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I have a confession to make.  I absolutely, utterly failed again this past year when trying to lose weight.  I lost about 25 pounds from January to April and then I got busy, overwhelmed or ______________ (insert excuse here) and I just quit!  I didn’t have a weight loss success plan.

 

 

I’ve done this so many times through the years!  I’m a great big yo-yo dieter, even though I don’t want to be.  I get tired of depriving myself or thinking about it all the time and I sneak a drink of Dr Pepper a little more often, until it grows into more and more sugar consumption.  Then comes cookies, candy and whatever else I can get my hands on that makes me “feel better”.

 

Well, this year, I’ve planned ahead a little. I’m not pretending it’s going to be easy and I’m not claiming that I’ll definitely be successful.  I know myself too well to claim success before I have definitely grasped it.  But… I’ve done a lot of thinking about why I fail.

 

Why I Fail at Losing Weight

Problem 1:  As I mentioned before, I start drinking Dr. Pepper which leads to more sugar consumption.  This is probably my number one obstacle.  I have a hard time thinking I can manage without caffeine and I have a hard time not feeling sorry for myself when I really want the taste of Dr. Pepper and that bubbly carbonation but don’t let myself have it.

Solution:  Find an alternative to Dr. Pepper that isn’t a diet soda sweetened with Aspartame (something I’m very opposed to for health reasons as well as taste reasons).  There’s a soda that is sweetened with Stevia, called Dr Zevia, that I think is a better option than any of the regular or diet sodas.  The problem is that I don’t love it as much as I do my Dr. Pepper, but…I think it can grow on me.  It has zero calories and is not supposed to add weight to my already heavy body.  I’ve heard that it’s also approved on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, but I’ve never verified that anywhere, as I’ve never stayed on THM long enough to find out.  The Dr. Zevia version does have caffeine (which I like for that afternoon pick-me-up), but if you were wanting a non caffeinated version, there are many other flavors of Zevia soda.

Additionally, I plan to refer to My Weight Loss Success Plan.  It’s a printable workbook that I fill out with my goals including ways to motivate myself.  I keep it on hand for any weak moments I have throughout my days.  When I am really struggling with grabbing that drink of Dr. Pepper, I plan to open my book to read through the goals that I have written out; look at before and after pictures of others that I have printed out (to motivate me of where I’m going); AND read through motivational quotes and Scriptures that will also be in my notebook, ready at a moment’s notice.  I know that’s a lot of steps to go through to talk myself out of a sugary drink, but I also know that this is a huge struggle for me, when I’m trying to lose weight and I will have to go through this many times in the early stages.  It will get easier as I make new habits, of course.

In addition, I’ll have my printable Scripture cards and printable Motivational quotes cards along with me in my purse at all times.  That way, I can grab them if I’m away from home and don’t have my notebook with me.

 

 

Problem 2:  I lose focus.  I must say, that’s a really crappy reason to quit getting healthy, but since I’m highly distractible, with 7 kids and a handsome husband, I’m good at throwing in the towel all in the  name of fun.  The truth is, I don’t have to be miserable to lose weight.  I can eat good food and I can even have dessert, I just can’t do it in the same way that I did before.

Solution 2:  Plan, Plan, Plan!  I’m going to have to be diligent to plan my meals AND my snacks.  I’m even going to have to plan what I can eat at restaurants and things I can eat when I run through the drive through if I’m in a big hurry.  Why?  Because I know myself and know that my most likely time to give up on getting healthier is when I eat out too many times in a row or when I get too busy to think about a healthy option for a meal.  I am a bit hypoglycemic and if I wait too long to eat, my hands get shaky and I start feeling desperate to put anything that’s food in my mouth.  I never want to allow myself to get to this point, so I’ll have to plan some snacks to keep on hand in the car and in my purse as well.  I’ll keep you posted on what I’m eating as I figure things out.  But, in the mean time, my Weight Loss Success Plan has printable worksheets to help me plan all of my meals, including grocery lists and pantry, refrigerator and freezer inventory lists.  It even has that Restaurant Cheat sheet that I will keep in my car or purse.  This will simplify my planning in so many ways!

 

I’m actually not starting on my new Weight Loss Success Plan until Monday, January 4th because I wanted to give myself a chance to clear out some of these Christmas goodies and just give myself a new slate after a big New Year’s party with our friends, too.  This new goal is not necessarily a New Year’s Resolution, but…. It’s a way for me to start fresh, once again.

 

What about you?  Do you have a Weight Loss Success Plan for 2016?  What are your biggest obstacles?

 

P.S.  My Weight Loss Success Plan is a new product that I’ve made to help me get through this year of weight loss that I’m about to embark on.  If you feel that it would benefit you as well, it is available for purchase here in my store.  It’s on sale this week, so grab it while the price is this low!  All purchasers who would like to be, will also be added to a motivational Facebook Group where we can work through the workbook together and cheer each other on!