In this post I am sharing lessons learned from over 3 decades of dieting, exercising, and just plain obsessing about my weight. I hope you will find this helpful and that it prevents you from making the same mistakes and the related heart ache.
These seven truths are:
- Results achieved quickly are undone even faster .
- Mindset and inner dialog matter more than anything else.
- You cannot out exercise a bad diet.
- Not all calories are created equal.
- Consistency is key.
- Body transformation is also a process of internal changes; replacing bad habits with good habits.
- The aesthetics are the least of it.
As you know, if you’ve been reading this blog for a while or if you listen to my podcast, I discuss all things weight loss, body transformation, exercise, mindset, inner healing, and spiritual growth. I have also tried all the things when it come to weight loss, because, frankly it has always been really difficult for me to lose weight.
As I say, I have been chasing skinny since I was 14 years old. It was born from years of being bullied about my weight, which created an inner monster of body dysmorphia that I have battled most of my life. It wasn’t until about 7 years ago that my focus and motivation shifted from losing weight, getting skinny, whatever, to improving myself. That is because I was about 8 months out from having my youngest of three, 3 years out from my divorce, and a little over a year out from a relationship that didn’t end well. I was also working in a demanding job, suffering chronic stress, battling depression, anxiety, and insomnia, coping with alcohol, and at my highest weight ever.
I was lost, broken, and at my worst. I have full custody and responsibility for my kids, so while there was a lot on my shoulders, I also knew I had to figure out how to get better. I was so depleted I felt like my kids were just getting a shell of the person I was. I was a shell of myself. I’d lost my sense of self in all that had transpired in the years prior. So, I made a decision that I was going to do whatever I had to do to get myself back and be the best version of myself for my kids.
I lost 55 pounds and have kept it off and maintained a healthy lifestyle since. Fitness was the doorway to what has since become a healing journey. Over these past seven years I have healed my depression, anxiety, and insomnia, quit drinking and smoking, shifted my mindset, and got to the root causes of these things through inner healing.
In this time, I have learned these seven truths about weight loss or body transformation that I am sharing with you today. So, let’s get into these:
- Results achieved quickly are undone even faster.
Save yourself time, agony, and a destroyed metabolism and skip the fad diets. These are the ones that require you to live on an insanely low amount of calories, eliminate entire food groups, or consist of some other crazy, unsustainable method to lose weight fast. It may come off fast because of the extremes being taken, but this is also why it comes back on even faster.
The various hormones involved in metabolism, digestion, and hunger get out of whack when we do these crazy diets. When we go off them we gain weight fast and then it is even harder to lose the next time. - Mindset and inner dialog matter more than anything else.
This could easily be the first on the list, because it is that important. If you are self-critical, struggle with body dysmorphia like I have, and/or have a negative inner dialog, saying mean things to yourself, about your body, then it is not going to matter how much weight you gain or lose. It is also going to be harder to move forward if you have a negative mindset. - You cannot out exercise a bad diet.
This is a bit cliché, but it is true. For years, I believed all I needed to do was the right exercise program. I was clueless about nutrition for so long. But the bottom line is if your diet is not balanced, is mostly junk, or even just overly restrictive, no amount of exercise is going to matter. Your diet and exercise go hand in hand; you need a good diet and a good exercise routine to get good results. - Not all calories are created equal.
This sort of follows from the previous truth. The quality of the calories you consume is more important than the amount. 1,000 calories a day of junk vs. 1,000 calories a day of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, beneficial fats, and complex carbohydrates will yield very different results. We’re all familiar with the term “skinny fat” I’m sure. Aside from the fact that you should be eating much more than 1,000 calories a day, it’s also important you are getting your calories from foods that fuel your body and optimize your bodily functions and systems. - Consistency is key.
You don’t have to be perfect with your food and exercise 100% of the time, but being consistent a minimum of 80% of the time is what helps make your efforts sustainable long-term. If your body can trust that you will move it and fuel it consistently and in a balanced manner most of the time, it will function better and be more adaptable to fluctuations in that other 20% of the time. This means you can have your cake and eat it to, which means you can sustain your progress and efforts. - Body transformation is also a process of internal changes; replacing bad habits with good habits.
I feel like this is understated in the fitness space. Yes, you may set out on this to lose weight or maybe it’s to gain weight, somehow transform your body, but this requires you to change internally first. Your habits have to change. This requires incrementally swapping out one to two bad habits for good habits over time.
So many times I fell into the trap of trying to change everything at once and I would fail because it was too much and too overwhelming. Instead, tackle a couple things each month. Master these, then make the next couple changes. - The aesthetics are the least of it.
Yes, this may be what gets you started, but I have found you need much more than this to keep yourself moving forward. And there are so many good reasons to do this that have nothing to do with how you look in a swimsuit. Like, longevity, maintaining youth, having more energy, and health, to name a few.
There is more to “weight loss” or body transformation than the physical. If you spend a bit of time up front getting crystal clear on the deeper reasons you want this, it will lead you to seeking the path that is sustainable. You will be willing to do whatever it takes and once you have made the investment in terms of time and effort, you will want to maintain it as a lifestyle. And, that’s what it is after all, it’s a lifestyle.
Have you found these to be true on your journey? What would you add to the list? Share your experiences in the comments! And don’t forget to subscribe for more health tips and trends. If you like this blog, please consider supporting it here.
Stay healthy, stay happy, and keep pursuing faith, fitness, and joy!