Have you ever gotten to a point in your weight loss journey when things are
chugging along nicely, you’ve passed a few important goals and should be coming
down the stretch for your ideal weight in the not too distant future? And then
suddenly you revert back to the behavior that got you into this mess in the
first place. Frustrated at your seeming inability to close the deal – yet again!
– you throw in the towel and shovel french fries, ice cream and m&ms into your pie hole? No? Just me? It's so frustrating when you want to accomplish
your goal more than anything!
I know that getting fit is what I really, really want. And yet every time I get close to my goal, I fall apart. I have all the information and resources that I need but I just can’t seem to finish what I started. How can I really want (or need!) to do something so desperately and yet get in the way of my own progress just when things are going well? (1)
Apparently, this self-sabotage phenomenon is pretty common, especially when goals are within short reach. From what I read, it usually indicates that you have not yet fully realized the difference between wanting to be thin and actually being thin. I have also been getting comfortable with my weight and not feeling as much pressure on myself to lose more because I no longer cringe when I see myself in the mirror, even though my body is not quite where I want it to be yet. The other part I think is fear. Fear of succeeding and actually meeting my weight loss goal. But what's the one thing that seems to stand in my way every.single.time? SELF CONTROL. Seriously, sometimes I feel like I lack any at all! We got some M&Ms the other day as treats for potty training, and seriously, I probably consumed half the bag in the last 2 days. I can't seem to get enough chocolate lately - it's sickening. Literally, this has been me this week:
I found this post from Bob Greene when google-ing self sabotage, and I think he makes some good points:
"It may be that you're hitting up against your body's set point weight. Your set point is the level (a range, actually) of body fat you are programmed to carry around. It's basically like your fat thermostat. Everyone has his or her own set point (largely determined by genetics), and it varies from person to person. Though there are some things you can do to change this level, your body will do everything it can to keep itself in the range, including increasing the production of hormones that cause you to eat more.
Does this mean you're destined to never reach your goal weight? No. In fact, you can actually lower your fat thermostat and reset your set point so you can continue losing. Many people get past their set point (much like a plateau) by stepping up their activity level. When you work out, your set point drops, so your body will carry less fat. Cutting calories can help, too, but you don't want to go too low: If you consume too little, your anti-starvation defense mechanisms will kick in and slow your metabolism, and thus, your weight loss." (2)
Does this mean you're destined to never reach your goal weight? No. In fact, you can actually lower your fat thermostat and reset your set point so you can continue losing. Many people get past their set point (much like a plateau) by stepping up their activity level. When you work out, your set point drops, so your body will carry less fat. Cutting calories can help, too, but you don't want to go too low: If you consume too little, your anti-starvation defense mechanisms will kick in and slow your metabolism, and thus, your weight loss." (2)
So, I got my butt up and out of bed this morning at 7 and went for a run. I'm not normally a morning runner - or morning person for that matter - what can I say, I love me some sleep. But in an effort to shake things up a bit, I figured I'd give it a go. And guess what? I felt great! Seriously, my pace and time were good (3 miles at a 9:18 pace), and afterwards I was awake and feeling ready to conquer the day, and it's only 9am!
But then, I ate lunch, put the kids down for a nap, ran an errand (relax peeps, the hubs works from home), and then came home to do some insanity, and the high I felt earlier was completely gone - poof! I made it through half of the WARM UP and said to hell with it. And yes, I totally just ate a handful of m&ms #workoutfail
I can't be the only one that this happens to right?! Man this sucks! I sure hope I can get out of this funk soon! But for today at least - this is my theme song...
Have you ever fallen into the curse of self sabotage? How did you fix it?
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