When it comes to productivity, Bill Gates says: “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years.”
For weight loss, I say that people tend to overestimate what they can achieve in a month and completely underestimate what they can achieve in a year.
This is one of the main things stopping people from achieving their weight and health goals. The problem isn’t knowing what to do, what to eat or not eat – it’s our inability to be consistent, fueled by impatience and the desire for instant results. Many get frustrated when the scales aren’t moving fast enough and then give up because it’s all ‘too hard’.
If you give yourself more time to achieve your goal, it becomes easier.
One of my clients decided that 2021 would be her ‘year of health’. She was inspired by the journey of Australian actress Rebel Wilson who did this in 2020 and lost 35kg. She signed up with me in January with a goal to lose 15kg. She didn’t care if it took her the entire year to reach this goal – she just wanted it gone by Christmas.
We started with her food plan, finding the right balance of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates to get her into fat burning mode. Extra snacks were slowly reduced, and the weekly wines were cut back and saved for the weekends – nothing drastic or difficult. We had follow-up appointments every three weeks, to monitor results and make changes where necessary, to ensure any plateaus were dealt with.
Lockdown was a challenge, but by then the habits were ingrained and she was able to continue making progress. She achieved her 15kg weight loss goal in late November, just as the lockdown was ending. She was thrilled!
Small changes add up to big results when done consistently. If you are regularly having a second helping of dinner, cut it back to one plate and don’t snack afterwards. Become more aware of portion sizes (eating from a smaller plate really helps). Make sure you add protein to every meal. If you have no idea what to eat, see a professional and get a tailored food plan so you know how much protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates to eat at each meal.
Be patient and focus on the long-term goal rather than fussing about what’s happening on a daily basis. Slow weight loss may not be as exciting, but when your plan is less restrictive and allows room for social occasions and events, you will enjoy the journey and be more likely to keep going.
I tell clients that when it comes to the speed at which they lose weight, the only person it matters to, is themselves. When you lose 15kg, you simply don’t care how long it took, you are just so very glad that you got there.
Wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing to achieve in 2022?
Nutritionist
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