The tear 2020 brought all of us an incredible amount of challenges. If you took out a paper and pen and started jotting down these challenges you may need several more pages. Challenges related to children’s schooling, extended family member issues, logistics involving work, planning recreational/vacation time…these and many more challenges would appear on most people’s lists.
Putting aside the special challenges brought on by the events of 2020, there are always challenges imposed upon us during our weight control efforts. Slowing metabolism rates as we age, chemical cravings for high carbohydrate containing foods, having people around us try to sabotage our efforts, working too many hours to incorporate exercise…these and many more challenges seem to be always present as we try to shed weight.
I would like to turn the discussion to a “positive” challenge, and that is one in which we challenge ourselves to perform at heightened expectations. Coaches in professional sports do this all of the time as positive motivation: They challenge their players to challenge themselves to reach peak performance.
My patients that are golfers often tell me about the positive impact on challenging themselves on the course to focus better, hit straighter, putt more precisely, etc. For many this works to help them achieve better results.
Mirror talking (i.e. having a talk with yourself) can help you lay out the reasons why it is so important for you to lose weight, the necessity of being successful and challenging yourself to do what needs to be done to assure positive results. Challenging yourself to do what needs to be done to live a healthier/happier life is a difficult, yet great challenge…one that you should embrace and endeavor to succeed.