I lost weight when I simplified my weight-loss approach

By Kelly Clark / Build Healthy Habits

When you focus on details you always feel like you’ve made a mistake
After 10 years of struggling I simplified my weight-loss approach
Habits make success last

Are you weighing yourself, counting calories or measuring your food?

Are you:

Juicing?
Cleansing?
Detoxing?

Or working with a personal trainer?

Maybe you’re going gluten-free or high protein and low carb. Or playing with the idea of paleo or probiotic. Perhaps you’re at the point of leaving it all to someone else and getting your diet food delivered …

The other day I saw an advert on the side of a truck. It was a dog standing on a scale.

…Everywhere we look we’re encouraged to obsess over our weight.

This image reminded me of a huge turning point in my weight-loss journey. It was when I was finally SO FRUSTRATED that I decided to let go of everything the diet industry had drilled into me. And to my surprise I lost weight when I simplified my weight-loss approach.

Before I simplified my weight-loss approach

Over the decade I struggled, I weighed myself all the time.

If the numbers went down I was happy. If the numbers slid up, I felt ashamed.

When I wasn’t obsessing about my most recently-registered weight, I was staring at the back of a package of low-fat processed food, trying to work out the serving size. Then I kept track of the calories.

I was fixated on numbers.

After I simplified my weight-loss approach

For the last 21+ years I’ve only stepped on a scale at a doctor’s office. Counting calories, measuring food and checking serving sizes are NOT part of my life anymore. Numbers don’t influence my food choices or change the way I feel.

What do I do instead? What I’d recommend to anyone who wants a healthy relationship with food.

I simplified my weight-loss approach.

Instead of:

Summoning willpower
Signing up for a fancy food plan
Joining a gym

Or making resolutions …

I built healthy habits.

The result?

For the last 20 years I’ve been a healthy weight. And food and eating are a non-issue.

Why I simplified my weight-loss approach

Life is so busy. Anything you can simplify has a better chance of survival.

Think about when you walk or drive to work or school. There are probably lots of routes you could take. But you likely go the same way each day. Why? It’s a habit.

Habits allow you to go through the motions. Then you can think about other things (that are more interesting).

When I built healthy eating and exercise habits, not only did I lose weight naturally, but it was the first time in a long time that I could pay attention to everything else. It was the first time I had the head space to focus on my real goals.

Rather than umm-ing and ahh-ing and worrying and wondering about what I should or shouldn’t put on my plate, I know that eating roughly balanced meals made of mainly whole foods gives my body all the nutrients it needs.

Then 3 amazing things happen:

1. I feel full so I can concentrate on life between meals.
2. My metabolism keeps ticking at a healthy rate—rather than going into survival mode. (When your body is in survival mode it’s easier to gain weight.)
3. I naturally reached and have naturally maintained a healthy weight for the last 21+ years.

Life is full of surprises. Simplifying my approach to eating has made it easier to eat:

at a friend’s house
on the run
at a hospital cafeteria

Or wherever I am—without getting caught up in numbers.

When you get hung up on the small stuff, you can start thinking you’ve eaten too much. After that you feel guilty and think: “I’ve ruined today. I’ll restart my diet tomorrow.” This kind of thinking gets you caught “between diets”… a place where people build unhealthy habits. For 10 years I was constantly on and off diets and further ingraining habits like overeating (last supper mentality) and overexercising to make up for eating… and wasting time writing out a new diet

For 10 years I said: I’ll restart my diet tomorrow.

Now I know, if you want things to be different you have to do something different!

Focusing on rough estimates allows you to make quick choices, feel good and carry on with the day.

I lost weight for good when I simplified my weight-loss approach.

Life got better when I simplified my weight-loss approach

Weighing myself, counting calories and measuring food made weight loss complicated.

Focusing on numbers is a short-term approach to weight loss and distracts you from building habits.

When you focus on losing weight—rather than building healthy habits, you’re bound to do what 95% of dieters end up doing: gaining all the weight back and more.

Stop thinking:
I NEED TO DIET!

Start thinking:
I WANT TO BUILD HEALTHY HABITS.

Get rid of your scale!

Besides, scales don’t differentiate between healthy weight loss and natural changes that affect weight. For instance, premenstrual water retention registers on the scale as weight gained. But it’s actually just water. Regular exercise helps you build muscle which weighs more than fat. So your body will be toning and getting trim, but the scale won’t reflect that positive change.

Don’t put the cart before the horse. Instead of focusing on the weight you want to be, focus on the journey; one that will help you get and stay there.

Focus on Non Scale Victories!

Build healthy habits.

The above photo is my version of The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch. My ending would be: “…She threw out her scale and lived happily ever after.”

Please note:
No weigh scales were harmed during the making of this post.
We found this scale on a dog walk and donated it to the Salvation Army.
I love the Salvation Army.

Build healthy eating and exercise habits. A healthy weight will follow and you’ll be free to focus on your real goals.

Next Steps

Whenever I tried to make dramatic change it never worked. For instance, stepping on a scale could be a very ingrained habit. Having a strategy for change helps you turn unhealthy habits into healthy habits. Click here to learn an IMPORTANT, easy and fun strategy for building healthy habits!

It’s time for a “change of heart.” Stop counting “1, 2, 3, 4 …” calories and “put the horse before the cart!” How? By building healthy habits.

When I simplified my weight-loss approach it was a game changer. Is there anything – in any area of your life – you’ve had to unlearn?

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4 Comments

Mark Parker June 19, 2019 at 9:50 am - Reply

Very informative post. I like the idea of building healthy habits instead of difficult weight loss approaches. It’s a simplified weight loss & maintenance method for anyone.
- Kelly Clark June 29, 2020 at 2:41 pm - Reply
  
  Thanks Mark! Yes, dramatic change (like following a restrictive diet) gives you short term results. Whereas building habits = long term. The goal is to lose weight the same way you want to keep it off 🙂 And the best part is, and I say this from experience… you can get in the habit of eating 2 donuts as easily as you can get in the habit of eating a banana and almonds for a snack. It’s all about what you get used to eating. Now that I have healthy habits, eating a donut doesn’t appeal to me at all.
Fahad June 23, 2020 at 1:47 am - Reply

Very interesting article, Kelly.
- Kelly Clark June 29, 2020 at 3:59 pm - Reply
  
  Thanks Fahad! Reaching your H 🙂 PPY weight is all about going back-to-the-basics and simplifying. Eat 3 meals a day. Snacks when you’re hungry. And focus on eating natural food vs. processed.