Want or Commitment?

I've talked to a number of people over the past few days who are really struggling to stay or get back on plan. Ironically, everybody wants to stay on plan and get to goal, but things or people keep getting in the way.

Why do we allow people and situations to get between us and what we really want? It happens all the time, but why do we allow it to happen? We all start on plan with the highest of expectations and hopes; we get into the fat-burning state and start losing weight, so we know the plan works. But something happens and boom! we're off and we aren't always sure exactly how or why we got off, and then the challenge is on to get back on and STAY back on plan.

The situations vary, from a sabotaging spouse to endless potlucks at work to stressful situations that leave us stuffing ourselves with the closest non-plan food we can find. Regardless of the circumstances, the end result is pretty much the same - frustration that we ended up off plan and a struggle to get our heads back in the game.

It's been said before, but I'll repeat it again: the easy part of Take Shape for Life is eating the 5 Medifast meals and the lean and green. The hard part is changing what goes on in our heads and our hearts - how we think and feel about food. It's also about clearly identifying what it is that we want, staying focused on that, and not allowing anyone or anything to get between us and our goal. It means identifying areas of vulnerability and putting into place - ahead of time - a strategy for dealing with those times or situations where we know we're most likely to fall.

If we don't change how we allow ourselves to think and feel about food, we can potentially end up in a very frustrating cycle of "I want to lose weight, but . . . ". That pretty much sums up the 20+ years I spent being obese. I wanted to lose weight and I hated the way I was, but my wanting to lose weight was more of a desire than a goal. If I could have awakened one morning at my goal weight, well of course I'd want that! If there was a pill that would get me to my goal without having to change a thing, of course I'd swallow it in an instant. I kept looking for the magic thing that would help me lose weight, the next "sure thing" diet, the next magic combination of food that would somehow melt the pounds. I wanted it, alright, but I wasn't committed to the hard work that was required to actually get there.

There is a big difference between desire, between the "wouldn't it be nice?" and commitment to doing it. Once the commitment is there, once you've identified your big why - WHY you want to get there, then the rest begins to fall into place. When you are committed to reaching your goal and know why you want to do so, you are much less likely to allow things to get between you and your goal, because your focus is on getting there.

If you have people in your life who are trying to sabotage you, you have a right to tell them that you are doing this, with or without their support - but tell them you would really LIKE their support :-). If it's a situation you keep coming up against, like endless potlucks at work, either bring a dish that you can eat or skip the potluck - those potlucks will still be around when you're at your goal. If you're dealing with a lot of stress, you already know that off-plan eating doesn't eliminate the stress, it just adds another layer when you're finished eating and the self-recrimination begins.

Put yourself into a position where you cannot fail. If it means being a little bit selfish right now, that's OK. This is like putting on your own oxygen mask before helping someone else. It may feel selfish, but it enables you to be in a position to help someone else later. Being healthy, having the energy you need and want to keep up with your family and friends, all of this and so much more is at stake. Reaching your goal is worth it - you're worth it!