5 Triggers that Derail My Weightloss Journey
Written by Bethany Curee, God’s Daughter – Freckled & Free

Anyone else have a strange brain like me that senses the holidays are coming and internally allow your brain to switch to fail mode? For me it begins with Thanksgiving, followed by my birthday (12/3) and leads right into Christmas and New Years. It’s like this open disaster invitation to go off your typical healthy eating and exercise routine and just plain slip for a few weeks. Because — instead of treating yourself only for those special occasions like a good girl should, you slowly go right back to your old habits for no reason at all other than it’s the holidays. I’m learning these slips can be so costly. The thinking behind it logically is completely flawed. In a matter of weeks you can quickly gain the hard work you earned the last couple of months. Yikes, it’s that bad. At least, I’ve learned this to be true for me.

Now don’t get me wrong, treating yourself is necessary and should happen occasionally and that is certainly ok during a weightloss journey if and I say this gently, if you can handle it for one meal or for a special day. However, warming up for several weeks leading up to – in – and after the holidays only sends you backwards and spiraling out of control if you’re not careful. I’m living proof of it (sigh).

Having four children has been and is the greatest blessing truly — at the same time as a mother, I feel a bit like I’ve been run over when it comes to my weightloss journey amongst all of it. It is so much work and even harder when surrounded by four amazingly 24-hour-hungry-snacking children who I’m their personal chef for.

So, I’ve come up with a list of 5 of my biggest triggers and how I have or am trying to combat it. These triggers always send me backwards and into the danger zone on this weightloss journey and they typically happen most around the holidays. It had me thinking what are some of your healthy eating and exercise hang ups? I would love to hear them below in the comments. Here are mine.

5 TRIGGERS THAT DERAIL MY WEIGHTLOSS JOURNEY

TRIGGER #1: FAILING TO PLAN. This one bites hard. Failure to meal plan or make a trip to the grocery store can send me making the wrong choices fast. Running out of food is the evil of healthy eating. Dragging my feet on this can create a bad spiral quick, holidays or not.

COMBAT. Religiously sitting down each week to meal plan and pick up groceries. This is the only way you can be set up for success. This is a must. The world around you isn’t going to make it easy for you to make good choices. A well laid out weekly meal plan not only inspires you for the week but motivates you to stay on track. It can not be sacrificed.

TRIGGER #2: WRONG GROCERY AISLES. I’ve noticed if I veer outside the fresh fruit and produce section, wild caught fish or organic meat, I find myself getting excited about flashy organic snacks. My number one suckers are organic dried fruit (have you tasted that stuff!? Sooo good!) and things like organic dark chocolate nuggets with coconut and super seeds…like HELLO and yes please! While I love these things and they are great for traveling and a quick snack…and I could totally buy all of them because they are just simply fun to have choices…they are not a good choice for me while I’m trying to have extreme focus. They derail me from my goals because one is never enough.

COMBAT. When I’m pursuing my goals whole-heartily, and not a treat-yo-self day (or week haha), I try to make a list of exactly what I need. I focus on staying only in the fresh fruit, fresh produce, wild caught fish and organic meat sections. Because I love cooking I get super excited and inspired looking at all the healthy and fresh fruit and produce. Seeing it all makes me want to focus on making good choices and getting those nutrients for my body and my family’s body. Typically, with kiddos there is usually always something I have to get outside of this section but I try to make it minimal. I have a list of those few things and I work to stay focused on getting those only. My kiddos eat very healthy and thankfully choose fruit over most things anyways.

TRIGGER #3: EVENTS. If it’s not for my husband’s work, or a mom meet up, a kids birthday party, or all of the several events for the holidays or something with our church, there is always something to tempt you. Events can be so challenging. You risk so many things. A. Are they going to have something you can eat? B. Are they going to have something you can eat?

COMBAT: Contribution and exercise. If this is a type of event where you’re able to contribute to the dinner, bring something you know you can eat and will be enough to fill your allowable intake without leaving you hungry. If you’re unable to contribute and you’re doing intermittent fasting, move your hours accordingly and eat wise portionally. Not fasting? Get extra exercise in to combat this if you’re unsure that it will be in your eating lifestyle. Regardless how you’re losing, getting some extra exercise in can always help balance it out and help you at least maintain your current weight for some of these life events.

With four kiddos running around I have found it most consumable for my life to focus on at least 20 minutes of exercise a day. That’s it. If I focus small, I am more likely to fit that in and actually reach my goal than if I set my heart to an hour long workout. I typically shoot for 20 minutes but I push myself for 30. Regardless of the activity you choose starting at that time frame is a good start. I prefer to walk or run outside and in nature, but in the winter months this can be challenging. I get very bored with the treadmill but I love dancing so my discovery of Refit has been the perfect workout for me. I do it weekly for an hour with a group of ladies to only christian music with Real Church, (which I love because I get some exercise and worship time), but I will also do it from home on YouTube with a mix of genres and get a great workout that’s also fun to me. It gives me a great rotation with my treadmill during the winter months. This is what I have found that works for me. You will find something that may fit your lifestyle better and that’s just peachy. At the end of the day we just have to get moving.

TRIGGER #4: HORMONES. The toughest one of them all. This uncontrollable need for everything you’re not allowed to have. This monthly sabotage that waits to take over all of your systems and ruin your life (ladies you know what I’m talking about here). That horrible time of the month that you dread on all levels. She hits you a week before her due date with cravings as hard as you had during pregnancy. She weakens all of your strong side to give in. Emotionally she hits you on all angles. The loser of the sisterhood strength.

COMBAT: Eat chocolate. ALL of the chocolate. Ok, so for real this one is the HARDEST! Dear Jesus help us and help our dear hormones. Here is what I think truly — and that is to pray. Pray and stay strong. Replacing the craving with prayer can be very effective. I’ve even found treating myself to a healthy cup of hot tea instead of the snack can help. My favorite is Traditional Medicinal Herbal Teas. After my third child I was like a ninja. I was completely focused and lost a ton of the weight. If I found myself struggling or having a craving, I would pray instead. This habit really worked and is something I need to get back to and stick too. If you just cannot handle saying no, perhaps a healthy dessert alternative or one square of organic dark chocolate to curve the craving that doesn’t include leftovers for tomorrow is acceptable…only if you can handle it without spinning out of control.

TRIGGER #5: MINDSET. Oh, good old mindset. She’s a tricky fellow. Mindset plays a big role in all of this and all of the above effects my mindset greatly. If my failure to plan is also around my monthly hormones…disaster always waits in the making. I can easily get emotional about it all, let the old angry slip back in about how hard this weight loss journey can be and start the old comparison game again. It can just become a big oh sorry Sally fest while eating donuts and feeling doomed.

COMBAT: My combat for Trigger #5: Mindset, is The Word, prayer and the right reading material. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8. Encourage yourself in the Word. Focus on how we can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13). Focus on practicing self-control and asking God to give you strength. I’ve noticed if I’m staying focused on good reading material that encourages me in my walk of Eating God’s Way, I am more apt to make good eating choices that are going to nourish my body and align with my weight loss journey. Whether it’s great articles on healthy foods and cooking, healthy cookbooks and recipes or books on taking care of your body God’s way…all of these keep my mindset in check and focused on my goals. What you put in your mind is where you will be.

These have been some of my triggers and ways I have tried and am trying to combat them. Things I’m learning in this process. These are all the things I’m working to make habits of. It’s not always an easy breezy fix, it takes time to carve this lifestyle of habits into my life until they will become natural. Until then occasional fails are giving me notes for succeeding.

Have I always done this perfectly? Am I doing this perfectly now? Absolutely not, that’s why I’m still on this journey. I’m right in the trenches still and I have not arrived. I’m figuring this out day by day. These are things that I know…and I need to grab ahold of as well. God’s Word is powerful and alive and able to be adapted to our lives in every situation if we would only grab ahold of it and apply it. Yes, even to controlling our triggers, even to your weight loss or getting healthy journey.

Now that I’ve shared mine, what are your triggers or hang ups to your weightloss journey and how are you combating them? I would love to hear in the comments below and let’s discuss.

And dear Jesus please help us. Help us get our bodies in line with your Word and take care of our temples so we can do the work you have for us to do with the fullest of health we can be. Help us to practice self-control. To celebrate when life needs celebrating. To enjoy and relish while finding balance in it all. Jesus balance our hormones and strengthen us for all life’s challenges. Help us on this journey to be healthy physically and spiritually. In Jesus name. Amen. Because I sure know our families deserve it.  

Wherever your at on your weightloss journey or health journey, love yourself today, be patient with yourself today. Take one step in front of the other and never give up.

Written by Bethany Curee, God’s Daughter – Freckled & Free