Why Are You Trying to FORCE Something That Isn’t WORKING For You?

When it comes to health, wellness, nutrition, fitness, there are so many “rules” to follow. Some of it is basic science – “If you want to lose weight you need to be burning more calories than you’re taking in.” This is a simple, basic, and proven fact. Unless you have the fat cells sucked out of your body (no shame toward anyone who chooses that route!), you will not lose fat unless your body is forced to use the stored energy as fuel and that is caused by creating a calorie deficit. The deficit can come from consuming fewer calories, burning more calories, or a combination of both.

Now. The debate begins with “What is the best/easiest/fastest way to create this calorie deficit and begin the fat burning process?”

And here is where all the “rules” come in. There have been so many approaches to weight/fat loss over the last several decades, I couldn’t even hope to list them all. But the HEART of every approach is still the same – how do you create the calorie deficit that will lead to using stored fat as your body’s fuel source?

If you look on the Internet, social media, in a bookstore or library, ask family, friends, or co-workers you will learn about hundreds if not thousands of different ways to do this. But the two most BASIC components are:

What and How Much Are You Eating?

What and How Much Are You Moving?

I’m getting to the point of this article and what the title infers, I promise.

If the two most basic and also most IMPORTANT components of weight loss are Nutrition and Movement, what are you trying in those areas to help with your weight loss? 

And if what you’re trying is something that doesn’t work for you and you’re not going to be able to sustain it, then why are you forcing it?

I hate running. Never been a fan. Not even when I was young and in MUCH better shape. Several years ago some of my co-workers signed up for a marathon and part of it could be done in “teams” – four people per team completing sections of the course to finish the race. I thought this would be a great idea. I was very wrong. My body absolutely hated every single second of training and every single second of the race. It was a neat experience, but overall told me in no uncertain terms – I am NOT a runner.

And that’s okay.

I like doing other things. I like going for walks. I like short bursts of exercise (dancing, biking, aerobics) in five to fifteen minute intervals, multiple times per day. I’m trying to figure out yoga. I like some weight lifting. But I am NOT a HIIT girl. No CrossFit or P90X for me. No running. Those are not my thing.

I’m not a fan of Keto or Paleo. Nothing wrong with them, but not for me. I don’t like avocado. I’m not a fan of most nuts (I’m only really good with peanuts or almonds). I’m still trying to find a way to make leafy greens (besides spinach) in a way that I like and don’t think they taste like dirt.

So why have I tried and tried in the past to make these eating habits or exercises work for me when they CLEARLY don’t?

And WHY ARE YOU?

This is the kicker – there is a FINE LINE between experimenting to find out what works and doesn’t, versus trying to push for something that OBVIOUSLY isn’t working.

Again, Example.

Hubs made a bet with his daughter that he would not eat bread or pasta of ANY KIND for 2 months. May I just say that November and December were horrible!

At first, he scoffed at this, thinking it would be SUPER SIMPLE because he’s not usually a big bread or pasta guy anyway. But as the months wore on, he realized just how many things he enjoys eating that involve bread or pasta – burgers, sandwiches, pizza, tacos and burritos because flour tortillas were included, as well.

He was miserable, we were miserable, and it became obvious after those 2 months that excluding all bread, pasta, and tortillas from his diet was NOT going to work.

Enter – The Compromise.

Whole wheat breads and pastas. Corn tortillas. Cauliflower pizza crust. Never in a MILLION years did Hubs think he would be EXCITED to be able to eat a cauliflower crust pizza.

So, now he can still enjoy some of the foods he likes (grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup) but in a healthier way.

Now might be a good time to take a look at what you’ve been trying with your own weight loss efforts. What nutrition changes have you made? Are they working for you? Are these changes going to be sustainable long term?

Same with your movement/exercise routine. What have you been trying? What’s working? What’s not? I have a friend who genuinely LOVES working out. Loves how her body feels after a workout, loves being able to push herself and “get her sweat on”, and feels a genuine sense of accomplishment when she is able to take strenuous exercise classes.

Until something happened with her back. Minor injury, nothing serious, but it has COMPLETELY altered her ability to exercise at an intense level. She is now having to figure out what works for her and what doesn’t anymore. Any time she tries to FORCE her old way of exercising, it flairs the problem in her back again. So she is learning to adjust and try new ways to make her exercise routine sustainable.

Forcing yourself to eat a certain way or exercise a certain way is going to lead to frustration and eventually giving up.

Finding ways to make healthy food choices and exercising more enjoyable and something you can live with is going to make the process of weight loss much faster and sustainable.

And if you’re looking for help and guidance on how to find the best nutrition and movement options for you, Book a FREE Consultation with me.