SensibleSlimming

Let’s face it: everybody gets discouraged at one time or another. It’s part of the human condition.You look at a goal you want to reach, and it seems like it’s so very far away. So it’s easy to understand why many people give up, even before they really get started. But some people don’t quit–they keep going until they reach heir goal. What are they doing, that the people who don’t succeed aren’t?

Here are just a few things to try:

1. Have a reasonable goal. You didn’t get to be where you are overnight, and you’re not going to get where you want to be overnight either. So cut yourself some slack. What you really want to focus on is who you can be in the future. I used to get stuck in the past all the time, judging myself, etc. I’d talk myself into feeling so lousy, and I wouldn’t even feel like doing stuff I normally enjoy. Not fun!

2. Know why you are losing weight, and stay present to the impact it will have on your life. There are a million perfectly good reasons to lose weight and be fit, but you need to know what inspires YOU. How will your life change when you achieve your goal? What will you do? How will you feel? For me, I enjoy playing sports, and I want to play them the best I can. But I realized that by not staying fit, I really wasn’t playing full out, and thus not getting the enjoyment out of them that I would want. So I keep in mind how I feel when I don’t play well, and that keeps me moving forward.

3. Share what you are up to with as many other people as possible. You’ll find that there are many, many other people who are in the same place as you, wanting to lose weight, but either not being able to get started, or have tried again and again with no long-term success. One of the techniques I use is having a buddy. I not only report to my buddy weekly about my progress, I also give her a call when I’m feeling down on myself, and she does the same. Choose a buddy who knows your best self, and who will not only remind you of your greatness (and you do have it, everyone does) but will also keep you accountable for it.

You can see how getting discouraged really gets in the way of your goal to be fitter and healthier. And most all of that is a conversation you have with yourself. You need to get into communication with someone who knows you and believes in you, in order to get out of that negative rut.

Imagine what it will be like in a few short weeks when you look in the mirror and start to see progress, and the comments you’ll get from your friends. You’ll have momentum! You’ll not only feel great about yourself, but you will inspire and make a difference in the lives of other people.