Last year, I lost 5 pounds. Yes, that’s right; 5 pounds. Not 50 or 150. Just 5. Hardly newsworthy I know.
I applaud and appreciate the effort and experience of those losing more and understand that five pounds pales in comparison. Earlier in my career, I had the incredible honor of helping many people lose weight. That experience also made it even more frustrating for me when I was stuck with what I first called my “stress fat” a few years ago and then later, my “pandemic pounds”. I applied several “standard” weight loss strategies – and some with a twist. However, the acceptance that I discovered and embraced along the way was the key to my success. And it just might be the key for you too.
My five pound weight loss took months and included gaining more weight and then needing to lose that plus the original five. Like any weight loss plan, I started by keeping an eye on my nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress.
I love to eat – and I seem to be hungry most of the day! In order to eat a satiating, nutrient-dense diet, I adopted what I called a “no-solo carb” approach to eating. As a vegetarian, most of my food is a carb but consuming them with healthy fats and proteins helped immensely. So was planning to be hungry, which meant packing lunches and snacks and planning a weekly menu. I avoided keeping unhealthy snacks in the house and if I was craving a cookie, I opted for a single one at the bakery instead.
For the rest of the plan, my Fitbit was key! With reminders to move, readiness scores, badges, and effortless ways to track and trend my exercise, weight, sleep, and stress, Fitbit was a motivator for me. The Premium videos helped me have a well-rounded fitness routine that I could do even on the busiest days. And when I felt stressed? The “Relax” feature on my Sense watch boosted my resilience anytime, anywhere. With Fitbit, I learned what my body needed and how it benefitted from my effort – beyond the numbers on the scale.
Speaking of the scale, I decided to weigh myself every morning and record it in the app. Every weight – not just the “good ones” like I have done in the past. As expected, I had ups and downs but seeing the overall trend line head down toward my goal helped me accept – meaning to really live with – the truth that for weight loss, like many things in life, success is not a straight line.
But beyond the strategies and tools, I discovered that the my five pound plan required – and continues to require – a mindset of acceptance. Acceptance of the number on the scale as an indicator of my progress and next steps instead of feeling like a failure. Acceptance of my decision to have a cookie and enjoy it instead of feeling regret. Acceptance of falling short of my weight training goal for the week and making a plan to compensate instead of responding with self reproach.
Most of all, I learned to embrace acceptance of my successes with gratitude instead of doubting it will last. This cements those past successes into my brain and helps pave the way for future lines of success, no matter what shape they may take.