3 Powerful Weight Loss Tips for Perfectionists

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Full Episode Transcript:

3 Powerful Weight Loss Tips for Perfectionists

Hi there, welcome to the Eating Habits for Life podcast. Today I want to give you 3 powerful weight loss tips for perfectionists. First, I’ll identify where perfectionists tend to struggle with weight loss, so you can see if this is you. Then give you tips for these specific struggles.

So let’s dive in.

Now, career women are commonly (not always) perfectionists. Or maybe not be full-on perfectionists, but at least have perfectionist tendencies.

Oftentimes, we career women can joke around that we’re perfectionists and almost wear it as a badge of honor, but in reality, being a perfectionist, can make things more challenging.

Such as weight loss.

It can also result in feelings of insufficiency, because if you’re always striving for perfection, there will be many times you’ll not achieve this, resulting in feeling like a failure. I’ve struggled with this personally throughout my entire life.

It can also result in incomplete tasks, goals left unattained, and just an overall level of dissatisfaction with yourself. 

There are many different root causes of perfectionism, but I’m going to keep the focus on weight loss here, because that’s what you’re here to hear about and get help with.

So, let’s dive into those 3 powerful weight loss tips for perfectionists.

Perfectionists struggle with consistency with actions for weight loss because of all-or-nothing thinking. All or nothing thinking is when you feel like you need

to do something 100% perfectly and if you don’t then, you just don’t do it at all. It’s basically one extreme to the other.

If they “mess up” or weren’t perfect with their intentions halfway through the week, they go right back to their old habits. Often, starting again with a “clean slate” on Monday.

This results in one step forward, one step backward, making no progress. This is also called, “falling off the wagon” and staying off. See, you can fall off the wagon, but get right back on, and still make progress toward your weight loss goals. 

Another thing perfectionists struggle with with weight loss is setting very large goals and only being satisfied if they hit that goal. Now, I’m a big fan of thinking big as far as weight loss goals. If we don’t ever have big goals, then our world wouldn’t be as advanced as it is.

We have to always be forward-thinking, which means setting goals and that includes small and really large goals.

So the problem is when a perfectionist is ONLY satisfied if that large goal was met. When we set a goal for ourselves, we pick a number because we anticipate how it’ll make us feel when we arrive at that number, right?

You’re remembering that you felt beautiful when you weighed 120 lbs. and now you weigh 170 lbs, and don’t feel beautiful, so you set the goal of being 120lb

again, because you anticipate you’ll feel beautiful when you hit that number.  But then as you and I work together to change your eating habits, also some

other habits that help with weight loss, plus change your mindset, you start feeling beautiful REGARDLESS of the number on the scale.

You start feeling healthier, because you’ve changed your habits. You start feeling more energized and confident. You realize that at 140lbs., you feel fantastic and you’ve found a nice balance that works well with your lifestyle.

You can still go out to eat, enjoy desserts, not feel like you have to exercise for 2 hours a day to burn that dessert off, etc.

In fact, several of my clients realized that they reached all of their goals as far as how they wanted to feel, before they even reached that specific weight loss number goal.

So, this is what I want to help my fellow perfectionists with. Making it as easy as possible to stay consistent, to decrease the risk of falling off the wagon.

But then if or when you do, getting right back on the wagon. Also, understanding that you can reach all of your more meaningful goals of how you want to feel

regardless of the number on the scale. 

So here we go.

Now, this is what I help my perfectionist career women with when we work together in my 1:1 coaching program, because it really is something that having a coach is valuable for.

Think of it like someone holding your hand when you stumble. You end up not falling, and instead being caught and finding your footing again. But I’m going to give you some quick tips you can start today and do on your own.

Alright, so when it comes to consistency, you’re going to want to avoid this….setting those big changes because you have big goals.

I know you want to get to those big goals as quickly as possible, but do NOT make big changes in what you’re eating, how much, etc. Don’t make big, drastic changes with how much you’re exercising either. 

You won’t be able to maintain these changes easily and possible not at all.

Now, you may feel like you eat fast food for every meal and want to not eat anymore fast food and only eat healthy foods, but you can’t just make that jump.

You’re brain and taste buds aren’t there yet. You have to make gradual changes. Making gradual changes sets you up for success. Making it more likely you won’t fall off the wagon.

Now, when I work with clients, we make those more gradual or step-wise changes, but I also have a 5-step process that makes sure we recognize and overcome any challenges that might get in the way BEFORE they get in the way.

But for you right now, just make sure not to go too big on your changes.

Next, you’re going to do one simple thing to get you back on the wagon if you fall off. Normalize it. Expect it. 

When you think it means you’ve failed, that’s when you’re more likely to stay off the wagon and then just start again on Monday.

We want progress over perfection though. So, I’m telling you that it IS completely normal to “fall off the wagon.” You will do less and less of this as you go along, but in the beginning, expect to fall off. Especially if you’re doing this on your own.

I mean think about it. It’s like a DIY project. You can’t expect you perform perfectly on something that’s not your area of expertise. If someone asked you to build a house and you’ve never done that before, you’re not going to build a house perfectly, right? 

Well, weight loss is the same thing. Changing your eating habits is the same thing.

So if you “mess up” during the work week or the weekend, just remember that’s normal, expected, part of the process. And always remember that unless you get right back on, you’re delaying your progress. And I know you don’t want to delay your progress. 

Okay so up next for 3 powerful weight loss tips for perfectionists is to think about why you want to lose weight. Especially focus on how you want to FEEL. So do you want to

lose 20 lbs. to feel more comfortable? More beautiful? More healthy? More in-control? 

Think about your why.

And understand that these are your REAL goals. Your deeper goals. When you understand this, you won’t be as focused on the number, ignoring the other

amazing changes you’re making. You’ll be more aware of how much better you’re feeling, the changes you’re making to your lifestyle.

You’ll have more results to be happy about. And then the number on the scale is just seen as that…a number. Not an indicator of success vs. failure or an indicator of happiness vs. unhappiness. Or healthy vs. unhealthy.

Alright, so if you’re thinking you want more help, just book your free consultation with me. It’s free help. I listen, ask questions, provide a personal plan, so you know what will bring you to your goals.

Then, if you want help executing that plan, you’re welcome to ask me how we can work together to do that.

What I don’t want for you is to keep spinning your wheels with weight loss and changing your eating habits. Especially if you feel like it’s impacting your physical or emotional health in any way.

Our time is precious and we don’t really know how much we have left. Why not make sure the years you DO have are your best you can have.

Because the process I take you through to lose weight, leaves you with so many healthy lifestyle changes, especially eating habit changes. You’ll also have a healthier mindset, which affects how you feel on a day to day basis.

Think about it like this, you GET the opportunity to make your life what you want it to be. You GET the opportunity to change the path you’re on. You GET that opportunity to take control of your emotional and physical health. 

Which all affects your relationship with yourself, with others. It affects your career, even your hobbies, activities, and interests.

Think about the impact of losing weight by changing your eating habits, plus other habits.

So I invite you to take the opportunity and book your free consultation to get your personal plan. You’ll walk away with insight, clarity, and belief that it really is possible for you. You’ll have a mini transformation of sorts, just with the free consultation.

You can book your free consultation and get your personal plan below (just scroll down and click the button.)

Thanks for listening, take care and I look forward to meeting you and helping you during the free consultation.