15 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Starting Your Weight Loss Journey
15
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Starting Your Weight Loss Journey
There's a reason so many diets fail.
If you're starting a weight loss journey, you're not alone. Statistics
show that one-third of adults in the USA
are overweight or obese so yeah, you're definitely not alone in your food
and weight challenges!
Additionally, it's very common to be struggling with emotional eating, food
addiction, binge eating and
unhealthy eating habits and diets in general. These are the super common
struggles my weight loss coaching clients come to me to help them fix once and
for all.
It's easy to get stuck.
It's easy to get stuck in these patterns of disordered eating
and not even realize that it's become your normal mode of daily living. Just
check this out: when is the last time you ate food only because you were
physically hungry?
The truth is, there's an abundance of tasty food available for
anyone to buy and consume 24 hours a day and it's fully legal to indulge in a food
addiction.
There is a cost though, which goes far beyond health and medical
costs. The heaviest costs impact your self-esteem, self-image, and
self-confidence, which then impacts your level of success in every area of your
life.
Overweight is only a symptom.
One of the big mistakes most are making is thinking
they have a weight problem when they actually have a much bigger problem.
The fact is, overweight is only a symptom.
With that being said you're very smart to ask yourself the
following list of 15 questions before beginning your
weight loss journey. The purpose of asking yourself (and answering!) each
of these questions is to set yourself up for the very best chance of weight
loss success that actually lasts.
After all, don't you want to finally lose weight, and keep it off?
I sure hope you do because the alternative of yo-yo dieting is just so
frustrating. I've been there before myself!
Let's get to the 15 questions you need to ask yourself before
starting your weight loss journey. I recommend you grab pen and paper, write
each question down, and then write your answer down to each question, pen on
paper.
There is a connection that occurs between the head the hand and
the heart when you write pen on paper and you'll miss out on that
connection by only reading the following questions:
1.
"Why am I starting a weight loss journey?"
Millions are out there trying to lose weight because they think
they should lose
weight but they
don't necessarily feel excited about it at all.
Overweight folks struggling with out-of-control eating and
overweight see images online or in magazines and they instantly compare
themselves to the images, while thinking they don't measure up and
they should lose
weight just to fit in.
Hey, don't get me wrong: if your body is overweight or obese it's
just not healthy for your physical body to carry that extra fat around,
especially when you remember that when you have fat on the outside of your
body, then your body has fat around your internal organs.
But if the only reason you're embarking on a weight loss journey
is because you think you should,
then it will be a struggle for you to take action and keep taking consistent
action.
Inspired action is the easiest action you can ever take, and
inspired action comes from within (In Spirit = Inspiration).
"Shoulds" are the opposite of inspiration. "Shoulds" contribute
to more struggle.
2.
"Am I taking action from the space of fear or the space of love?"
While this question might sound similar and share a connection
with the first question, it's a deeper subject.
I've had many weight loss coaching clients who, when they first
started working with me, were exercising and trying to eat right only because
they were afraid they'd gain weight if they didn't.
When you shift your inner self to take
healthy action from the space of self-love and healing, then you'll no longer
be on "a weight loss journey".
Instead, you'll just be doing fun stuff that makes your body drop
fat. That's it!
It's all about shifting the energy of where your actions are flowing
forth from. Actions that come from the space of fear only lead to struggle and
stress.
Actions that come from the space of love are actions that will be
struggle-free and fun to do.
3.
"Is my chosen diet healthy and sane?"
Common sense might tell you that you need to be more concerned
about the long-term health impact on your body than being mainly concerned
about "How fast can
I get this fat off?!!".
However, many who are feeling hopeless about the state of their
weight are only concerned about instant tricks and magical miracles that never
pan out.
Fast fat loss comes at a price and it's probably not a price you
want to pay. The price of quickie weight loss is another ding to your
overall health and, more importantly, when it doesn't last it's just another
"I failed again" that adds up on your pile of disappointments.
When instead you listen to that inner voice that tells you
"There is no magic fix for this!" and stay sane and healthy in
your diet of choice, then you'll be giving yourself the best chance of
long-term health while releasing the excess fat from your body.
4.
"Will my chosen diet work for me as a life-long healthy lifestyle?"
Not only do you want to pay attention to your choice of a
healthy, sane diet plan but also, note whether or not you're going to be able
to keep it up for
the rest of your life.
Here's a fact you need to know: Short-term diets do not
work.
Well, sometimes they can work, but only for the short term.
Those diets always have an end, and what happens at the end?
Maybe you've done this before (many have, you're not alone) —
you've gotten to your goal weight, and even faster, you gained it all back,
plus an extra 20 pounds or so.
Weight loss is usually not the problem; maintaining it for life
without a struggle is though, and it's a bigger problem than most
are talking about! But if you choose a healthy lifestyle plan that you
can live with, then you'll be setting yourself up for success.
5.
"What's my end goal?"
Do I only want to lose weight as fast as possible no matter the
long-term health costs or is my goal to lose weight and keep it off?
Permanent weight loss is a good goal to have and you can have
it if you go about it from the inside out.
If you're only seeking to lose weight as fast as possible though,
then you can use willpower for a specific amount of time, but have you ever
noticed this: you force yourself with willpower for X number of days or weeks,
but eventually the rubber band can only stretch so far, and when it reaches its
limit, it snaps back faster than the eye can see.
And then once your willpower has crashed, well, you know where you
end up then.
Hey, I'm not trying to be all morose and depressing in this
article. Instead, if you're willing to get real with yourself before starting
your next weight loss journey, you could make this be your last weight loss journey. You
just need to go about it in the right way and make sure that you're doing
it from the inside out.
Healing the root of what has gotten you the results you've got is
critical to your weight loss success if you want to lose weight and keep
it off for life. What is the root of your food and weight struggles?
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I don't know unless I speak with you and work with you to unravel
it. What I doknow
is that food is not the problem, and this is why eventually willpower will fail
when trying to force yourself to diet.
However, when the root of what drives your out-of-control eating
is healed, then you will be free. Then you will be able to live a healthy
lifestyle without a fight, and it just won't be a big deal anymore.
Heal the root of the problem and your emotional eating will end,
your binge eating will disappear, and you'll be able to release the fat and
keep it off. But ya gotta go to the root of the problem, instead of trying to
paste a band aid on the symptoms.
7.
"Do I have a weight loss mindset?"
Here's another critical question to get clear on with yourself.
The fact is that mindset is 92.8 percent of the puzzle of achieving full
success on your weight loss journey.
A weight loss mindset will make it struggle-free for you to do all
of the things you need to do to succeed physically in your weight loss journey.
Things like planning out your meals, portioning out in advance, getting your
work outs in without fail, and all of the other practical weight loss action
steps that are part of a living a healthy lifestyle.
8.
"Who's my coach in my corner?"
The fastest and easiest way to unravel, heal, and release your
ongoing food and weight struggles is to get coaching to get it done. Just make
sure you get coaching with the right coach, one who specializes in healing the
root of the problem so that you can finally achieve freedom from the struggle.
When you work with the right coach, they will be able to spot your
blind spots that you are not able to see, because they are blind spots.
Those hidden blind spots will hold you back indefinitely, however
once they are exposed and unraveled, then you'll be able to live healthy and
fit without a fight, and just allow the fat to drop off and stay off. Just
imagine what like would be like for you then!
On the other hand, without the right coach in your corner to help
you uncover and unravel all that's standing in your way of achieving the body
you desire and deserve, you might be able to figure out a couple of the puzzle
pieces on your own but at the cost of years of extra time and struggle.
Only because coaching with the right coach speeds up the process
10X while shedding light and clarity on what really matters, all for the
purpose of achieving permanent weight loss.
9.
"Can I clearly see my healthy weight loss end goal?"
I've spoken with numerous women who when I asked them what they
saw for their future at their ideal weight, their answer was "I don't
know, I've never been there".
While this might sound normal because many mistakenly think
"I gotta see it before I believe it", this is a major problem if
you're truly serious about succeeding on your weight loss journey and
maintaining it for life.
The fact is that you cannot achieve a goal that you cannot see. It
does not matter that you're not there yet, you must be able to envision your
outcome in your mind's eye.
When you can envision your goal, feel great about it, know that
you can achieve it, and move forward with consistent healthy action meal after
meal, then you will surely get there. The trick is to get your inner self on
the right track, make sure you can clearly see where you are headed, and
include all of the other inner self steps as well!
10.
"What are all of the things that could stand in my way, stop me, or slow
me down?"
Grab pen and paper, do not try to do this in your head because it
won't work. Write pen on paper and you'll get the connection that occurs to
sync up your mind, your hand, and your heart.
List out anything and everything that could possibly stand in your
way, stop you, or slow you down along your weight loss journey.
Don't worry that you'll miss some things, that's only because you
cannot see your own blind spots (no one can!). Just write down everything you
are able to and list it all out.
The purpose of doing this is to get it out of your head and down
on paper. After you complete your list, your next step is to take action to
solve and dissolve each of the roadblocks you've written down. After all,
ignoring them won't make them go away!
Note: if you write down any people that you've thought could stand
in your way, remember that your job is never to change another person, you can
only change yourself. The real "magic" occurs when you do the steps
to heal your inner self, which is the work I do with my weight loss coaching
clients in The Inner Self Diet.
11.
"Am I taking full personal responsibility for my actions and my
outcomes?"
Many who are struggling with food and their weight do not like to
hear this but it is a fact: permanent success on your weight loss journey
cannot be achieved without taking full personal responsibility for your life,
your body, your behaviors, and your results.
While it's not your fault you ended up where you are (the
mainstream diet industry is to blame for that!), it is your responsibility now
to make the required changes in order to fully release your food and weight
struggles.
If however, you blame other people, or blame the fast food
industry, or blame your mom, your boyfriend, your husband or your boss (or
anyone else!) then you have zero power to change.
When you take total and complete responsibility for yourself then
you are truly setting yourself up for success!
12.
"How do I feel about the weight loss journey I'm about to start?"
Pay very close attention to how you feel emotionally when you
imagine yourself starting and sticking with your weight loss journey long term.
This is not about what you think, it's about how you feel emotionally.
Tap into your emotions, drop out of your head and into your gut.
Do you feel excited and happy about your weight loss journey? Look long term
because anyone can get excited for a day or two and then drop the ball as soon
as the rubber band snaps back.
When you see yourself long-term in your day-to-day life doing the
things that make up a healthy and fit lifestyle, do you feel happy about it?
Or do you dread every step of your
weight loss journey while you tell yourself "I just gotta be
strong and DO it!" until you see that number on the scale. But what
happens after that?
Here's a fact none of us can change, it's actually Universal Law:
You cannot enjoy the outcome of a journey you despise.
What this means is if you hate what you're doing to lose weight,
you're not going to be able to enjoy the end of the rainbow, if you end up
getting there!
Just imagine how much easier the whole weight loss journey could
be if you were truly having fun each step of the way! That's the way of
struggle-free weight loss.
13.
"What is my daily practice for feeding my mind before feeding my
body?"
Remember: Mindset is 92.8 percent of winning with your weight or
your mindset is 92.8 percent of what will hold you back forever (ack!).
Since your mind is so critical to your success on your weight loss
journey, doesn't it make sense that you're going to want to address the feeding
of your mind daily? If you say Yes then you're right on track!
Feed your mind daily with the positive, the healthy, the
empowering messages, emotions, and visions that are in alignment with your
weight loss and fitness goals. Do not neglect this daily action step because
the average person's mind is receiving up to 5,000 advertisements per day and that
was back in 2006!
Just imagine what that number is up to today.
Guess what all of those ads are designed to do? They are meant to
influence you. Therefore, if you are
not taking deliberate, daily action to influence your own mind, to maintain the
right mindset, then you are standing in the way of your own weight loss
success. Make sense?
14.
"Is food my number one fun?"
This can be a super tough question to get totally honest with
yourself about but here's the thing: If food is your fun in life, then does it
make sense that you're not going to be able to stick with your weight loss
journey?
However, if you replace your food fun with healthy, fit, and
empowering fun, that could work! So, a great question to ask yourself might be,
"What do I really enjoy doing in life that does not involve eating?"
and then start finding ways to do more of that!
Life is supposed to be good for you, you're supposed to be having
fun, but when food is your only fun you end up suffering the consequences in
overweight and all of the negative emotions that come with it. Which means that
overall, life isn't all that fun, and that's when weight loss is super, super
hard, if not impossible.
Bring the feel-good-without-food fun back into your life and see
how much easier your weight loss journey becomes!
15.
"What specifically am I doing to heal and release my emotional eating and
any other unhealthy eating behaviors?"
OK, now the biggest question of all: have you healed and released
any disordered eating behaviors?
Has your emotional eating been healed and released? What about any
food addictions? Or binge eating? Compulsive night time eating? What about just
plain turning to food to avoid life?
Whatever your unhealthy eating behaviors are, have
you done the work to heal them, unravel them, and release them?
Have they been replaced with healthy eating behaviors?
If you have then you're home free! It really shouldn't be any big
deal for you to succeed on your weight loss journey, and beyond. After all,
with your unhealthy eating behaviors released and replaced with healthy
behaviors that support your ideal weight, then what could stand in your way of
getting all the way to your ideal weight and staying there.
Make sense?
On the other hand, if you're still struggling with unhealthy
eating behaviors and/or unhealthy exercise avoidance behaviors, you'll want to
heal those as soon as possible so that your weight loss journey will be
struggle-free and fun.
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