It’s the big idea, especially around this time of the year: get yourself on a diet, go to the gym and try to lose that weight! The problem is, that might not be a sustainable goal, or even a realistic one. How many years has it been since you’ve said to yourself THIS is the year and it ends the same way? You’re getting lost in a target goal, when you should be looking at a process goal.
Here are 6 reasons why weight loss might not work:
- Losing weight cannot be an achievable and realistic goal. Losing weight doesn’t have an end-point. Healthy weight is a range, not an end goal and that looks different for each person. As a goal, it leads to focusing on only ONE metric. It ignores both tangible and intangible effects of changing your life to a healthier one.
- When we think about losing weight, we should stay away from weight-loss as a goal. Instead, think of it as a byproduct. In my coaching, I don’t have a weigh-in because it tends be an obsession for them. We reframe the conversation around ideas about how we are feeling, how our clothes are fitting, and many other non-weight related lifestyle goals. Weight loss will happen if you pay attention to what you eat, exercise more and get proper sleep.
- A diet with a name isn’t going to work. Any diet that has a name is restrictive by nature. When you create a diet that either restricts the amount of calories you can eat or takes out an entire macronutrient, you create a scarcity mindset for the client. The first chance that client is going to be on their own and under stress like during the holidays, they will fail to their lowest level of preparation. You aren’t prepared for life post restriction because you haven’t changed your behaviors. It’s the reason that 95% of all diets fail before 5 years.
- Working out more isn’t going to help you either. When you work out 7 days a week, you don’t have enough time to recover. More isn’t better in this case. Muscles are broken down during training, they are built back up when we eat and rest. When we over-train, we risk burnout and injury. This is especially true for weight-loss. Overtraining leads to inflammation and injuries can derail our health goals. A great way to avoid inflammation is to get a massage. Check out our recommendation Scott Drapeau Olympia Massage for a great therapeutic massage!
- When you make New Year’s resolutions, they are often too ambitious. They are also usually outcome goals instead of process goals. You normally say something like: “I want to lose 30 pounds this year.” Instead, try: “I will go to the gym 3 times a week for strength training this year”. The first one is a huge goal and will take time, which can lead to slow progress and frustration. The second goal is smaller and much more achievable. It also leaves room for life, which does its best to interfere with our plans! You can miss a day or two at the gym and keep moving forward. Not losing 1 pound a week seems like a failure is a part of the “all-or-nothing” mindset.
- I’d recommend process goals. Goals like “I will go to the gym 3 days a week” or “I will walk 10 minutes a day” or “I will include lean protein in each of my dinners” are goals that are realistic and doable. They are small, no-fail habits that should be able to be accomplished no matter what the circumstances. These habits are dynamic in nature, meaning they can change to fit your circumstances.
Losing Weight In Olympia Washington
When you are ready to leave the rollercoaster of diet culture behind, please consider Alliance Athletics as your new accountability coach. We can show you how to best create healthy habits that will help you find your goals. Book a FREE session here to talk to our coaches!
