 2010

So true! Well stated.

niki7g · May 2010

Very interesting reading!

amelia_atlantic · May 2010

:bigsmile: I need this today! Thanks!

Crysta1976 · May 2010

Exactly what I needed to read today!

kathymurphy · May 2010

BEST THING I HAVE READ ON HERE SINCE I'VE BEEN ON MFP!.. Great advice. You should be a diet coach. I need to read this advice daily!!!!!!!

snowsflake · May 2010

It's crazy that we always want to believe our head when it comes to the bad and rarely when it comes to the good. And I can be just like that! I have to stop sometimes and recognize what I have done, how far I have come and stop thinking about how far I have to go and how long it is going to take...we can all do this. We just need a mental shift...it will happen if we let it. We all deserve to be healthy and happy. It is our God given right to do so!

ScarletTarah · May 2010

This is a very good post.

XFitMojoMom · May 2010

yep - just posted on FB that I was feeling self destructive. Just one of those days - extra tired, kids are whiney, haven't had the chance to workout yet, the house is a mess....
Know what? I have Some Dorito's Sweet Chili Heat in the basement, I was gonna go plow through them, but I think I'll crank the music instead and clean the house and go outside, skip with the girls and use their body weight as my medicine balls for some core action. Will put smiles on their faces and turn their whines to squeals of delight.

thanks for the perspective.

tigerblue · May 2010

Good points!! Thanks.

I am almost to my goal, and I think I can maintain this time, because I am never going to stop keeping my food-exercise diary/counting calories. I will just have to find the right numbers to maintain. But I know that I will always have to be aware of what and how much I am eating, so that I will not fall back into bad habits. I take 100% of the responsibility for the bad habits that put the weight on me before. Yes, my life gives me some particular challenges (schedule, kids, family responsibilities. . .), but I still am the one who makes the choices, either good or bad!!

imagymrat · May 2010

Oh man, talk about typo's!! lol....i'm glad that this post has made a few people think! It's all about decisions to change our lives.
i know for me, for many years, my outside physical appearance didn't resemble my inner fit queen...I wanted it, but had no clue how to go about it, where to begin, it was all so intimidating. Then I started focusing on things I could change in the now..like what I put into my body. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't always get it quite right, but I was working on it. When I noticed a bit of weight coming off, and feeling much more energetic I started to walk, I walked pushing my kids in a stroller, I walked to the mall, to the dentist, where ever it was a possibility to walk I did. After three weeks of watching what I was eating, and walking I had dropped 10lbs. Whooppeee! Motivation city! I then went to a seminar that was featuring Richard Simmons..as corny as it is, it was life changing. I actually started to THINK about the food I put into my body. If I was going to eat 300 calories, my body will use those calories much more efficiently if it came from a grilled chicken salad..no dressing! then from a twix bar..same amount of calories but boy does the body respond differently. When I figured out how much food I could actually eat,( cause don't kid yourslef, i'm not a salad and water girl, I got fat cause I like my chow! ) i was amazed, I hought there's no way I can lose weight i'm stuffed all the time! But then I saw changes in my body, I had more energy, my bloodsugar levels evened out, I know longer became ravenous between meals like Idid when I would have a sugary snack to hold me over. I put two and two together and thought about my eating decisions affected my moods, and what do you know, a calorie isn't just a calorie, you can eat 1200 calories of mostly junk..yeah you'll probably lose weight, but i'll eat the same amount in healthy carbs, protein and fats, and I can guarantee you that I could run circles around you,....three times, my skin will be healthier, i'll have energy to spare, my moods will be better, my metabolism revved..my body building muscle...the weight lifting started around the same time, and totally by accident, my diet , the foods I choose to put into my mouth each and every day is responsible for nearly all my progress that I have made to my body..the weights as well...but if it wasn't for me thinking about it, the shape i'm now wouldn't be possible with a "1200 cal garbage diet" there's just no way...anyhoo...this was supposed to be an apology for my very poor editing and grammar skills!! Damn spell check doesn't really get every mistake now does it!!

Rica03 · May 2010

This has been very supportive and eye opening. Thank you very much for posting your "Two Cents" it really made me think about the reason I feel so crappy about myself today. This is just the sort of thing that people need to read every once in a while when they get off track.

weaklink109 · May 2010

bumping to read later

weaklink109 · May 2010

bumping to read later

KarenECunningham · May 2010

Great post. It is all true and I needed to hear it. I have been a little stuck on the weight not coming off as fast as I would like. This is a reminder to stay focused on how far I have come and if I don't quit the weight will come off. Thank you.:flowerforyou: