No matter the efforts we make to be successful on our health and weight loss journeys, there will likely always be obstacles and speed bumps we hit along the way that are out of our control. I aim to teach my clients, and want to teach you how you can hold steady amidst the chaos, busy and out of control feeling moments, so in this blog, I’ll highlight three of the most common mistakes I find people make (including me!) and show you how to navigate them to help you stay consistent even when you can find every reason… not to.

Mistake 1:

Trying To Control Too Much. (It Can Impact Our Health Journey)

We need to remind ourselves that we can't control all of life's storms.

What we can do though, is focus on calming and building up ourselves in order to better handle life's storms. I can tell you this, 110% of the time, my clients don't see physical (or health) changes until they stop giving power to the experience around them and start taking control of what they actually can control.

What I mean by this is:

We can’t control every dish that’s served at a friend’s BBQ this summer
We can’t control if we got injured (that’s past) and movement becomes harder (or seemingly impossible)
We can’t control our lack of sleep due to young children or shift work

I think you get the idea.

We may not be able to control these things but it is important that we learn how to deal with them effectively and look to see them with different perspectives to withstand the physical repercussions they could bring.

So let’s tackle these one example at a time.

Your friend’s BBQ:

Instead of seeing this one as ‘out of your control’, you must remember, what you put in your body is always IN your control. So, instead of just letting it happen to you, bring a healthy dish with you that you feel comfortable and confident eating, one that fits into your nutrition plan. You don’t even need to ask if you can bring the dish. If you make enough to share with everyone then it is a kind gesture that becomes a part of the whole BBQ table, no need to draw attention to your health needs (a fear of many).

There may also need to be an element of compromise here, you are not going to be able to measure every bite you eat, and this is where understanding amounts of food and what that looks like comes in handy. You can use a hand portion cheat sheet like this one to help you too.

When you eat, aim to eat your protein first, then your veggies, then ‘the other indulgent stuff’ last. Portion out ¼ of your plate dedicated to that last section to help you savor the flavors and not go back with a full plate to add the dessert to. Having the treats as part of your plate make it easier to control vs no plate or a separate one.

Also make sure you have eaten all your meals and mid-meals (snacks) beforehand, don’t skip and ‘hold out’ for this one meal! This is SO important. If you starve yourself all day in anticipation of the event, you will be much more likely to over indulge… and we all know how not-so-great that feels.

And remember to eat slowly. Chew mindfully and put your cutlery down between each bite. On average, it takes our brains 20 minutes to catch up with our stomachs and realize we are full, so take your time and you will eat just the right amount.

If you want more detailed methods for this scenario, I talk about how to handle nutrition during the holidays in this blog.

Most importantly: HAVE FUN! Don’t get worked up about lack of control as it can take away from the energy of the event. Focus on the people, on the environment, on the event itself over the food and you may find you control yourself much better when your focus changes too!

You’ve had a minor injury:

Let’s be straight, if you’re lying in a hospital bed super ill or told to rest by your Doctor, that is exactly what you should do and you should never feel guilty about it. The faster you heal, the faster you will get back to your full potential with movement, it’s not risk delaying that time line by jumping the gun too soon.

BUT, say you have a minor injury that stops you running or bearing weight on your ankles (and inflammation is doing well overall), instead of throwing your hands up, why not focus on all the other things you can do?

For example, you could do a chair workout just fine. Think seated bicep curls and leg extensions or elbow and knee planks or tricep skull crushers.

Don’t let the loss of control make you feel completely out of control, you still have so much power!

If you are in this situation and need help forming a workout plan, please do get in touch We love to help and can offer a complimentary chat which could turn into customized workouts or even virtual personal training.

Lack of sleep

I talk a lot about the importance of sleep in anyone’s health journey. Lack of sleep leads to so many uncomfortable feelings and health issues, unhealthy eating, loss of motivation for exercise, out of whack hormones, a slow metabolism and basically well, nothing good.

But I hear you and can relate with my own challenges from pregnancy to children to travel and more.

First, I suggest you read this blog and plan yourself a sleep routine as best you can. From here you can then have ideas in place for if this plan is interrupted.

For example, you could have some short meditation practices saved to ease you back into sleep when you’re woken. Once it is time to wake up for the day, try to have even just 5 minutes of stretching to wake up your body.

Don’t make coffee the first point of call. Start your daily nutrition off with breakfast within an hour of waking, whether that just be a smoothie or an egg scramble on toast. After this, sure have a coffee, but try to stick to one coffee between 8-11am when your cortisol levels are naturally high, you’ll work together in rhythm with your body much better. IF you find that your body is asking for more energy come the afternoon or after your coffee you actually feel an energy dip which drives you to want another cup, know that these are signs something is off in your body (and it’s not a lack of coffee).

This is also a good time to quickly mention food prep, because it’s one area so many people put off but one that will make your life, your day and your goals 1000 times easier. Check out this blog for meal prep tips!

Mistake 2:

Our Body Uncertainties Often Become (Inaccurate) Stories

Many of the biggest misunderstandings in life could be avoided if we simply took the time to ask, “what else could be true?”

A wonderful way to do this is by using a reframing tool from research professor Brene Brown, it's called "the story I’m telling myself". Using the simple phrase "the story I’m telling myself" as you are experiencing troubling thoughts will undoubtedly create many “aha moments”.

An example of this might look like this: you have been working hard to lose weight being so diligent with your weekly exercise for 3 weeks now, and you saw the scale go up 2lbs (instead of down)... you find yourself saying "I just have to accept where I'm at", "I'm not making any progress", "I'm gaining weight"...

You pause and recognize these are all stories you created, NOT fact. So you then ask yourself these 2 questions:

Can I be absolutely certain these stories are true?

What’s one other possibility that might also be true?

The fact here is, the only focus you've had was exercise, this doesn't directly equate to weight loss. Have you paid any attention to your nutrition? Stress? How about your sleep patterns? Steps per day? All of these (and more) are factors in your weight.

Because you were moving more, maybe you started eating much more, or rewarded yourself with higher calorie dense foods because you found yourself more hungry. So much could be factually true that could help you uncover a solution to help you navigate your goal without sabotaging due to the stories you are telling yourself.

Challenge yourself to think better by starting with recognizing the stories you subconsciously tell yourself on a daily basis. This is likely where you'll find a huge improvement in your goal success.

Mistake 3:

Saying "Yes” to Way Too Much and Not Putting Our Health First

We all have ongoing responsibilities and opportunities, but a healthy and productive routine will always be found in the appropriate balance of 'yes and no'.

Truth be told, the main thing that keeps so many of us stuck in a debilitating cycle of overwhelm is the fantasy in our minds that we can be everything to everyone, everywhere at once, and a hero on all fronts. But - you’re human, and you have limits. In the end, you’re either going to do a few things well, or everything mediocre. That's the truth.

I know what you’re thinking: it seems unfair to say no when these are very worthwhile things to do - I hear you! I feel that way at times too until the overwhelm hits and I realize that I feel worse living my life stressed, not present and feeling completely exhausted.

Understanding your threshold takes time, however, I recommend to start by knowing what YOU need to be your best self so you allot that time first and know when and where you need to say "no".

So how can you plan what you say yes to, to avoid the loss of control?

On your calendar, block out dates with yourself. Write them in there like you would anything else. You could even be specific like “an afternoon walking in the park” or “reading time” or “meal prep morning”. I love looking at my week in advance because I know tentatively what’s coming and where and when I’ll feel most depleted. This allows me to choose my daily restoratives to align with my needs better and pick larger down time appointments with myself for when I know I’ll need more of a charge up.

That’s the first step. The next is to consider the outcomes of saying ‘yes’. For example, you have been invited out to dinner for the second time this week and sure, you want to see the friends going but you have an early gym class and you really need to get a good sleep. So is the dinner worth sabotaging your efforts for? Could you wait until the next time? Or could you invite those friends on a walk in the park on Saturday morning instead? (socialize AND get your steps in!)

It’s hard to say no to things, especially if you really want to do them but you do need to put yourself and your health first. Take a sec to consider how you would feel if you went and if you didn’t, what repercussions there could be. It might be that there are none and you really do want to go, great! You have your answer but the decision was made all in your control.

Clients always come to me saying they’re so busy there just isn’t time for everything. So I wrote this blog on how to make 24 hours feel like enough, see if it helps you!

How to Put This Advice Into Practice

You took the time to read to the end of this blog so I am guessing you see yourself in the examples? So make sure you try out the advice and have coping mechanisms in place for if you feel you are losing momentum.

Run through scenarios you have experienced in the past that have wobbled you and your progress. Then think of how you can take back control, how you could rewrite the narrative and how you can balance the commitments.

See how you get on but remember, the VRHC coaches and myself are always here to chat if you need!

Chat To Us!

THREE BIG MISTAKES CLIENTS MAKE IN THEIR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY