I call her crazy-outta-control-moody Kate…

Death stares then fake smiles (as I feel guilty at aforementioned unprovoked death stares!). Telling myself to calm down & ‘just be nice’.

Irrational. Volatile.  Small-fluffy-white-puppy-hating.

…this is fat-loss-mode ‘dieting’ Kate.

It rarely happens. Generally before I get some photos taken and want to insure I’ve done all I can to be happy with the pics on the day… However the emotions I’m feeling right now – and more so how to survive them, may be of use to you so I thought I’d share my struggles AND strategies with you.

First up, the sustainable approach to keeping your body fit, healthy, energized & lean is my normal approach 51 weeks a year.

I don’t feel deprived or hungry. I’m not fighting myself and battling to win the discipline game… for 51 weeks a year it’s all good!

However for 7 days (I’m in the eye of the storm right now) I get to RElearn some empathy and appreciation for all that is involved in guiding your body down from a weight & size that it’s ‘quite happy with thank you very much!’

Over the years my standards have changed as to what level of leanness I want to get around with day to day.  And each time I decide I’d like to stay a little leaner I do go through that battle with my body till it stabilizes at its new weight to maintain.

If you can relate, then I’m writing this to share with you there is hope.

It will absolutely not always be a struggle.  You will get to the point where your thoughts are not consumed with food.  Where you are back in control of your emotions and ‘choose your mood’ becomes possible rather than infuriating!!

As I write this I’m particularly thinking of our ‘10 Week Total Body Overhaul’ challengers at the facility… They are half way through week 4, and are in agreement on one thing… It’s not so much fun anymore!

(I’ll ‘Cheers’ to that… or at least I will when I’m back enjoying a lovely vino again!)

6 tactics to staying focused as your personal body transformation becomes less fun:

1. Appreciate that you are even in a position to be able to give it your all.  

Whether that be an appreciation of the time, $, or health and mobility you are lucky to have… It’s all too easy to take it for granted!

If you’re reading this, then like me, you’re probably got a fair bit to be grateful for right?

2. Find those small non-detrimental to your goal, comforts & relax your ‘rules’ on them.

For me this is coffee. I have my ideal… and I have my relaxed rules. Black coffee, or even with 1/2 a Natvia & a dash of almond milk is not going to set me back… So it’s just fine to indulge in a few more.

What is your (non-detrimental) comfort food, drink or activity?

3. Increase your intake of micronutrient loaded, craving fighting, fibrous veg.  

Often when we’re super focused on body composition we can cut out some of the good stuff we need so far as vital minerals and vitamins.  Those ‘sugar cravings’ you’re battling are more likely your body crying out for something it actually needs – more great, nutritious fuel. It never ‘needs’ fake, processed crap-o-la and that is why when in the past you’ve resorted to the junk food binge, it hasn’t fixed your cravings and rather has only made them worse.

4. Acknowledge that it is ok and normal for this to be hard.  

Fat loss is simple – it is not easy though.  Sure if, designing your perfect body was your job, if you had unlimited time, support and resources to just get in the best shape of your life… well that would be a different matter.  But I’m guessing you’ve got clients and family – responsibilities, expenses and a LIFE beyond fat loss right?  Ok, so acknowledge that it’s hard and this will allow you to stop looking for the easy quick fix.  You’ll be free to focus the full force of your energy on the simple daily actions you know you need to take.

5. Don’t test your discipline by putting yourself in danger zones.  

You know them… the situations that have led you in the past to make non-goal supportive food and exercise choices.  Like a muscle, discipline will strengthen with use.  However, also like a muscle it can fatigue.  That’s part of why it’s harder to resist those after dinner treats after a whole day of ‘great food’… or why when you’re battling to stay super focused with your work it can be even harder to display that same level of discipline with your fuel.  Your discipline is not unlimited.  So learn from your lapses of the past and out-plan those situations occurring in the future.

6. Take comfort in the fact that each day you give your personal body transformation your very best shot you bring yourself a day closer to the point where it does get easy and sustainable. 

You’re only stuck on the body fighting battle when you keep starting and stopping.  For sure you’ll have less than ideal days however the important thing is to learn from what derailed your best intentions… and to resume where you left off rather than a step or 10 back.

So if for example you’ve been enjoying your veg omelette for breakie… all going well, and then one day you sleep-in and race out the door without breakie, fly through your crazy catch up morning until your first 15minute break at 11am in which you race to the cafe downstairs and devour some banana bread with butter and a large cappuccino… all is not lost!  It simply means tomorrow you are back to your omelette – no self negotiation (!) and for good measure, how about a stash of almonds and protein powder in the office or car for the next time life jumps in the way and you don’t get to make your ideal breakie?

Ok, I’m off to make myself another lil coffee.

Here’s to your belief that the effort you’re putting in right now is absolutely worthy of the end result you’ll get to enjoy.  I can assure with 100% certainty it is.

And for those times when you’re running low on ‘feeling the fun’ the simple fact remains there will always be ‘hard‘ …staying overweight is hard and getting in the best shape of your life is hard.  Which ‘hard’ are you going to choose?