If you find yourself losing some motivation after a few weeks on a new diet/eating plan, remember that is completely normal.
Starting a new diet and lifestyle is a new skill that you are learning which is no different to learning a new instrument or a new sport.
What typically happens when we start learning a new skill is, we want to be perfect at it straight away. We want to see results quickly, and you want to get it right from the very beginning. You don’t want to look at your lifestyle change as something you take slowly, learn from mistakes, and start by learning core principles first that will get you 80% results. Wanting everything to be 100% can cause you to quit your program as you begin to identify your own deficiencies and start to realise that your desired lifestyle will require a huge amount of effort in order to master it.
Trying to do everything 100% can and most likely will cause you distress. Imagine you start playing tennis tomorrow and after a few weeks you get disheartened because you are not playing like Nadal. Learning a new skill requires you to build foundations first and then grow from there one-step at a time.
Eating healthily and exercising, changing your old habits into new habits, can be tedious and demanding. It is much easier to throw it all in and wait for another time to start again, a time that is “less busy” or “when you have more time”.
When you want to change – such as losing weight and master a new exercise program – your subconscious will always try and sabotage you, as change means “danger”.
Not only do you have to cope with your internal resistance and sabotage, you will also face external resistance. External Resistance comes from people around you. This could be from your spouses who will tell you to “be realistic,” or your kids who will demand your time, and your friends who will encourage you to come off your plan, just “for the night”, so you don’t ruin their “fun” on a night out.
When you are faced with your own inner sabotage and your external resistance, it is crucial to remember the reasons why you want to lose weight. Your resistance and self-sabotage will have little power when you keep showing up no matter how you feel. On the Mind over Body programme you learn strategies and coping mechanisms that you can use when you are faced with resistance or self-sabotage.
