When You Don’t See Results

I spent years thinking about (maybe sorta) trying to lose weight. I’d start to feel pumped about the idea of being in a healthier place and daydreamed about dropping 20 pounds. I’d spend 3 or 4 weeks getting up in the morning, going running, feeling some amazing endorphins, and it all seemed great until…I wasn’t seeing results. When I was being completely honest with myself, I realized I didn’t want to simply “feel” better (which is kind of nebulous) with no other measurable difference. I actually wanted to lose weight and it was frustrating when the scale didn’t budge. I believed that with all the effort I was putting into it that I deserved to drop at least a few pounds.

I think sometimes we try to convince ourselves that results don’t matter so we move ahead with this willy nilly plan to “be healthier”, whatever that actually means. I didn’t mind exercise, being active, and attempting to be more “careful” with what I ate, but the reality was I didn’t have a clear definition of what I was moving toward so I was lacking a big vision for the outcome that I ultimately wanted. We’ve all heard it before, a group of people starts talking about collective ideas of eating better and incorporating some healthier behaviors into their routines, but since we’re scared of the word “diet”, it’s easy to simply say, I’m “being healthier”. The lack of definition in the vision of health means that results aren’t measurable which makes being healthy difficult to manage.

What Is Measured Is Managed

What happens when the loose plan isn’t cutting it? Maybe you’ve got a major event coming up and you’re not feeling so great about yourself? Or you’ve finally just realized it’s time to make permanent change. You start to panic because that’s what people without a plan do. Decisions that have your personal best, long-term interest in mind, usually don’t come from panic mode. Decisions that lead to measurable changes come with a firm plan.

Instead of allowing the words diet and exercise to hold you back, try adjusting your thinking. If your approach, your decisions, choices, habits and routines up to this point have put you in a place you do NOT want to be, then it’s necessary to find the resolve to admit that something needs to change significantly. Not kinda sorta with a loose plan but firmly and remarkably. Don’t be overwhelmed with that kind of chage. Start with a specific plan.

Learn To Love The Beginning Of Your Journey

Starting from a place of positivity while looking forward to exciting change, is a wonderful recipe for success! In my article, “Losing Weight And Keeping It Off For Life” I mentioned 5 keys to lasting change. The number one key is, “You have to actually be excited about changing. The second key is that “You can’t start in on successful change by running away from something.” The motivation of moving toward a goal always has more longevity than the negative motivation of hating where you are in your personal journey.

How To Change Negative Motivation To Positive Motivation

Is your tendency to lean toward the urgent, the negative, and the panic motivators? The first step is to recognize that there’s a reason you’re defaulting to that type of motivation. You’ve likely done it before, or possibly every time you’ve tried to make significant change in your life. Be hyper vigilant about finding a new motivator, something that’s not event driven, a vision of what you’re moving toward. Have a firm plan and a rock solid support system. An unarticulated vision will almost certainly leave you floundering and confused along the way. As a result you’ll likely end up back where you started.

Being vague about how and why you’re making change, creates more confusion than clarity. Once confusion enters into your process it’ll stop you dead in your tracks. Do not panic. Make a plan. You’re going to need it. Change often comes about by doing things completely differently than any way you’ve done them before. You’ve got to change to change.

Dawna LS Wilson