Have you wondered WHY you don't lose weight when you obviously KNOW how? Read this article by Tammy Farrell to understand the reality behind it from someone who's been there.

1. Don’t Get Paralyzed When You Want to Lose Weight By Tammy Farrell, CPC, CPA, CFE Believe In Action Coaching December 12, 2014 It’s that awful place. It makes you sick to your stomach. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. You might not be happy where you are weight-wise right now but if you’ve been the same size for a while, you ARE comfortable there. (For the record, I don’t like hearing that truth either.) You and your body know what to eat and how to move to stay at this plateau. And you’re comfortable being there. You might not like it, but there is a great deal of comfort in not making changes. Predictability and routine can let us relax. They let us know what expect from our relationships. From our friends and co- workers. From our relatives. And from food. (Yes, sorry, I felt it necessary to throw in the “F” word there). Staying the same doesn’t mess with our emotions…not like it would if you changed anyway. You know how you are treated. You know the situations that you avoid (dating, job interviews, travel, restaurant booths, eating in front of others, etc.). If you don’t change, you may think about how you would react in different situations, but you wouldn’t really need to test it out. Safety and comfort are at work there. So how do you know when it IS time to change? The Psych 101 answer is that you’ll make the change when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of dealing with change. That’s easier said than done…but you CAN do it.

2. Use whatever method works best for you. A pro’s and con’s list – Staying the Same vs Losing Weight. Do a role play with your BEST friend. Put reasons for each on post- it notes and cover a wall with them. Explore what makes you queasy about the ‘what if’s’ about losing weight. Would you lose friends? What would you do about needing new clothes? Would you feel like you’d need to ‘make good’ on the “if I were thin” comments you’ve made over the years?” You get the picture. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all those concerns. And it’s easy for people to say ‘relax, things will work out’. (To which you’ll respond with a big ‘yeah, right’.) A better response from me or anyone else is when we let you know that we’ll be there for you if those or other issues become your reality. Stop for a moment please. Why do you want to lose weight?  To feel prettier? (It’s okay! Men often wait way too long to take care of their weight issues. If vanity is on your list of reasons it’d be nice to lose weight – put it on there!)  To get off or reduce the 15 pills and shots that you take EVERY day?  To try and stop the neuropathy that’s starting to take hold?  To be able to shop in ‘regular’ stores?  To be able to physically breathe easier?  To chase and have more fun with your kids or grandkids?  To wear a watch? :) – It was on my list. Those reasons all matter as do the 20 or 30 other ones that you can easily come up with. I’m not here to placate you and tell you EVERYTHING will be rosy when your weight is in a healthier range. Instead, I want to tell you to really go deep and look seriously at your thoughts and concerns to see if there is something there that you’re afraid you won’t know how to deal with. Shore up your resources. Invest in friendships and support systems (live or online) who you can REALLY talk to about your concerns rather than sticking only to discussions about the logistics of what you’ll be eating and how you’ll take care of your changing body. Next week lets talk more about how you can use that innate penchant for predictability and routine to help you with your weight loss process. Are you game?! Believe In Action ©2014 – Believe In Action Coaching