Stop Trying To Lose Weight

Read time: 2 minutes 30 seconds

So you want to learn how to lose weight? Here’s your first lesson: Stop trying to lose weight!

“But, but, but, how can I lose weight without even trying? The weight is not just going to magically fall off.”

You’re right, it won’t and that’s not what I’m saying. Weight loss is a result of repetitious healthy behavior. Just as weight gain is a result of repetitious unhealthy behavior. You want to lose weight? Then, go get liposuction, and when the weight comes back within five years you can tell everyone that weight loss is impossible.

“Even liposuction didn’t work!” You can tell them.

My apologies if that was too harsh. All I am trying to say is that you should set your goals on practicing healthy behaviors. The weight will come off as a result. Let’s say that your goal is to lose weight. You hire a personal trainer and start a diet. Every day you weigh yourself. Nothing changes until the seventh day. You have lost one pound. Every single day that you weighed yourself, you may have disappointed to see that all your hard work was not producing results. Then, maybe you are ecstatic on day seven when you see your first sign at weight loss. Or maybe, you are still disappointed because you worked so hard all week only to see one pound of weight loss.

Let’s back it up to the beginning of the scenario. You want to start exercising and eating healthier foods because you know it is what your body needs. You know that these behaviors are good for your body. Your goal is to exercise for 15 minutes per day and eat a salad and one whole fruit every day. You accomplish your goals every day. Now, instead failing six times, and succeeding once, like in the first scenario, you have succeeded 21 times. Say you also set a weekly goal of losing 1-2 pounds. You weigh yourself and have lost 1 pound. Enjoy success of a 22^nd goal. Say you even added another weekly goal of exercising 90 minutes, eating 7 salads, and seven apples. This goal is a two-for one special. Essentially, it is just another excuse to be proud of yourself since it is just comprised of the cumulative totals from your daily goals. 23 goals achieved in seven days. Let’s go!

I could be wrong here, but I would say that achieving micro-successes multiple times every day beats the daylights out of suffering all week to maybe reach one goal that may or may not make you feel good about yourself. The most beautiful part about this process is that it is just a shift in mindset. Paying attention to practicing healthy behaviors instead of losing weight.

Every day you feel better and better. By the end of the week, you are feeling so good, that you cannot wait to do it again next week, and the week after and the week after. Slowly, you begin adding new challenges. Increasing duration and difficulty of exercises. Introducing more fruits and vegetables to your daily food intake. Decreasing sugary and processed foods and drinks. Pretty soon, it’s been six months and you realize that you have lost the weight that you wanted to lose. Not only did you lose the weight, but the healthy eating and exercise habits that you have been practicing have become so routine that you are not even trying to be healthy. It’s automatic. You have become healthy. Losing weight is not easy. It is even harder if you try. STOP TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT.