I do not have to tell you how insane the last year and a half has been. You were there. To say it was a category five shit show is a gross understatement.
One of the ways we dealt with the upside-down was to turn to food and drink. And our bellies weren’t bulging with dark leafy greens and lemon water. No, no. We went straight for the hard stuff.
Easy processed meals were a mainstay. Junk food gave us a high when we were feeling super low. And alcohol helped us numb away all the uncertainty and pain. These low-quality coping mechanisms were necessary at the time. 100 percent.
But things have changed. We are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not an oncoming train. We are taking a long look in the mirror and we are asking ourselves, what in the actual eff am I gonna do about this?
I also do not have to tell you how hard it is to lose weight. You’ve been there, too. I mean, food can be freaking delightful! I get it. But if you’re gonna win the long game, you’ve got to start filling yourself up from the inside. It’s time to create comfort from within so we don’t turn to false sources of pleasure outside of ourselves.
If you’re ready to get to a healthy and natural weight that is just right for your body, it’s time to move away from the false pleasures that prevent weight loss. Pleasure and weight loss? What’s the deal?
Hear me out.
What Does Pleasure Have to Do with Weight Loss?
Pleasure and comfort are closely tied to motivation. When something feels good, we are motivated to do it, even when there are negative consequences for that choice. When something feels bad, we are motivated to avoid it, even when doing it would be positive for us.
When it comes to weight loss programs, motivation is a big part of the overall picture. It’s not easy to make changes that result in weight loss and it’s even harder to continue making choices that keep your body at a natural, healthy weight long term.
But that’s only one piece of the puzzle.
I won’t bore you with massive amounts of science, and there is a ton on the subject, but indulging in false pleasures makes it MUCH harder to lose weight. That’s because they literally damage our brains and we have to heal our brains to achieve and sustain a healthy, natural weight over time.
Common False Pleasures
By now you can probably come up with a few obvious false pleasures on your own but just in case, let’s list out a few. Some may seem obvious and others may come as a bit of a surprise.
But first, let’s go over what exactly a false pleasure is. False pleasures:
- Give instant gratification
- Have consistent negative consequences
- Have a tolerance that increases
- Are highly desirable, intense, and hard to resist
- Are external in nature
Common examples of false pleasures include:
- Sugar
- Processed foods
- Porn
- Internet
- Overeating
- Shopping
- Gaming
- Alcohol
- Approval seeking
- People pleasing
Support Weight Loss by Creating Comfort
When it comes to weight loss, it is so incredibly important to support ourselves by creating comfort. But it can’t be the false pleasure, outside of ourselves kind of comfort. It has to be true, authentic, and from within.
As we work to create comfort from within, we heal our brains, making it much easier to avoid false pleasures like overeating and junk food. As we progress we get more and more comfortable in our own skin and can start to experience the well-being of health and a natural weight.
Well-Being Living and Weight Loss
In the oft-quoted words of beloved character Carrie Bradshaw, “Maybe you have to let go of who you were to become who you will be.”
Yep, what she said.
If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to start living life on purpose. We call this Well-Being Living.
Well-Being Living is all about making intentional choices that have positive mental, physical, and emotional consequences. A life designed for well-being doesn’t happen by some happy accident. You have to plan for it, which is especially important in the first six weeks of losing weight.
Here’s how.
- Make a list of activities that are in line with Well-Being Living. Things like:
- Slow walks
- Sunshine
- Great reads, podcasts, movies, music
- Clean sheets
- Spa services
- Organized closets
- Soft clothes and towels
- Scented candles
- Sleeping in
- Snuggling
When the going gets tough, turn to this list and pick one that speaks to you in that moment. Then do it. For longer than you think you can or should.
2. Start paying attention to your internal dialogue. It is so incredibly easy to have self-loathing thoughts. If you talk nicely to yourself on purpose, it can provide an excellent counterbalance.
Set aside a time every single day to intentionally speak to yourself with kindness. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are incredible and beautiful and kind and loving. Because you are.
3. Work hard not to beat yourself up about anything, including weight loss. Self blame will get you nowhere. Turn to self compassion instead.
One way to work on self-compassion is to practice gratitude. Start a gratitude journal where you can jot down anything and everything you feel grateful for. If you are beating yourself up, intentionally go to that journal and find something about yourself that you are grateful for and write it down.
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