One of the first things I let my Neuro-Slim clients know is this:
When you start a weight loss transformation, it’s usually fairly easy because you’re highly motivated. But at some point, it will get more difficult.
This is normal and inevitable, and it happens to everyone.
When this occurs, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. If you keep pushing through it, it will get easier again, 100% of the time.
The problem is that most of us don’t know that weight loss is supposed to get hard at some point. When this happens, you might panic, think that something has gone wrong, that it will continue to be hard, and that it’s just not worth it.
What transpires next? You give up. But throwing in the towel is unnecessary because weight loss will get easier if you keep doing what you’re doing.
What you can do when weight loss gets hard:
1. Create a 2.0 advantages list and make sure the list doesn’t feel stale
During hard times it’s usually more difficult to remember why it’s worth it to put in the necessary time and energy, so you must frequently remind yourself by reading your 2.0 NSL Advantages List. You must also resonate with the list so it feels fresh and inspiring.
If you’ve been reading the same list repeatedly, it may start to feel robotic. To help with this, try strategies like re-wording your list, adding new items, reading just the top three each day, taking a few minutes to visualize some things, etc.
2. Think about past POSITIVE experiences
When going through a hard time, it’s easy to forget how good it feels when you’re in control of your body. Take time to think about a recent experience when you stayed in control and how good it felt. It can also help to remember that eating/working out for weight loss isn’t always so difficult and that it feels worth it most of the time.
3. Focus on the basics
When weight loss efforts become rough, it can be helpful to take a few steps back and concentrate on some of your essential Neuro-Slim skills. This could be reading your 2.0 Advantages List, sitting down to eat with zero distractions, and giving yourself credit. Doing so can help you (a) regain focus and (b) feel more confident about your actions because you already know you can do these things.
4. Respond to unhelpful thinking
Often when going through a hard time, a ton of unhelpful thoughts like, “This is so hard, I just can’t do it,” and, “It’s not worth it to me to continue trying to lose weight,” pop up. If left unanswered, these thoughts can lead you to give up. So you must take time to identify what unhelpful thoughts you’re having, make your neuro-response cards, and practice reading them every day. For example, you can remind yourself that:
- The things on my 2.0 Advantages List are worth fighting for. So just because it’s hard doesn’t mean I should give up. I’ve worked hard and accomplished other things in my life that weren’t immediately easy, and I can do this, too.
- Hard times always pass. This is temporary; as long as I keep doing what I’m doing, it will get easier again. Just keep working!
5. Give yourself credit
Sometimes when weight loss becomes difficult, you forget to give yourself credit for all the good things you are still doing. This is likely to happen if you only focus on how hard or bad things feel. Giving yourself credit is important when going through a hard time because you often begin to lose confidence and question whether or not you can do it. By recognizing the things you’re still doing and doing well, you can fight against this and regain (or maintain) a sense of pride and achievement.
