For The Love Of All Things Good, Please Stick To What Works!
If you’ve been having success with weight loss here’s the best advice I can give you. Stick to what works. Even when you think you don’t have to anymore.
Disclaimer: yes, this seems obvious. I’ve also seen dozens of clients get caught in this trap.
At first a weight loss program is a challenge. It takes time to adjust and get used to new habits. If you stick with it, this all gets a little easier over time. Then, all of a sudden, you think to yourself “this isn’t so hard. I think I’ve got this!” Now you’re cruising on easy street and you feel pretty slick.
And you should. That’s exactly where you want to be. All of your new habits have become routine and feel sustainable for the long haul. Well done!
At this stage, things can go in one of two directions. Option one is that you stay in your lane and keep rolling. Continue doing all the things that have been working for you. That’s the surest way to stay on track.
Option two is that you get a little too cocky and get distracted, or you allow yourself to ease up. You think:
Even though I’ve been killing it with my trainer, maybe it’s kind of expensive… I’ll cancel my gym membership and workout in my basement.
Or
I’ve made so much great progress, I can afford to have a few more treats.
Or
I’m getting really bored of my breakfasts and they take longer to prepare. I think if I keep everything else the same I can go back to eating my old breakfast.
Or
Even though this has been working like gangbusters, my friend is doing another diet and that might be interesting to try. Let’s change things up.
What you might not realise is that:
That trainer was providing support, structure, fun and progression that’s a lot more motivating than slogging it out in your basement by yourself.
Or that having less discipline with sugar and treats tends to lead to increased cravings (which is a slippery slope), changes in your mentality around what constitutes acceptable eating, and if you’re having too much, a reversal of your progress.
Or that your breakfast could be setting you up for success for the rest of the day, and changing that could have multiple downstream effects for the rest of the day.
Or, why in the hell would you want to try something new just for the sake of it when your plan has been working?! The grass isn’t greener on the other side, trust me.
Obviously it’s not inevitable that one change to your routine is going to throw everything off. But I know this: the surest way to stay on track is to keep doing all the things that have made you successful.
I’ve seen too many people fall back into old habits for no good reason. Please, really think it through (and maybe get a second opinion) before making a major change if what you’re already doing is helping you achieve what you want.
