After the holidays, many people experience weight loss setbacks. Fortunately, bouncing back isn’t as hard as many people think. Instead of giving up, you have a lot of other options. Plunkett Fitness is here to give you a few tips for how to overcome a weight loss setback.
1. Weigh Yourself Weekly
One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is weighing themselves constantly. This encourages frustration when you make a mistake. Instead of focusing on your daily weight, think about trying weekly weigh-ins. By weighing yourself once a week, you are less likely to focus on minor slip-ups or one day of bad eating or missed exercise. You can make up one bad meal or day or missed exercise by doing better the next day. Try to cut back a few extra calories or get in an extra workout if you feel the need.
2. Stop Depriving Yourself
An all or nothing mentality can be devasting to weight loss results. Instead of focusing so much on avoiding certain foods, learn how to strike a healthy balance. One piece of cake at a birthday party or wedding won’t ruin all of the hard work you have done the rest of the day or week or month. Allow yourself to indulge on occasion to prevent binging episodes. When you do slip-up or allow yourself a little indulgence, you can always use it as motivation to get into the gym or to eat a really healthy meal.
3. Avoid Stress
Focusing on a mistake can cause you a lot of stress, which could lead to overeating or eating to fulfill emotional needs. Additionally, stress can lead to a lack of sleep, which is crucial to weight loss. Instead, don’t dwell on what you consider failures and move forward. Realize that one misstep won’t ruin everything and forgive yourself. You deserve forgiveness from yourself!
4. Eat Regular Meals
Get on an eating schedule and stick to it as best as you can. When you are in a routine, you are less likely to overeat. When you start skipping meals or snacks, you may start to feel ravenous, which will increase the likelihood that you overeat or binge on foods that you should probably be avoiding. Skipping breakfast is one of the easiest ways to get off track. Make sure that you keep healthy breakfasts around to prevent overeating later in the day.
5. Evaluate Your Setback
One of the best ways that you can avoid another setback is to take a step back and look closely at what caused the setback in the first place. While the cause could be as simple as the delicious goodies offered during the holidays, it could be more complex.
Maybe stress or insecurity caused you to fall off of the wagon. Perhaps you need to focus on getting more sleep or managing pain. Whatever the reason is, if you don’t acknowledge the cause of the problem, you are likely to repeat the setback again. Once you have identified the cause of the setback, see if there is a way you can avoid it in the future.
6. Work with a Professional
If you are having a hard time finding the motivation to get back on track after a setback, you might consider working with a professional. A personal trainer can be a great motivator throughout the weight loss process, and they can help you develop a better plan for the future. Working with a personal trainer can also make the process more exciting and adventurous. No matter what your goals are, a personal trainer can help you along the way.
If you are interested in working with a personal trainer in Overland Park, call Plunkett Fitness today at 913-390-3360. We’ll set you up with one of our expert trainers for personal training sessions that will leave you feeling like you’ve accomplished a lot. We are experts in both fitness and nutrition, so we are well-equipped to help you rebound from any weight loss setbacks you may have encountered.
