If you want to know how spring cleaning can help you focus on your weight loss goals, you can apply the same principles used when spring cleaning your home. The season has changed to spring, and that means new beginnings. If your weight loss goals have stalled, don’t despair.
If you are like me, you probably expected to have made some progress with your weight loss goals by now. Whether your weight has stalled or if you’ve gained a few pounds, try not to be too hard on yourself.
Losing weight is hard. When you set your weight loss goals earlier this year, you couldn’t have predicted all the changes you are going through right now. So give yourself permission to take a step back and regroup.
If I can lose 100 lbs while working the night shift, I know for sure you can overcome any weight loss obstacles you are facing right now.
There’s always time to start over, and the start of spring is a great time to hit the reset button on your weight loss goals! In my opinion, it really helps to feel pumped up at the beginning of a weight loss journey. So, a good spring cleaning strategy can help you get excited again about your weight loss goals.
You can apply the same spring cleaning tasks to your diet that you use to spruce up your home at this time of year. When I’m spring cleaning the first thing I do is choose the areas that need the most attention, then break down the steps I need to follow in order to get the job done.
Using this same technique will help you refocus on your intention to lose weight. Then you can zero in on what isn’t working and make the necessary changes.
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Spring Cleaning Allows You Redefine Your Weight Loss Efforts
Your initial weight loss goals were established a few months ago when life seemed more simple and even a little predictable. Now it’s time to adapt your weight loss efforts to your life today and redefine what this looks like for you.
Redefining your weight loss efforts while spring cleaning your home will help you see your weight loss goal as the smaller part of a bigger picture. This perspective helps you feel like your goals are within your reach.
Think of it this way. When spring cleaning your home, you begin with the same house and layout, and a vision of how you want your space to look and feel.
You probably plan to declutter and purge things that are no longer needed as you spring lean your home. The intention is to make the most of the space that you have. You may even get excited about all the tasks ahead of you because you’re so focused on the end result.
After you have decluttered, cleaned and spruce up your home, you have basically given your environment a wellness makeover. In essence, you have redefined what it feels like to live in your home.
Spring cleaning your weight loss efforts can work the same way.
You won’t be changing your initial weight loss goal. However, giving your weight loss efforts a good spring cleaning will help you focus and redefine your purpose for losing weight in the first place.
The spring cleaning strategy is simply a mindset shift and will help you move forward with renewed determination. The key to making this strategy work is keeping in mind what it will feel like to reach your weight loss goal.
Applying The Spring Cleaning Principle To Your Weight Loss Efforts
If life is a little stressful for you right now, your weight loss goals may seem too vain or trivial to have your complete focus. Your behavior around those thoughts may be throwing you off track with your weight loss efforts. The important thing to realize here is, you have not failed.
Failure only happens if you quit altogether. All you can do is learn from the experience then shift your thoughts back to yourself.
The feelings you have about what’s stressing your out and its effect on you are not right or wrong. However, the behavior caused by your feelings is either going to support or work against your weight loss efforts.
If you want to redefine your weight loss efforts using the spring cleaning example, think of your body as your home. Spring cleaning your weight loss efforts is like hitting the reset button on your behavior as it relates to your food choices.
Your behavior reflects what’s happening in your mind which you may feel you cannot control at this time. It’s ok and completely understandable to feel overwhelmed at times. What you do have control over are your behavior and the food choices you make.
Is this tough to do? Yes. Impossible? Absolutely not.
What Redefining Your Weight Loss Efforts Looks Like
So, redefining your weight loss efforts by giving them a spring cleaning makeover is doable, and here is how it’s done. You can declutter the ingrained behavior that keeps you from making progress with your weight loss goals. If you are feeling stressed, trying some self-care activities such as meditation or yoga may help.
Indulging in self-care is ideal as you are going through uncertain times. Self-care can keep you grounded and focused on what’s really important, which is your health. Even if you are still a little anxious, you won’t lose sight of your weight loss goals with practicing self-care regularly.
When you have compassion for yourself, you’re are present and not as easily sidetracked from what is important to you. These strategies all work together and make it easier to decide what foods will support your weight loss efforts.
Your weight loss efforts can include creating a notebook of meal plan ideas that you and your family agree on. Purging the foods from your home that cause inflammation and sugar cravings is also important. After your kitchen is devoid of unhealthy foods, it,s be to shop for clean foods, (preferably organic) that will support your weight loss efforts and overall wellness.
If unhealthy foods aren’t in your home, you can’t eat them right?
According to your tastes, stock your freezer with lean proteins, frozen vegetables, and your cabinets with canned goods like beans, pasta sauce, tuna, and gluten-free pasta.
When you find yourself reaching for a snack, you have plenty of healthy options on hand to choose from.
I’ll admit, being stressed or anxious makes losing weight extra challenging if you’re a typical stress eater. What you don’t want to do is stress yourself out over it and raise your cortisol levels. Stress and worry will only make it harder to stay on track with your weight loss efforts.
Focus instead on what you can control and leave it at that.
If this strategy sounds familiar, that’s because it’s not much different from what you’ve done in the past. The difference is, you have redefined your weight loss efforts and now they’re geared toward a wellness perspective.
By spring cleaning the ingrained behavior that usually throws you off the weight-loss track, you’re actually taking a more practical approach to your weight loss goals. Pretty cool, huh?😉
Whenever you catch yourself being self-critical of your lack of progress with weight loss, remember that you committed to making lifestyle changes when you started your weight loss journey. In any journey, there are always times when you must redirect your focus, but it doesn’t mean you’re giving up. Quite the opposite. It’s called giving yourself grace.
By shifting your focus to wellness, you are supporting your weight loss efforts while taking the pressure off yourself to lose weight within a certain time frame. Weight loss is really just part of a bigger goal.
Here’s the gist of it. You spring clean your home every year because you care about it, and it feels good to spruce up your space. Your body is also your home and your weight loss efforts sometimes need to be revised to adapt to how your life is going.
Conclusion
It is necessary to stay informed of what’s happening in the world. You may not know it, but stressing about current events is expressed through your behavior, and the appearance of your environment – internal and external.
So what do you do if you’re not happy about your lack of progress toward your weight loss goals? Hit the reset button, start spring cleaning your home, and apply the same principles to your weight loss efforts.
Show yourself compassion and practice self-care often. Remember that you are blessed and healthy and that there is still plenty to be grateful for.
Are you finding it difficult to stay on track with your weight loss efforts this spring?
Please share in the comments!
Sources:
https://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/a20445566/spring-clean-your-weight-loss-plan/
Thanks for this post! I needed the boost of confidence. Cleaning the basement tomorrow to get the house and myself on track!
Thanks for sharing this inspiring content! I’m feeling much more motivated to get my home clean now.