Slow Change Means Long Term Change
Recap
As you probably know, I and many other readers started a challenge called Lose A Turkey by Thanksgiving. The goal is to simply lose 15 pounds by Thanksgiving Day. I check in with my results every Friday.
The Truth
I had one of those weeks this week. One of those weeks were I worked super hard and yet the scale barely budged. I could have just fudged the numbers to save some pride, but I won’t do that. I’m going to report whatever comes up on that scale, loud and proud because I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. When I’m not, I’ll be brutally honest about it with you.
On Track
I lost 2.5 pounds last week which is a lot for one week. Therefore, I’m still on track to lose my 15 pounds because I’m still averaging around 1.25 pound losses per week. The fact is, I could get really mad or upset that despite my work, the scale barely moved. But I’m not. I realize this isn’t a loose weight quick scheme I’ve chosen this time. This time I’ve chosen the steady road to health where I learn how many calories my body needs and I add moderate exercise to keep my heart healthy and strong.
See The Finish
As you go down this road to better health, you will have great weeks, moderate weeks and just terrible weeks. The key is to remember that there is a finish line ahead. Beyond that finish line is more energy for your family, an improved sense of self-confidence and potentially a little extra time added to your life.
Dump the Fads
With fad diets it always seems like the weight just dumps off in the first 3 weeks and then you have to stay really focused to keep those from coming back + more. Fad diets always leave me feeling frustrated because I just can’t keep them up over the long term and I struggle with the idea of doing all or doing nothing. I struggle with balance. I once did a diet that was so crazy that I was actually afraid of eating black beans because I thought they would cause me to gain weight… talk about unhealthy thinking!
For me, calorie counting is a great balance. I know I’ll have steady loss when I keep it up for the long term. I’m also not binge eating every other weekend on pizza and ice cream because I deprived myself for a week. Keeping balance in my eating and my mind is going to be key to making this goal over the next few months. I also want the change to be permanent.
My Wins
As we go into next week, remember that SLOW change is much more likely to help you develop REAL change. Slow change takes work, it takes time and those things cause behavior change. Ultimately I believe behavior change is what I’m looking for the most out of this journey. Living in a routine of consistent balance in healthy behaviors. Healthy behaviors I perfect, over months of trial and error. A new week is here, how much healthier will you be next Friday?
I’d love for you to leave your results in the comments section below. If you’d like a more private community to share your journey please join the Thrifty Little Mom Community page on Facebook. This is a closed group so only members of the group can see posts to the board.
Kim Anderson is the organized chaos loving author behind the Thrifty Little Mom Blog. She helps other people who thrive in organized chaos to stress less, remember more and feel in control of their time, money, and home. Kim is the author of: Live, Save, Spend, Repeat: The Life You Want with the Money You Have. She’s been featured on Time.com, Money.com, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Day, and more!