Sometimes feeling discomfort can give us the push we need to achieve our goals. The ultimate weight loss strategy is discomfort, hands down.
People don’t desire to make changes in their lives when they feel comfortable and weight loss is no exception. When people take action, it’s usually based on how they feel about their circumstances.
When it comes to losing weight, feeling the need to move away from feeling uncomfortable is why most people take action. The discomfort of being overweight affects you mentally and emotionally not just physically.
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Why The Ultimate Weight Loss Strategy Is Discomfort
Human beings are so comfortable with the modern conveniences of life, that it takes a long time before we start to feel uncomfortable with the status quo. We will even deal with things we don’t like because the fear of the unknown is more uncomfortable than making changes.
Throughout history, people sought to change their circumstances when the pain of remaining uncomfortable outweighed their fear of the unknown. Things, like not fitting into your clothing, or weighing ourselves, won’t nudge toward taking action.
The reason why discomfort is the ultimate weight loss strategy is that we go through stages of discomfort that we learn to tolerate before we eventually decide to make lifestyle changes.
Discomfort is a powerful motivator, but change for some people is even scarier. Some people would rather stay miserably uncomfortable because change is hard. Often times they need to get to the breaking point in order to work on their goals.
Taking Action Despite Discomfort Means Progress
Thousands of years ago, if humans did not take disciplined action on their desire for change, they would still be living in caves. Their desire for a better life outweighed the uncertainty of not knowing what to do.
I’m sure the first homes that were built didn’t look like the homes you see today. People didn’t stop improving after the first few prototype homes were built. They continued to learn and take disciplined action repeatedly.
Losing weight is life-changing and requires the same mentality. You may not do everything right, but taking repeated action helps you build momentum and pushes you toward your goals.
The difference between us and our predecessors: our predecessors were not complacent. People today have an aversion to change because it’s uncomfortable. Our lives are all about convenience. Humans are so complacent with their modern lifestyles, they look for the easy way to accomplish goals.
Quick weight-loss fixes are widely popular for this reason. I don’t know one person who isn’t guilty of thinking of the least amount sacrifice they need to endure to lose weight.
Some people will go the extra mile and are willing to endure being uncomfortable in order to achieve their goals, but most look for the path of least resistance wherever possible. I get it. Why work harder than you have to?
Taking slow inspired action is the ultimate weight loss strategy, and is still better than doing nothing. Why settle for what you don’t want just because you can’t fathom being temporarily uncomfortable? This mentality can keep you stuck and make you feel hopeless.
If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone ~John Maxwell
Just wanting a change doesn’t make it happen. Taking action is how everything is achieved. When you have no clue where you should begin your weight loss journey, take action anyway even if you’re just trying different strategies. You are still making progress.
Think of a bodybuilder feeling motivated by their desire for the ultimate physique. Without consistently taking disciplined action in the gym, they won’t achieve their results. In the early 1980s, it was Jane Fonda who said no pain, no gain when she marketed her aerobic workout videos.
Our Thoughts Are The Catalyst For Taking Action
I love the way life coach Brooke Castillo explains her life coaching model which can be applied to a weight loss strategy. The model consists of 5 points: circumstances, thoughts, feelings, actions, and results.
According to the model, circumstances, whether they’re based on facts or opinions, are neutral. Our thoughts about the circumstances produce our feelings. And finally, our feelings drive the actions we take which give us our results.
When you apply the model to where you are in your weight loss journey, it’s easy to understand how you got your current results.
Centuries ago, people were motivated by the desire to change their circumstances. Their thoughts about the circumstances caused them to feel uncomfortable, and they became motivated to make life better.
The meaning we attached to our thoughts creates our feelings. Our feelings are what drive us to take action (or not). This is where it gets interesting because whether based on fact or opinion, circumstances are neutral until you give them meaning.
The model Brook Castillo teaches forces you to view everything through your thoughts. People don’t realize it but we always have a choice about what we think and whether we want to attach meaning to our thoughts.
In applying the model to my weight loss journey, it’s clear that the results I wanted aren’t what made me take action. Rather, it was the desire to move away from uncomfortable feelings that drove my actions.
Your Ultimate Weight Loss Strategy Is Driven By Your Feelings
In the context of weight loss, your weight is your circumstance. Your thoughts about your weight have to create feelings that are painful enough for you to desire change and then take action. The desire for change has to outweigh the discomfort of enduring the disciplined action necessary to lose weight.
In other words, if you really want to lose weight bad enough, the work required to get it won’t be enough to stop you from taking action.
This is simple to understand but not always easy to do. Taking action often feels like a form of discipline because it’s often uncomfortable. Even though you won’t make progress staying in your comfort zone, humans love being comfortable. People are so contradictory they will tolerate what they hate (being uncomfortable) because of fear of being uncomfortable!
According to my favorite life coach Brook Castillo, our brains are hardwired to keep us safe which is a primal instinct we’ve been carrying around since we were running from dinosaurs and tigers thousands of years ago.
For example, people will work at jobs they absolutely despise but feel very comfortable doing. They may complain, and have a resentful attitude every day but remain in the job because of their fear of the unknown.
The threat of change, in this case, isn’t physical, only uncomfortable. Our brains won’t allow us to do anything that we perceive as a threat. This is where the apprehension comes from when you resist taking a chance.
The way you override this unsubstantiated apprehension is to feel the fear and do it anyway. When it comes to losing weight there’s absolutely nothing to lose by trying.
I know change is uncomfortable, but it’s bonkers to me how some people would rather feel stuck and be miserably comfortable. Without changing your habits, there’s zero chance of making progress with weight loss.
When a person finally develops the attitude that “anything’s better than this” and being stuck is more uncomfortable than fear of the unknown, they’re ready to take action. This was me a few years ago and even though I toggle with a few pounds here and there, I won’t let myself become that uncomfortable again.
Conclusion
According to Tony Robbins, taking action changes your state. The minute you go from inertia to action, you get results. The ultimate weight loss strategy is discomfort and taking repeated action to gain momentum you need to reach your weight loss goals.
We don’t always feel motivated. Been there, done that. This is a modern-day problem if ever there was one. You prevent the “I don’t feel motivated” spiel by getting out of your head.
Developing a little mental toughness will get you on track with your weight loss goals, but again, you have to want to change more than you want to remain the same.
Les Brown is one of my favorite motivational speakers. I love his quote “It is better to aim high and miss than to aim low and hit”. This speaks to the fact that there’s no progress without taking action.
It’s hard to stay in a miserable situation whether it’s due to your weight challenges, a job, or a relationship. You can either choose to stay put which is hard or take action, which also feels hard. Just choose your hard.
If you choose not to take any action, you’re still choosing. But be okay with your reasons for living in your circumstances.
Sources:
https://thelifecoachschool.com/podcasts/
I love your thought about how pain can drive your desire to change. I’ve never thought about it, but that is so accurate!
I have to admit, it’s worked for me!🤷♀️
This is so powerful. I have also found this to be true when breaking deeply ingrained bad habits. Thank you for this insightful article!