Failures vs Barriers

After years of yo-yoing and multiple attempts at getting fit, you’d think that I would have this all figured out by now. Want me to let you in on a little secret? I still struggle with being inconsistent! I keep focusing on these failures that I see instead of seeing what barriers I am making for myself.

Self-Talk

One barrier that many are guilty of is our self-talk. So many times I catch myself belittling myself when I step on the scale and I see my weight hasn’t changed yet again. Not hitting my weight loss goal right away has been a huge blow to my ego and work ethic. After all of this work, why am I not good enough to see it reflected on the scale? My self-talk has talked me out of staying consistent. Because what’s the point if I don’t see the numbers go down?

All or Nothing

Another barrier is having that all or nothing mentality. I am notorious for this! Just as my therapists that I have seen over the years!

Creating this barrier has put myself and others into a hard position. When we expect ourselves to give it our all, we are setting ourselves up with a barrier. Eating right, not missing a workout, drinking enough water, or getting enough sleep can prevent us from reaching our goals but when you don’t give yourself grace for an off day, the mentality of being a failure begins to creep in.

Remember, when you have an off day, accept it! It’s okay to be sick or to be overwhelmed by work or what is happening at home. Take some time to process what is going on and pick one of your favorite methods of self-care. Each day is a do-over.

Check Yourself

There are so many things that you can do to help you stay consistent. You can use a calendar to schedule for consistency. You can have an accountability partner to check in with. You can talk to a therapist. I recommend all of these options but you need to find what works best for you. Here are some tips that I have found that work for me.

• Identify your emotions. Is something triggering your self-talk or how you feel? Take some time to process your emotions and move forward according to that emotional need.
• Identify your mood. Sometimes we are just not in the mood to do something. Do you need to change up what you were planning on doing? Switch things up and do something that will make you happy.
• Have realistic expectations. Is your goal feasible? Healthy living (weight loss, nutrition changes, etc.) don’t happen overnight. You may see your body change before the scale changes.
• Put in the work. Connected to your expectations, you need to put in the work. You won’t see the results you want if you don’t put in the work. For weight loss, it’s not just about exercise. Your nutrition needs to on point as well.
• Check in with yourself. Plans can and need to be adjusted at times. Adjust yours as needed. A small change may be just what you need to see the changes in yourself.

You aren’t alone

We all struggle until we figure out works for us. What works for me may not work for you, just like what works for you may not work for me. We are all on similar journeys but our journeys are not the same. Our paths are meant to be different. After all, we are all unique. These challenges make us stronger. Once we remove our personal barriers and stop seeing them as failures, we can strive toward the goals that we want to dominate.

Stay strong and don’t give up! After years of trying, my no longer 20-year-old body is finally figuring out what works for me. Staying consistent with my nutrition, finding exercise that I love, and changing my mentality through therapy have helped me tremendously. Now if only my youngest would let me be consistent with my sleep!