Struggling to lose weight? Read this.
After working with hundreds of women (& men) and helping countless people with fat loss, more specifically, I’ve come to understand exactly what sets apart those who are successful long-term, and those who are not.
Those who are successful have all 4:
Direction (a plan)
An open mind (are you really ready to change your whole life?)
Accountability
Perseverance (can’t give up when it gets hard)
A fat loss goal is just like ANY other goal or hard thing you want to accomplish in your life. For most people, it will not happen by accident.
You must CHOOSE to be open-minded, intentional, disciplined, and willing to give yourself some grace along the way.
Yes, grace.
You have to be willing to move on from an off-day, persevere and stay the course.
You will face challenges, get bored, feel impatient, lose motivation, and at times want to slip back into old habits.
You will have to continuously remind yourself that in order to change, you need to change the way you think and see yourself.
As humans, we are constantly evolving.
New habits and behaviors will challenge the way you see yourself and how you fit in with your community.
Sometimes we subconsciously resist change because we feel afraid of changing our identity. It makes us second guess other parts of our life - not just who we are, but what we do, who we spend time with, our priorities, and how we are impacting the people around us.
This is scary and uncomfortable because we have to admit that our old patterns and identity may have been holding us back from reaching our fullest potential. Taking personal responsibility and facing the unknown is always uncomfortable.
For example, I have clients who have (for years) told themselves they “don’t belong” in a gym because they don’t feel comfortable or confident working out in one. They’ve had to re-write this story and choose to become “a person who works out” (change their identity) or else they realized they’d never follow through on building exercise into their lifestyle.
I’ve had clients who realized they needed to spend more time with different people because their closest friends did not support the healthy and fit lifestyle they were trying to build. They started swapping that extra happy hour with a yoga class or coffee walk and as their friends and habits changed, so did the quality of their life.
I’ve had clients who are dating and have to reconsider the type of person they want to date based on comments made about their lifestyle choices: choosing to limit alcohol, choosing to work out, etc.
These changes and realizations are not easy, they can be very uncomfortable.
My job as a coach is to help you see and visualize the happiest and healthiest version of YOU that you are capable and worthy of becoming - then inspire and encourage you as you evolve!
A custom, sustainable plan and accountability are essential - but they will not keep you in the long game if you aren’t also mentally prepared to change your life.
This is why I think an open mind might be the most important thing to start with before investing in yourself via coaching, a plan, etc. Nothing changes if nothing changes, as they say. So make sure you are ready for that change. 💜
Questions? Did any of this surprise you? If so, leave me a comment or send me an email. ashley@ashleykhristine.com :)
