Achieving your ideal weight happens one pound at a time.
Not everybody reading this blog is at their ideal weight, either for their health or their personal preference. If you’re 20 or 30 (or more) pounds over your ideal weight then maybe you think it’s a lost cause.
You’ve been this way for a while now and you can’t seem to find your way out. Maybe you’re depressed and unhappy about it, but just don’t know what to do. Is there a way out?
Of course!
This is more of a mental struggle than a physical one. You need to believe that you can achieve your goals. Don’t worry about those 20 or 30 pounds. Just focus on that first pound.
What?!
Yes, you heard me right.
If you’re depressed and overweight, you need to take it one pound at a time. If you look at those 30 pounds you have to lose, you might just believe that it’s hopeless and dive right into that tub of Ben & Jerry’s.
You CAN lose a pound. And that’s all you need to focus on right now.
Reward Yourself Along the Way
It’s great to reward yourself for that first pound lost (and you should!), but remember to also reward yourself for succeeding in the process to lose weight.
So maybe after a particularly hard workout you go see a movie you’ve been wanting to see (sans popcorn and junk food). Or after a healthy meal you go for a walk in the mall to check out a dress for your company’s Christmas party. Maybe you read your favourite fashion magazine for 20 minutes after each workout.
You need to associate working out and eating right with other positive things that you enjoy.
Food is NOT a Reward
If you’re aiming for weight loss, never use food as a reward.
I repeat – NEVER USE FOOD AS A REWARD.
It’s amazing the number of people who will spend an hour on the Stairmaster (not something I recommend in the first place) and then “reward” themselves with pizza with a friend afterwards. And going for a 20 minute walk to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream cone makes the venture pretty much worthless.
Find other things that make you feel good besides food. Read a chapter of a book you enjoy. Call a friend. Look at baby animal memes on the internet.
Do something that rewards you without spoiling your efforts towards your goal.
The Big Picture
You need to have a goal for where you eventually want to be, weight-wise, but sometimes the big picture can be overwhelming. Remember to take your journey one pound at a time.
Ivana Chapman
