Hi everyone! Before I get into the meat of this blog post, I wanted to share some really BIG news!!
At the end of this month, I will be launching a weekly podcast. The name is Weight Loss for Busy Physicians.
I will be in touch when it's live and ready for you. I would love for you all to subscribe!
I think that you will all love the podcast. I'm able to go into so much more detail than I can here on the blog. And it's a great opportunity for you to ask me questions and suggest topics that I will cover on future podcasts.
If you're not a person who likes listening to podcasts, never fear! The written transcript of each episode will be in the show notes, ready for those of you who are visual learners.
Once the podcast launches, I will no longer be writing this blog, but all the old posts will still be on my website. And the podcast episodes will all go right into that same area.
It's a very exciting time and I will let you know more information as I have it!!
And on to today's topic:
We're a couple of weeks into the New Year now. How are you doing on your weight loss commitment?
When we start a new eating program in an effort to lose weight, it's inevitable that we make some mistakes here and there.
There might be new recipes that you're becoming familiar with. Or you might fall back into old, familiar habits before you even realize what you did. Or you might forget to check the ingredients list on a certain food item and realize after the fact that it's actually not on your protocol.
This mistake often becomes an emotional event.
We might feel frustrated because following the plan is more complicated than we thought it would be. We might feel discouraged because we aren't perfect at this eating plan right from day #1. We might feel irritated that we're even having to lose weight in the first place, indulging in self-pity.
For so many people, the mistake that becomes an emotional event leads to us totally going off the rails. Quitting our plan entirely.
That's why so many people have already quit their New Years resolutions by the third week of January.
I want to offer you a new way of looking at these slip-ups. A new mindset that helps you stay patient with yourself while still moving toward your goals.
After you've realized that you somehow didn't eat the way you wanted to, you answer a few questions. On paper. NOT just in your head.
When we write things down, they become much more real. They're not just thoughts rattling around in our heads.
Also, once written down and worked through, you can experience the freedom of knowing the problem has been dealt with and you can stop thinking about it. You can let go of the shame, guilt, and disappointment.
There are 8 questions:
- What did you overeat or overdrink that wasn't on your protocol?
- Why did you overeat or overdrink it? Be VERY specific.
- What did you notice about the experience?
- What would have worked better? What else could you have done?
- What did you learn?
- How can you let this go now?
- How do you want to feel about this moving forward?
- How will you handle this next time?
I want to strongly encourage you to not just think about your answers. Write them down or at the very least, type them up. You are then able to refer to them later to remind yourself of what you learned from the experience.
Once you've answered these questions, you've gleaned everything you could from the slip-up. And now you get to let it go, so you don't have to think about it anymore and you don't have to feel bad about it anymore.
This process is a loving gift you are giving to yourself. You are also able to go right back to your eating plan so that you can continue to work toward your goal. And you don't let this mistake turn into quitting entirely.
Never miss a new podcast episode! Click here to join my email list. (You'll get my Busy Doctor's Quick-Start Guide to Effective Weight Loss, too!)
