My friend Shannon is a few weeks into her remodeling project. She is seeing some nice results of her efforts. At the same time, she is finding that the road to success can be bumpy. But she is making some good decisions that will help her succeed in the long run
The good news:
Shannon says, “I have definitely noticed an improvement in my body. I lost an inch in my waist and 3/4 of an inch on my hips, yay! My pants are looser and I can actually see a little bit of weight loss in my stomach, which gives me the drive I need to keep going.”
This is exactly what Shannon needs right now. Many people who make big changes to their diet and exercise find that it is relatively easy stay motivated for the first few weeks. But after that, the newness of the project wears off and “real life” creeps back in, so it becomes more difficult to make time for exercise, shop for and prepare healthy meals, and make difficult choices. But the fact that she not only feels better but has evidence that her efforts are paying off is the best motivation!
The bad news:
Shannon had a few sick days recently, which interrupted her exercise. She says, “Feeling sick has been a set back. The last day I worked out was last Friday and I haven’t felt well since then so I haven’t been able to work out at all since that time. I have, however, been watching what I eat. In the past, I have used sickness to splurge on whatever would make me happy at the moment (Dr. Pepper, chips, cheese, candy, etc). This time, I’ve tried to really watch what I’m drinking and eating because I know the lack of exercise is already working against me. I don’t want to make it worse by also packing on the extra calories with unhealthy food.”
Dr Parr Says... 