Review your goals and values
Take a look at the values and SMART goals you set for yourself. If you haven’t done these already, look at the goal-setting pages and any notes you have made. Remember why you started this journey; perhaps you have slowly gained weight due to life changes and want to return to feeling like ‘you’ again.
Do your SMART goals still feel relevant and realistic? If they do, keep going!
If your goals feel too far out of reach, you can make some changes. For example, if you initially set out to walk with a friend 5-days a week, try aiming for two times a week instead.
Ask yourself what’s getting in the way
It’s normal to face bumps in the road when making changes to your everyday routines. When you do, rather than ‘trying to make up for it’ e.g., with excessive physical activity, food restriction, or being hard on yourself, spend some time reflecting instead.
If you use a food or activity diary for self-monitoring, you can identify what’s getting in your way. Some common barriers many people face when making lifestyle changes are below.
‘Changes for weight loss are boring’
You may not have needed to make healthy changes for weight loss before and may feel this could be dull, restrictive and challenging to stick to. However, healthy eating can be an adventure; it can taste great and doesn’t need to be boring! So take a look at healthy recipes and experiment with new foods to bring excitement to your eating.
‘I don’t have enough time’
A life change may have contributed to your weight gain, and you may not feel you have the time or energy to deal with this. Making small, manageable changes to your daily routine that work for you can make it easier to adopt new healthy habits.
‘I don’t feel motivated’
Remind yourself of your goals and keep them in places you will see and read them regularly. Constantly reassessing your goals is important too. Having a clear goal that is relevant at that moment may help to keep you focused.
Be kind to yourself
Remember to aim for long-term change, so try not to feel guilty or be too hard on yourself when things don’t go to plan. With the right motivation, clear goals, and small, steady changes, you can start feeling more like ‘you’ again and regain your healthy weight balance.
Continue your journey
Click on the next page Self-monitoring to continue your journey.
