Are you an ALL or NOTHING kind of person? I always have been. Sometimes that has worked to my advantage and other times it hasn't. In terms of weight loss, it's not always a good thing. In the past I was able to stay focused for a period of time but as soon as I veered off track, it started a downward spiral that left me 25 pounds heavier. One of the things I've learned since starting my weight loss journey this time is that I have to continue to keep myself accountable and check in even when I'm not doing so well. But how do you do that? Here are 5 tips that have helped me.
1-Find your tribe and stay connected. I have been a part of other weight loss groups but it wasn't until Beachbody that I found a group that I truly connected with and felt supported. I am thankful that I have access to the group 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so if I need something, someone is there. If you haven't found your group yet, find what works for you and stay connected. There will be bad days and we all need the support to keep going. You aren't alone in this journey but you need to reach out for the support you need. Withdrawing doesn't work. I've learned that the hard way.
2-Reach out to your coach. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to reach out to your coach for help. That's what he or she is there for. I had so many questions when I got started and was thankful I was able to send a Facebook message or text to my coach when I needed help. If you hit a roadblock, your coach can help you figure out what to change and tweak to help you.
3-Realize this is meant to be a lifestyle, not a diet and in order for it to work for the rest of your life, it's okay to go off the plan now and then. There will be parties, celebrations and date nights. The key is to wake up the next day (or even the next meal) and get right back on track. Don't throw in the towel because of one unhealthy food choice. The goal of following the portion fix meal plan is long term health, not losing weight fast to fit into a size 2 only to gain it back. This needs to be sustainable and if you try to be perfect 100% of the time, it will not work. Focus on your health and prevention. When you do allow yourself to go off track, enjoy that meal and stop the guilt. It really is okay.
4-Stop starving yourself. One of the things I hear all the time when people start working with me is that they cannot eat all the food. I know it seems crazy but we are so used to feeling like we need to starve ourselves to lose weight. That is simply not true and it actually backfires by hurting our metabolism in the long run. Trust the meal plan, trust the process and enjoy your meals....every single one. Don't skip some thinking it will speed things up. Remember, this is about long term health and when we deny ourselves we usually end up binging because we are so hungry and then we start the cycle of guilt and abandoning the plan altogether.
5-This one may be more controversial and if you've had an eating disorder I do NOT recommend this but for me, it was helpful. In the beginning, weigh yourself everyday. I don't recommend doing this long term but if you are like me, I avoided the scale when I knew I was not eating well because I played the "if I don't see the number, it isn't true" game. Even though the way my clothes fit told the real story, I lived in denial. When I started with the portion fix meal plan in August of 2015, I weighed in everyday to stay accountable to myself. I no longer do this but I do weigh in once a week whether I want to or not. The scale doesn't tell the whole story but for some of us, it does help with accountability.
I hope these tips help you as you start or continue on your journey. Remember, you aren't alone.
