Firstly I'd like to start off by saying that this all my personal opinion and what motivates me won't necessarily work for you, but if you're struggling then it's worth a try.
Motivation is something I either have in full swing or it completely hides away and I can't find it for a week. There is no happy medium. I always remember as a teenager mum saying to me 'if you want to do something you'll do it because you have strong willpower'. I guess I do in a sense but when it comes to food I find it difficult. Food is up there with the top five loves in my life, maybe even top three if it really came to the crunch. I love it, I like eating, I like making food, I like going out for dinner, I like watching food on the TV, looking at food on Pinterest and Instagram. It's kind of an obsession. So, to follow slimming world and remain 'on plan' in order to shift the pounds... is no mean feat.
I would say that a strong 85% of the time I do remain on plan. By 'on plan' I mean I stay within the 15 syns and follow things as they should be. 'Off plan' to me can mean anything from 20syns a day plus, to a full blown pizza feast with wine and the works (amazing). So when it comes to staying motivated, what do I do? Well, the biggest one for me is reminding myself how I'll feel if I do go off plan. If I eat rubbish for a day, my body feels it. I'm tired, lethargic and miserable. Besides the physical effects, I also go in to a state of disappointment and panic. I wonder how it will affect my loss, I weigh myself constantly to see if the damage is showing or not. I feel terrible basically. I have to remind myself, that yes you can enjoy a night off and not worry about counting syns but at the same time I feel awful the following day knowing that I've almost betrayed myself. I shouldn't feel like that because we're all normal but I think it's natural when you're trying to lose weight to be disappointed. So whenever I feel like caving in to a bowl full of chocolate, I put myself in that mind set and tell myself I'll regret it. Sometimes though, food still overrules.
Something I get asked a lot is, "how do you stay on plan following slimming world at home?" Well, to be honest. I still set myself a weigh in day and the fear of seeing a plus on the scales is what keeps me going. I don't want to post an Instagram update with a '+' symbol ever apart from after holidays. As daft as it sounds, it's the fear of gaining weight that keeps me going. I actually never used to own a pair of scales, but it got to the point where I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere and wanted the scales to prove whether my weight was in fact going up or down.
Instagram keeps me motivated. Seeing everybody elses amazing achievements is a good way to give you a much needed kick up the arse sometimes. Take photos!!! Front, side and back at least once a week. You won't think it at the time, but scrolling back through your phone to a couple of months ago, you'll say to yourself "wow, I can see the difference".
Do NOT compare yourself to anybody else. I'm guilty for this - always. We all do it. Thoughts such as "She's so pretty" or "She's got a better ass than me", 'Her stomach is flatter than mine", "We weigh the same but I still look fat" etc etc. It has to stop. It won't make you feel any better. We're all different and just remember as much as you're envying the next person there is somebody out there wishing they looked like you.
You need to see it as a lifestyle change. Slimming World is not a diet. I don't feel like I'm dieting, I'm just eating differently to how I used to. I'll put my hands up, I used to think groups like Weight watchers and Slimming world were rubbish, stupid clubs that take you're money and you never lose weight. But I was wrong, I'll happily admit that. You've got to be in this for the long run or else it's not worth your effort. But keep at it and make it work? Well that could just be the best decision you ever made.
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