Get off the Couch and Go!

THIS time it’s going to work. THIS time it’s RIGHT. THIS time it will be a lifestyle and we’ll be fulfilled and live happily ever after with our new body. Then, in almost no time, reality sets in. We try our best for a couple of weeks and the scale doesn't budge. We sacrifice sweets, cheese, butter, oil, even meals for what seems like an eternity but still look nothing like the girls in the Victoria’s Secret ads. <<sigh...>>
Getting started on a weight loss or fitness program can be exciting. New shoes, new program, new gym and a new goal can inspire us and in our heart of hearts we KNOW that

 At this point, our new found excitement is gone; despair sets in and before you make your second monthly payment on your new gym membership, a box of cookies has been devoured and you’re wallowing in self-defeat….Sound familiar? Then it’s time for you to Get off the Couch and Go!

 In pursuit of a weight loss or fitness goal, the number one reason women give up isn't for lack of effort, laziness or even time issues. It’s self-doubt and self-defeat. We are our own worst critics, and no one ever reached their goals by telling themselves it can’t be done or by giving up.

 Women who start out “gung-ho” for results but never achieve their goals have very distinct traits that are far different from those who achieve their goals. First, they expect instant success and results. If they train and diet for a few weeks and don’t see immediate results they feel as if the weight will never come off and that their efforts are futile.

 In most cases, it took some time to get your body to the point where it is now. You cannot expect a couple weeks of hard work and diet to take off what probably took months or even years to put on! Women who achieve their goals don’t expect instant success. They focus on being the best they can be each day, each workout, and each meal choice and know that the results will come with consistency and time.

 Second, women who struggle see their surrender of yummy foods on a daily basis as a sacrifice. Rather than changing their mindset to see food as fuel, they see food as enjoyment or reward and are bitter that they aren’t able to indulge. These women will look at a piece of cake and tell themselves, “I can’t have that because I’m on a diet.” Women who succeed at their goals look at a piece of cake and tell themselves, “I choose not to have that because I am in pursuit of my weight loss goal.” These are two very different statements. The first is seeing their new lifestyle as a sacrifice; the other is a powerful statement of choice.

 Finally, self-defeatist self-talk is detrimental to your weight loss goals. Women who end up failing tell themselves, “I will never look like the women in the Victoria’s Secret ads; this is hopeless,” or “I can’t lose weight because of my genetics,” or “I have too much to lose; it’s impossible.” BUT, women who succeed tell themselves, “Those women in the magazines look GREAT and they inspire me to continue on my path to success.” Waking up every morning with a drive and a purpose to succeed and being excited about what is going to happen to our bodies is the key to weight loss and fitness success.

 So, how do you transform from a woman of self-doubt to one of success? Simple…Get off the couch and Go! Don’t wait for tomorrow, don’t wait for Monday…do it now. Put it in your mind that you are on a mission to be a healthy, fit, vivacious woman who reaches her goals. And don’t give up! Change your outlook to one of self-power and success. No matter if you need to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds, it CAN be done! When you find your self-defeating, negative self-talk creeping back into your thoughts and you want to quit, give yourself some tough love and tell yourself to Get off the couch and Go!