Why can't I do this?

5th June 2015

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." Henry Ford

Why can't I do this?

Now that's a question I hear a lot - hell it's one I've asked myself on many an occasion!  And the truth is, the answer will be different for each of us, however usually it's not that you can't do this, it's that you're doing 'this' wrong or it's just not important enough to you at this moment in time. 

There are a few questions you can ask yourself though which might answer why help to answer why your finding it difficult for you to 'do this' at the moment, the first would be when your willpower is low are you opting for poor food choices?  We all rely on this thing called willpower like it's some superpower but it really isn't and it rarely lasts long, especially when you've been watching your weight for years.  Willpower runs out, so you need to prepare for those times when it disappears and you're likely to think "sod it" and forget how rotten you felt the day you cried and yelled "why can't I do this!"  Set up your surroundings to support you, if all you have in your house and office drawers is good food, all you can snack on is healthy food, no one's gonna do much damage if all they have to binge on are rice cakes and ryvita!  This is my best weight control tip, I don't have it in arms reach, therefore I can't eat it!

Another thing that's likely to send you back to the "Why can't I do this?" question is a binge, one reason you might find yourself having such a binge is that you allowed yourself to get too hungry because you were trying to be super good to make up for not losing enough weight or wanting to lose it too quickly.  Your brain and body are really clever, they will work together when they're hungry to give your willpower a smack and take it down!   So don't try to rush the results, it's better to lose 1/2lb a week than lose 4lb week one, then 1lb week two, have a crazy binge week three and gain 5lb!  And so the cycle will continue if you don't do this sensibly.  Get back to sensible healthy eating and stop trying to lose a stone in a day - it doesn't work, there is no quick fix.

Also remember you can enjoy life, eat out, and have a fantastic time whilst losing weight, celebrating doesn't have to make you fat!  I'm off out for the day today, a much deserved, really looking forward to day to myself - am I going to stress over my 'diet' - hell no, am I going to use that as an excuse to stuff my face and pig out - hell no!  Because the day out isn't just about eating, it's about having time for me, food will be part of the enjoyment of the day, I will find somewhere lovely to eat a delicious lunch but I won't be stuffing myself because tomorrow I diet, I lost that thought pattern a long time ago, I'm not on/off my diet ever, I just eat as well as I can all the time, sometimes I'm not so good as others but I'm always aware of my decisions.

Lastly are you constantly criticising yourself?  It really doesn't help, try being kind to yourself, it's much more rewarding.  Think about it, if you constantly berate a child and tell them they're useless and that they'll never be able to do anything properly, that child isn't really going to have the confidence to do anything or get anywhere and yet that's what you do to yourself every day I'm guessing when you're in that "Why can't I do this?" state of mind and the answer is you can't do it because you believe you can't do it and you're telling yourself you can't.  Well guess what - YOU CAN!  So start believing you can and start telling yourself ever morning, every afternoon and every evening that you can.  Repeat after me - I CAN DO THIS!

Everybody makes mistakes, we all slip up, it's okay to overeat sometimes, it's okay not to be the perfect dieter, it's okay if you haven't lost any weight for a year and keep restarting every Monday, it's okay because at least you're wanting to do it and you're trying to get your head in gear - just think you might have given up all together and resigned yourself to fatness!  How incredibly amazing are you that even though you've got to a place where you think you can't do it, you're still trying to do this - that shows real strength of character and that kind of person absolutely can do this.

So let's start afresh today if you need to, let's take it one meal at a time, one day at a time, accept that you won't always be perfect, that it's okay to do this slowly and take your time, let's embrace your BeYOUtiful and have a great day.

I'm off to enjoy some me time, so excited!