Weight loss can be one of the hardest journeys you can ever embark on. More people struggle with weight loss and ultimately fail at it because they don’t see the little signs that they are moving in the right direction. In order to lose weight, you need to focus on a long journey, not the short term results. It takes grit during times of vulnerability, and strength during times of temptation. If you stick with it long enough, I promise you that you can find the results that you are looking for. Whether you have just started your weight loss journey, or you are already in the trenches of it, look for these three signs that you are going in the right direction.
1. It’s a marathon, not a sprint
There are many ways to lose weight quickly and a lot of people who want to lose weight fall victim to these techniques. However, in order to successfully take the weight off, and more importantly keep it off, you must acknowledge the fact that the end result isn’t right around the corner. If you are focusing on the journey itself, the plateaus and setbacks won’t derail you. Your weight loss plan should focus more on things like how you are feeling, what your energy level is like, and noticing how your clothes are fitting differently. If you focus on the little things that define the path, then ultimately you will reach the desired result. If you are happy with the journey and aren’t looking to sprint through the finish line, you are in the proper weight loss lane.
2. Flexibility is more than touching your toes
Any diet that is focused on a rigid plan, and demonizes certain foods will eventually fail in the long run. Not only is our life unpredictable at times, but everyone has different physiological needs. Over time, factors like aging and hormones change your body. Something that is working for you now, may change in the future. And if your diet tells you that certain foods are “good” while others are “bad,” it could lead to overindulging on the “bad” foods if you fall off the wagon. A diet that is too polarizing of food will often lead to failure. Instead of looking at food as “good” or “bad,” you should focus on making more nutritious choices overall. If you are looking at food as a way to make your body healthier and staying away from demonizing certain foods, you are on the path to greater long term success.
3. Living your lifestyle
Trying to change your entire lifestyle all at once will lead to a greater chance of failure. The key to making changes in your diet stick for the long term is to make small changes along the way. I have seen it thousands of times. Someone overhauls their entire diet, loses a ton of weight in a short period of time, and then puts it all back on again. Instead of falling into this pattern, you should start by making healthier choices on the foods that you love. If chicken parmigiana is your favorite dinner, try baking it instead of frying it. The most successful people at losing weight always say that it is a lifestyle, not a diet. This is because they can balance their healthy choices into their life already, without throwing their whole world upside down. Live your lifestyle by making healthier choices, and you are going in the right weight-loss direction!
