Welcome to part 2.
You can find part 1 here – Finding Time for Weight Loss part 1
Let’s get going.
You can’t rely on motivation
It has a habit of going AWOL when you need it.
To succeed, you’ll need to rely on your commitment:
Your willingness to take action, even when you don’t feel like it.
Your brain will come up with a host of reasons why you can’t do it right now.
And that’s ok.
This is where you can harness your conscious brain to say ‘we’re doing it anyway!‘ and then take the first step.
If you don’t direct your brain, you will get so frustrated at your lack of motivation that you’ll eventually just give up.
Maybe you’ve experienced this already.
But the thing is…
Frustration comes from lack of action.
Motivation comes from taking action (that’s right – action comes before motivation).
Action is taken from commitment.
No matter what you are feeling in the moment, when you are committed, you can do it anyway.
And that’s what gets results.
Why we quit
So many of us have experienced pursuing a weight loss goal and not achieving it.
The biggest reason people don’t succeed is because their plan was unsustainable.
Which is why it’s essential to focus on building healthier lifestyle, rather than a quick fix diet.
But there’s also another reason.
When you’re busy and stressed, quitting means you have one less thing to get worried and frustrated about.
It allows you to confirm your belief that you’re not good enough, and that you don’t have what it takes to succeed. (Which is BS by the way).
Quitting is temporary relief. But it’s often tinged with regret.
And eventually, after a few months sliding backwards, you’ll probably decide to start again.
One way to stop yourself from giving up is to remind yourself what accomplishment feels like.
Notice and celebrate all the wins, no matter how small.
Visualise success, instead of dwelling on mistakes.
Slip ups are part of the process – all you need to do is dust yourself down and keep going.
Finding Time for Weight Loss Success Secret #1 – Morning routine
Many of the world’s highest achievers have a morning routine.
You already do too, and there are probably some tweaks that could make it a more helpful one for you.
Question:
Does your current morning routine set you up to take purposeful action towards your goals?
Or is it stressful, rushed, just hoping it will all go ok?
To build success into your day, do something each morning that prepares you achieving what you want.
It could be to take 5 minutes to write down a plan for the day.
Don’t overthink this – you don’t have to get it perfect.
Something always beats nothing, and a quick scribbled out plan will help you far more than doing no plan and winging it all day long.
Here’s a reminder of some quick and nutritious food ideas.
Pro tip: Avoid your phone first thing.
Don’t let other people take your time and attention before you’ve given some of that to yourself.
Do something intentional at the start of each day – something just for you.
If you usually don’t get 5 minutes to yourself… could you get up slightly earlier and take it then?
How satisfying would it feel to sit calmly with a coffee and a book or journal, even for just 5 or 10 minutes?
Decide what would feel great for you, and make it happen.
Finding Time for Weight Loss Success Secret #2 – Evening routine
An evening routine sets you up to finish the day feeling calm and in control.
It’s your chance to wind down, do something positive for you, and set yourself up for a good night’s sleep.
Your routine could involve time to read or journal. It could be time to chill and watch a great TV program, with your phone in flight mode to minimise distraction.
A few elements of my evening routine are –
- clean my teeth half hour after dinner (stops me wanting any snacks later on)
- put phone in flight mode from 9pm (stops me mindlessly scrolling social media)
- get breakfast stuff out ready before going to bed (it feels good to come down next morning and see it out ready, and I really love breakfast)
I also go to bed at roughly the same time each night, and listen to an audiobook (set on a timer) to help me drift off to sleep.
When your whole day has been go go go, it’s SO tempting to unwind in front of the TV late at night, when you could be going to bed.
You might feel the need for that downtime, but the sleep and sticking to the routine will help you so much more.
Give it a try and see how it impacts you the next day.
A good mantra to keep repeating whenever you lack motivation to do something:
This is for my future self.
There’s no better way to achieve your goals in life than by prioritising nutrition, and doing daily movement that makes you feel good, and getting enough sleep.
Practical steps – food planning
We’ve touched on this already, but here are some quick fire tips.
When you have reasonably healthy meals that you like, and would happily eat most weeks, keep those foods in stock in the weekly shop.
Kitchen staple ideas
Breakfast – oats, protein powder, frozen berries, eggs, bread, Greek yogurt, granola
Lunch – tuna, eggs, frozen veg, avocado, salad, cottage cheese, potato, soup
Dinner – protein (meat, fish, tofu, beans, chick peas, lentils), lots of veg, favourite carbs
Snacks – protein powder, protein bars, nakd bars, fruit, yogurt, babybels, tinned peaches
Dessert – mini ice creams, low calorie ice cream tub, tinned fruit, fresh fruit, mini chocolate bars
A default plan for a busy day could be:
- Protein shake or smoothie for breakfast
- soup or salad for lunch
- fruit, protein bar or protein shake for snacks
- normal dinner – the infographics below can help with how to make it a well balanced meal
Mindful Eating
A great way to save time spent overeating (and feeling bad about it after), and build a healthy relationship with food.
Even when you don’t have a food plan, you can always practise this, and it will help a lot.
Before eating, check in with yourself to ask – am I actually hungry?
If yes, eat slow and enjoy each bite.
Notice when the taste starts to fade and you begin to feel satisfied.
Stop there, knowing you can eat again whenever you’re next hungry.
To sum up Finding Time for Weight Loss
Your thoughts are so powerful, and you can use them to create more time.
Perception changes everything.
Notice your thoughts. Where is your energy and focus going? Is it helpful?
Protect your time. Say no, to other people and your phone.
Look for where you waste time in the day – we all do this.
Keep your phone away from you as much as you can, and if you notice yourself scrolling, stop.
What’s the next thing you can do?
Plan your day to make life easier for your future self. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just do your best.
And finally, keep directing your thoughts.
I am choosing this.
I can do this.
One thing at a time.
I am in control.
I am worth the effort.
If you would like to listen to an audio version of this post, check out my podcast:
Episode 43 – Tips and Tools for Managing Time
The link takes you to Spotify, but you can find it on all podcast platforms, just search ‘Think Healthy with Hayley’.
And finally, if you’d love to have support through Online Coaching, find out more here: