Joann Rice, SlimFast Brand Ambassador and Success Story shares how she flipped the switch from “No, I can’t” to “YES I CAN!” Read on to get her advice on how to stay motivated and reach your goals.
From an adoration of food, to the belief that weight loss is expensive or time-consuming – Joann had many unwritten rules when it came to why a diet would be too daunting. With a little motivation, she reframed these thoughts, and turned “could,” “should,” and “would” – into “I did!” Now that she’s achieved her weight loss goals*, she draws positivity from these new ideas on the occasional off-day. When takeout seems easier than cooking– or the idea of going to gym gets the best of her, she musters motivation knowing that she’s strong, dedicated, and happy (and that’s something worth sticking with).
What do you think holds you back from achieving your weight loss goals? Genetics? Medical conditions? Commitment issues? There’s a whole list of reasons every person can come up with, and today I’ll share some of my old go-tos with you. As I sat down to write this list, I discovered that so many of the reasons why I was overweight (and stayed that way for so long) weren’t real excuses at all, but simply things that I believed were holding me back.
- I love food.
- I’ve always been overweight.
- I’m not THAT big.
- I like my curves.
- Working out at the gym & eating healthy is too expensive.
- I’m so busy.
- The people in my life like me the way I am.
- I’m young and I have time to take the weight off.
- I’m pretty active.
- Even if I lose weight, I’ll never look like a movie star.
Now that I’ve gone through my weight loss transformation, I recognize that these are the thoughts that kept me from achieving my diet success story sooner. And I’ll be real with you – some of them still creep their way in. After a long day, I might think to myself “I deserve to eat as many cookies as I want because I love food and have lost weight.” Some days, I’ll make excuses for being sluggish – “I was pretty active today.” When in reality, I know that my body is amazing & capable of so much more. In fact, those high-intensity gym workouts make me feel better & give me a boost of much-needed energy. There have been busy weeks where ordering take-out sounded easier than grocery shopping for healthy food. Harnessing the power of The SlimFast Plan, I make a choice every day to overcome those old habits and make progress rather than excuses. Do I ever worry about my friends feeling threatened or judging the “new” me? Sure, but I worked hard to fit into that open-back dress and wearing it is a badge of honor. Sometimes I look at other people my size and wonder if they had to work as hard as I did to get there. Then I remember that no two paths are alike and all that matters is that I took the right one for me.
Remember: there are always going to be obstacles, but you can decide to push forward. Don’t let unwritten rules stop you. Instead, bend and break them! Reframing those old thoughts can help you visualize the new you. Here are my little reminders that turned “could,” “would,” and “should” into “I did”:
- I am strong.
- I am dedicated.
- I have the time.
- I still love food.
- I like my toned body.
- I am inspiring those around me.
- I feel more confident than I ever have.
- This isn’t the end of my journey, it’s just the beginning.
- I enjoy setting new goals.
- I am happy.
