I’ve been so excited about my weight loss journey. I’ve adhered to the plan, upped my exercise and been positive and encouraging. Well… until today. I stepped on the scale and gained 5lbs in one day. In the back of my mind I knew this had to be water retention because it was physically impossible to gain that much fat in one day. But the sugar and fat addict in me took over my thoughts and managed to put a damper on my day. I wasn’t motivated to work out. I had the feeling of wanting to binge on unhealthy comfort foods and wanted to just give in to those emotions.
If this were any other year – any other diet I would have probably eaten a tray of Bagel Bites and poured a huge glass of sweet tea. But I didn’t. I know I’m not the only one going through this and here are some strategies I used to get me through my slump:
- Take a step back and evaluate your emotions. If you’re like me, you’re an emotional eater. Frustration, anxiety, anger or stress are huge triggers for me. Talk out loud and tell yourself to snap out of it. Give yourself a pep talk and don’t demean all the hard work you’ve put in.
- Think about how you’d feel if you were to give in and eat through your emotions. If you indulged in those comfort foods would you feel good afterward? How hard would it be to knock those cravings yet again? Would you beat your self up and feel guilty? Try to see beyond the emotions your feeling at that very moment.
- Look at your progress. Whether it is on the scale, wearing your newly baggy clothes, or comparing your measurements, acknowledge your hard work. Look at yourself in the mirror and look at the progress you’ve made and take note of how far you still have to go. Remind yourself that “falling of the wagon” just means it’ll take that much longer to get to your goal.
- Vent to someone supportive of your weight loss goals. I know it may be tempting to reach out to that friend that always makes you feel good but before you talk about your frustrations, cravings and lack of motivation, make sure they’re not going to influence you to cave. Once you have THAT person around you, let it out! Tell them how tired, bored, hungry, etc. you are. More than likely they’ll help get you out of your head and help you get back on track.
- Use positive affirmations. You’ll feel silly but do it anyway. I’ll tell you right now, my ass is amazing. I love every damn dimple and curve on my booty. Sometimes looking in the mirror and looking for things that I love about me is all I need. Tell yourself how awesome you are for making this choice for a healthy lifestyle. Look at your self in the eyes and LOVE yourself out loud.
- Look for different healthy recipes. You should NOT get bored of eating healthy. If you find your diet plan is too restrictive and making you bored, consider dialing it back to accommodate healthy choices like chia pudding, banana pancakes, or cauliflower pizza. Get on Pinterest, people. There’s a whole world of yummy and healthy recipes out there to keep us entertained. I have a ton pinned to my board. Follow me.
- If you’re not feeling motivated to work out, you can try changing up your routine. I got a super nifty exercise die that has a bunch of different exercises on it (see it here) and it really make it fun and my kids love rolling it and watching me “suffer” through a workout.
- Orgasms are super helpful. Yes, that came out of left field and I’m sorry but I gotta be real here. An orgasm will release the same hormones that our favorite foods do. I’d much rather get off and potentially burn calories than eat a slice of pizza and feel guilty and greasy afterward.
If after all of that you’re still feeling down and unmotivated, know that you’re worth all of this. This weight didn’t accumulate overnight and neither did our poor eating habits but we deserve a healthy life. When you don’t think you can say “no,” realize right now that you’re in control and you CAN do this.
MommyLaughs 