Count the Cost for Weight Loss
Count the Cost for Weight Loss
What will it cost you to lose weight? What will it cost you to keep it off?
There may be some literal financial costs involved, like joining a fitness club, purchasing meal replacement foods, or hiring a weight loss coach, but I’d like to focus on other types of costs.
What will it take?
What will it take to get you to your desired weight and to keep you there (both are similar)? Will it require getting more exercise? Will it require eating less in general or eating less of certain foods like comfort foods and sweets? Will it require replacing some bad habits with good habits? Will it require some changes in your thinking? Will it require a complete change in lifestyle? Will it require going out and getting some outside help (from a fitness club, weight loss program or weight loss coach)?
Try to be realistic and think through what it will actually require for you to reach and maintain your weight loss goal.
Are you prepared?
Are you prepared to make the necessary changes in your thinking, habits and lifestyle to be successful? Are you prepared to keep on doing those things to maintain your weight loss? That second question is probably more important. Most people can somewhat easily make temporary changes. It’s the lasting changes that are harder to make.
If you are not prepared to keep yourself where you are trying to go with your weight loss efforts you are not truly ready to go there. It is common knowledge that yo-yo dieting is bad for your health, and I would add, bad for your self-image (because you end up perceiving yourself as a “failure”). No one really wants to yo-yo up and down with their weight.
You Know it’s True
You know it’s true. You must permanently change some things in your lifestyle in order to maintain your weight loss. Thinking otherwise is an example of the common definition of insanity (doing the same thing and expecting different results). You know it’s true—if you go back to eating, exercising and thinking the same way that you did before your weight loss diet, you will gain it back. How could you not? It’s how you got there in the first place!
Mental Preparation
What’s needed is some mental preparation. It doesn’t have to take a long time but it is usually needed! Is the pain of not changing, greater than the pain of changing? If so, you’re ready. If not, you may need some more time for mental preparation. Review your main goal (the why behind your weight loss effort). (See my post from last week.)
You may be ready to simply make the choice. Make a firm commitment to yourself that you will permanently change your habits and lifestyle. Make a commitment to take the time, money, physical effort and mental effort to get you to your desired goal.
If you are in need of outside help for your weight loss efforts (and who isn’t?), use the contact form on this website to inquire about my services.
Cheryl! I so appreciate you! I understand that sugar is my enemy and don’t want to go back to eating it. I guess I can’t focus on the permanent, but rather the present. I’m going to have to think about this like a recovering alcoholic and say at this moment, I chose not to eat that cake, or ice cream or whatever the sweet is. The price is just too high for me to pay! Thank you for all your words of wisdom. Bless you! Julie
Thanks for your comment Julie!! I appreciate favorable comments! Yes, focus on the present choice in front of you.
Yes, I do have to remember that it is really lifestyle changes more than dieting that is the focus of weight-wellness. Thanks.
Yes, as much as we don’t want it to be true, we must change our lifestyles.
Cheryl, I love how you tied the mental preparedness into this article. You are so right…if your mind isn’t where it needs to be, losing weight is a real uphill battle. Thanks for sharing!
Not only is real weight loss an uphill battle without mental preparedness, real maintenance will not be there.
Definitely, one must be mentally prepared when one wants to loss weight. Thank you for sharing this Cheryl!
You’re welcome Lorii. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for this great motivational article! I think the biggest obstacle can at times be our minds. Our minds can really hold us back from experiencing the best in life, including losing weight! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, our minds, or what we are thinking. I address thinking habits when I work with my clients. Thanks for commenting!
Great article. It’s not easy to make the decision to lose weight, people have to understand what to expect and how to keep motivated! Mindset is important! I have started a virtual coaching programme, and I made it inexpensive because so many charge a fortune for something that should be accessible by everybody!
Yes, I agree mindset is important! My program is inexpensive as well. Blessings on your programs and thanks for commenting!
We definitely have to be in mental shape for the physical to follow, otherwise we lose our hope, motivation and purpose giving in to our indulgences.
Exactly! That’s why I address my clients thinking habits—-without our thoughts/mind in the right place it will be much harder, if not impossible, to succeed. Thanks for commenting.
Cheryl,
Thank you so much for sharing. I found several tips I can now use for myself. I have lost 81 pounds and I am starting to feel so much better than I did. Wishing you an amazing day!
Blessings,
Jo
You Can Do Social
Congratulations on your 81 lbs weight loss! That’s amazing! Glad you are feeling better too. Thanks for commenting!
‘Is the pain of not changing, greater than the pain of changing?’ Great question. Sometimes I only answer this after i’ve already ‘faked it’ so I could ‘make it’ another step towards my goal. Then I’m always surprised at how much LESS pain I have when I am moving forward…in all areas really. How much more so in the areas of health and exercise! Great article!
Faking it til you make it… that works a lot of times! I glad it works for you and in that case, keep doing it that way!
Great article outlining the steps to be ready for weight loss and fitness. Preparation mentally and planning your food are so vital to a successful program. Thanks, Cheryl!
Glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting!
Excellent post! There are many ways and gadgets available to help you lose weight but it’s not until you are mentally prepared will you be able to stick with a routine which will then turn into a lifestyle. Thanks for sharing:)
Yes and that’s why I “attack” habits with my clients because our habits are what make our lifestyle. Thanks for commenting!
How much is this article needed today?! I think it’s real important to bring up what are you actually spending on your weight loss program and what are you getting in return.
Yes, there is a real cost, at least in time and effort if not also in money and it is important to keep that in mind before you start otherwise you will give up too soon. Thanks for commenting.
Motivational! You definitely have to get your mind right first
I’m 50 pounds overweight and mentally prepped myself to work out more—- so that’s this year. This year, I’m good about workouts. Prepping myself for the mental preparation of changing my eating habits– that will be next year. My weight loss will be EXTREMELY slow but right for my lifestyle. Thanks for a great article!
Having slower weight loss usually is more permanent!! Good for you!
There is always room for improvement… Glad you are caring for the temple.
Weightloss might have a cost up front but if not paying something upfront. But, what might be the cost in the long run for not taking charge of your health? Many health issues could come upon and that is more costly.
Exactly! Health in general could decline and then there would be a corresponding rise in doctor’s visits or other health care costs!
The part about being ready to make permanent changes in your life is what I see people really struggle with. Most everyone I know who’s lost weight has gone on a “diet,” lost the weight, stopped the diet and gained it all back! Your article is a must-read for those beginning a weight loss journey.
Thanks for commenting Jennifer. I do place a high place on weight loss maintenance with my clients.