Have you tried several fad diets and don't have any lasting changes to show for it. You have done a 30 day challenge, a new you challenge and once it's done, you are right back where you started. Sure you lost 8 pounds in the first week and even lost 25 pounds in the first month...but then you stopped eating keto and you gained it all back +10 pounds. This is not only a common story, it's the American way. We see it all over social media and think the only way to look like the polished pictures we see on IG is to do the next greatest diet. I get it, it's not sexy or exciting to follow the necessary steps to make lasting change but guess what, they work because they are tested and proven.
Here are the four major categories of the steps necessary to make lasting change.
Awareness of the problem: This is not only the starting point, it's the turning point to making lasting change. If you aren't aware of something then how can you change it? This is a challenging step because you have to really take a look at yourself, your behaviors, your daily actions and be an objective critic. Where do you consistently slip up? Is it after 8:00pm when you are winding down from the day? Is it because you have cereal and ice cream in the house so you can hear it calling your name? Maybe you find yourself eating a snack every afternoon at 3:00pm because you didn't eat a healthy lunch and your energy drops. Whatever it is for you, be honest with yourself. Write it out in a journal, have someone you can talk to about it and figure out what habits you need to change. Now that it has been measured and tracked, it can be changed.
Desire to improve the situation: Do you want to make a change? I know it sounds silly but it's a valid question. You have to know why you want to change and that reason needs to be strong enough to perpetuate your behavior modification. It can't be a mild want or slight desire to change, it needs to be a definitive and unwavering statement you can repeat to anyone that asks. "I want to lose 30 pounds and be able to ride my bike 25 miles in 1 1/2 hours so I can show my kids how important health is to living a full life". That is specific and driven by a primal need to be a good parent and lead by example. You could tell your friends, your spouse and anyone who asked you why you are working so hard and not eating dessert ;)
Explore possible solutions: This is where the strategies and trials of different behaviors come into play. This is the part of the process that everyone wants to skip over or take a pill to achieve. It's the hard part and the reason you have to be emotionally attached to your why. When no one is looking and you want a cookie, will you make a different decision and have a glass of tea instead? It's been a stressful day and you want to eat ice cream, but you got rid of all the temptations in your environment to be successful. You planned ahead and this helped you make the right decision. The decision you know you should make but always seemed to make an excuse for and eat the ice cream anyway. The point of this step is to find what the right behaviors are to allow you to be successful, and this takes trial and error. It takes time to figure this step out and honest feedback from yourself and others to make it a lifestyle.
Implementing a solution into your life: Now you have found it, the behaviors that were detrimental to your goals, you truly want to make a change and have the reason why, so it's time to implement the solution into your lifestyle. This is where lasting change really shapes who you are and how you live your life. This is where you change the story of who you are by rewriting the script. If your mom always handed you an extra large piece of cake at every family get together with the statement, "Johnny will eat this because he is big boned and has always had a big appetite". It's time to change that story, it's not you or who you want to be. This is the time to starting acting like the person you want to be. What would Johnny do who rides his bike 3 days a week and has 15% body fat when his mom hands him the big piece of cake? This is your chance to politely decline and reinforce your belief in yourself. Change the script by changing how you think and act until you are that person. This is always the step people fall down on and struggle with and that is why coaching is critical for long term success. Structure, accountability, and guidance make this road exponentially easier but you still have to do the work. You still have to go through these 4 steps honestly and without judgement. If you think we could help and want to talk about it, take advantage of our free 15 minute discovery call. Change is hard but it is possible, let's make it happen.
Live, learn and grow.
~Coach Brant
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