,

As you know, so much of achieving and sustaining results with your physique comes down to how you think about the process. Your mindset.

Let me give you an example.

Many people, without even realizing it, have a defeatist mindset when it comes to losing weight. Much of it is subconscious. They may get excited on the outside about starting a new plan, but on some level, they don't really believe that it will work, because "look at all these other dozen diets that have never worked!" This is an example of using past experiences to project future success. A completely normal approach, but one that often keeps us unsuccessful because we are really just waiting to fail.

And I'm not saying a new approach would work or it wouldn't, it's just that the way you think about the process impacts, at least initially, your ability to work through the tough times with it and adjust to the point that it becomes a forever solution. In this way, the "meal plan" is irrelevant--it's your tenacity and ability to learn your body that matters.

In other words, your mindset and the way you approach the process is everything--and it can help or hinder your outcomes WITHOUT YOU EVEN KNOWING IT. Which, of course is the scary part! :) But not if you begin having some awareness, and so today I want to remind you of three mindsets that can make or break your success:

1) The Dieting Mindset: 

So long as we think of exercise and eating in terms of "dieting," we are fighting a losing battle, because we have it in our heads that at some point the diet will be over. One quick way to know if you are operating in a dieting frame of mind is to ask yourself, "Could I see myself eating and exercising like this in 6 months, a year, or forever?" If the answer is no to any of those timetables, then you're using a Band-Aid approach.

Whether you have been a competitor or just someone who's tried every single diet out there, having a deadline for dieting does not serve us. It hasn't served us because we always end up back at the same place we started, with simply more miles on our metabolism and nothing to show for it. No bueno!

2) The "Do More" Mindset: 

When you first started learning about nutrition and exercise, you probably got the message that in order to continue to get results, you simply have to do more. Same tools, just more of it. More cardio. More calorie-cutting. More minutes of training. Earlier to the gym.

The problem is that at some point, your metabolism reaches a point of diminishing returns, and even worse, accustoms to a large volume of exercise, at which point you need to keep it up, or else you gain. The do-more mindset is a dead end and is ultimately not sustainable. And there are only so many hours in the day to exercise, and only so low you can cut calories.

There needs to be another solution. For me, it's working smarter, not harder and employing efficient exercise. Shorter, more intense sessions can increase results, help you hold onto precious muscle and also give you your day (and sanity!) back. 

3) The Short-Term Mindset: 

Once again, this idea of having an end point in mind. And like the example I gave at the beginning--many of us have started out on a new diet knowing full well that it will not work. Why would it? Nothing has ever worked long term, right?

So, we decide that we will just go for it, harness tons of willpower and expect instantaneous results. And when we don't get the fast results we expect or willpower gives out, we give up. Again. And who could blame us? When we have the mindset that we must reach a certain fat percentage or dress size ASAP, we can never win because we haven't accepted that this is a lifestyle.

So what do you think? Does this give you some awareness of what maybe you might be doing without even knowing it?

I don't blame you for struggling. This is how the dieting industry works: promise a faster fix with a magic pill and voila, an amazing body with no effort required. Intellectually we know that's BS but it also doesn't keep us from falling for the latest and greatest techniques. It's hard out here for a pimp! :)

So my advice: take the long view. 

Sustainably lean physiques are the result of sustainable approaches and years of grinding. It's that simple. 

The leanest people are not the ones dieting the most--they are the ones doing the few things that matter the most daily. They spend way more time doing than looking. And they are committed for the long haul and they release the urgency to have it all right this second.

Could you relax into your process a little bit? Could you slow everything down and take a step back? Could you--gasp!--throw yourself a bone and let "your best" be good enough?

I'd love to hear how you're doing!

Ox, Jill