Don't Give Up
The Wt. Loss Minute by Linda Spangle, RN, MA
www.100DaysChallenge.com
Great idea: You don't have to see results to know they are happening
When I was a young child, my mother fastened a tape measure to
the back of our family room door. About once a month, she would
have me stand next to the tape, then lay a ruler on top of my
head and determine how much I'd grown since the last measurement.
Since kids grow in spurts and stops, it wasn't uncommon to have
many months go by without showing any changes in my height. Now
suppose my mother got frustrated with the lack of results, and
angrily stomped out of the room saying, "It's not working. No
matter how hard I try, you're just not growing. Since you aren't
getting any taller, I think I'll just quit feeding you."
Of course, she never did this. Most people understand that
changes in a human body take time, and that not seeing results
doesn't mean that things aren't happening.
But now think about this. Have you ever gotten on the scale
after "trying" so hard to lose weight, then stomped off to eat a
bag of cookies because the scale hadn't moved? Even though you
know this isn't logical, it's so easy to give up and quit your
program because you don't see immediate results.
Beth had been a diet for a couple months and had already lost a
fair amount of weight. She usually weighed herself every day, so
she knew exactly when the scale changed. During one stretch on
her program, she became extremely frustrated because day after
day, the scale stayed the same. She said, "It drove me nuts. I
couldn't stand the scale not moving, so finally I made it move.
I ate a whole carton of ice cream!" Yes, Beth's scale weight
changed, but not in the direction she wanted.
When the scale doesn't budge, it's normal to become frustrated
with your weight-loss efforts. But when you eat because of your
aggravation with not seeing results, you simply let the scale
win. If this pattern sounds familiar, take another look at how
committed you are to reaching your goals.
The past couple weeks, we've looked at the difference between
being "interested" or "committed" to losing weight. When you're
"interested," your results determine your actions. In other
words, as long as the scale keeps moving, you stay motivated.
But if you hit a plateau or the scale doesn't change for a week
or two, you give up because "it's not working."
On the other hand, when you're "committed," you take the
opposite approach. You remind yourself, "If I stay motivated, of
course I'll see results." This takes more effort, because we
tend to be impatient and want to see things change quickly. But
sometimes, weight loss works the same way as the measuring tape
on my family room door. Mom always fed me and took care of me,
even during those months when my height didn't change.
Look carefully at your self-talk and consider whether you need
to reinforce your commitment. Instead of counting on changes on
the scale to keep you motivated, push yourself to stay
committed, even when you don't see results. Stand firm in your
belief that if you stick with your plan, eventually you will see
the outcome you want.
Note: This is #3 in a series on being committed to your
weight-loss plan, not just interested in it. If you missed, the
first two, you can read them here:
http://www.rapidwtloss.com/index.php?page_id=289
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Copyright Linda Spangle, 2006. #1030, Weight Loss for Life, Inc.
5023 W. 120th Ave. #183, Broomfield, CO 80020
Contact: [email protected]
www.100DaysChallenge.com
303-452-1545 or 1-800-298-3020
5023 W. 120th Ave. #183, Broomfield, CO 80020
Contact: [email protected]
www.100DaysChallenge.com
303-452-1545 or 1-800-298-3020
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