Five Common Weight Loss Struggles

We all know weight loss is achieved through the kitchen right? The kitchen can be a very complex place which may be why weight loss isn't as simple as a fad diet or exercising off a bad meal.

Common struggles of losing weight include:

1. Finishing what others do not eat
2. Mindless snacking
3. Not eating all day and over doing it in the evening
4. Making nourishing choices until someone else has another idea or your normal routine goes out the window when you leave your environment
5. You are tired and sugar is calling your name

If you struggle with one of the above, write down in your weight loss notebook how you will over come this obstacle. If you feel like all of these are your struggles, pick one to start with. Once you have overcome one move on to the next. Please do not try to change all 5 at once. Small changes lead to lasting change. That's what you want right? Lasting change so you are not on another weight loss journey next year?

Here are my tips for these common struggles:

1) Finishing what others eat.
This is really common for the mothers of small children. Give them smaller portions.They can always ask for more if they are hungry and you are not faced with finishing whats left on their plate. You can also save what is left over for snack time or their next meal. If they did not eat much of it because they did not like it, pack it up for your next meal if you really feel you need to not waste it.

2) Mindless snacking.
Be the observer of your mindless snacking - what time of day do you do it and what's going on when you are snacking. Find an activity to entertain your hands and your mind for when the snacking starts to draw you in. I like to grab a glass of water and sit on the floor to stretch. This gives you an opportunity to hydrate (we often snack when our body is dehydrated and actually just asking for water) and it lets you reconnect with your body (which reminds you of the goals you are working on).

3) Not eating all day and overdoing in the evening.
The night before or the morning of, have a plan for your meals and when you will eat. Meal prep, make time for yourself to eat during the day and change something about your evening routine. Instead of sitting down with an abundance of food, have dinner and go on a walk or play at the park. Your body does best when it is fueled regularly with time in between to digest. If you eat the same time of day every day your body knows what to expect.

4) Being derailed by others or changes to routine.
Build your willpower one choice at a time. Instead of saying "I can't eat that", say "I don't eat that." By changing your words you can change your thoughts.

Not everyone is going to support you in losing weight and place an awesome healthy meal in front of you. You will encounter some that want to see you fail because they aren't happy with themselves or motivated to change their own habits.

Being vegetarian gets me out of a lot of situations where I don't want to eat what is provided. And there's no harm in saying "I'm eating vegan right now to support my health" even if I'm only eating vegan for that one hour when I'm at that event where chances are there's nothing there vegan.

The foods we are addicted to most often react the most negatively to our bodies when ingested. Evaluate your reaction of bloat, gas, cramps, skin reactions, and emotional reactions and you'll have an easier time saying no to those foods that aren't helping you feel well. When you know you will be faced with a tough situation, prepare by eating ahead of time, and have your healthy go to snacks available while you're there. When you're asked "Do you want some? you're not going to have any?" take a deep breathe, pause thinking of how you would feel after having it, and respond as you feel is appropriate.

5) The sugar demon is calling you.
You're sweet enough, step away from the sugar. For those times you can't live without it, find a healthier replacement such as dates, figs, or dark chocolate. Make these a nice treat, not an everyday routine. The less often you have it, the more you can enjoy it when you do. Sugar is one of those things you go to when emotions are strong. Before you reach for the sugar, try calling your go to person when you need to talk about what is going on.

Enjoy a sweet treat without derailing your goals!

What are your particular weight loss struggles? Pull out your notebook, write all the struggles you experience with weight loss, from above or your own personal ones not listed. Choose the one you feel most motivated to work on right now. How will you overcome it? Write it down! When you accomplish it for at least a week or longer, move to the next while maintaining what you have created.

When it feels like a lot - breathe. Take at least 5 deep breathes and see how you feel afterwards. You will discover how deep breaths can help you change your perspective, and change your entire life, including your confidence in your ability to succeed at weight loss.