15 Reasons to Celebrate Before you Lose Weight

Frustrated by dieting failure? Here are 15 reasons you should celebrate TODAY, even before you lose any weight.

You are AMAZING!

Actually, no, I was just lucky.

You are so beautiful.

Uh, Amanda at the salon always does a good job with my hair.

Your legs are so strong.

Must be because of those stocky genes from my family.

I wish I had clear, gorgeous skin like you.

Thank God for Mary Kay! You should see what’s underneath…

These are actual conversations that play out EVERY DAY in real life. No sooner do I compliment another woman than she finds some way to belittle herself or shine the spotlight on one of her friends.

This is especially true when women are working on a weight loss plan. Instead of focusing on non-scale victories, or how much progress they are making on this toughest of journeys, they would rather mourn the things they DIDN’T do. Following are excerpts from actual conversations I had with clients.

Great job with eating one more serving of vegetables today.

Well, I only did it for lunch, not dinner.

I am so proud of you kicking that soda habit.

I still drink a few sips every day.

You will be fit in no time! You went from barely exercising to consistently exercising for 3 days a week.

Uh, but I missed Monday this week…

Ladies, STOP the MADNESS! I understand that it can be tough to toot our own horn, especially when we have more than 30 pounds to lose. Especially when we have tried (unsuccessfully) to reach our ideal weight in the past, and it either came creeping back, or came off slower than before.

I am no stranger to being critical of myself. After all, I am a Type A person who prefers to do everything better every time I try it. It’s no wonder that I found myself stuck at weight loss plateaus and wishing I could just lose weight YESTERDAY.

There are detriments to focusing only on a scale in terms of measuring your progress, too. The scale can only tell you what your current weight is. It doesn’t tell you how much muscle you have (which can weigh more), how much water you’re retaining (hello, monthly visitation), or whether you are having gut issues (ugh, gluten intolerance).

[bctt tweet=”Ladies, the scale might be lying to you. #nonscalevictories #dieting @dailyburn” username=”jegoswam”]

I won’t lie to you. You will NOT consistently lose weight, except at the very beginning of your new program. Here is why.

At the beginning of any program, you are focused, enthusiastic, and ready to implement the amazing information you have access to. Consequently, you stick to your guns religiously, and are less tolerant of slip-ups.

Plus, most people focus on reducing calories or drinking more fluids, which tends to impact water weight, not fat loss.

After 6-8 weeks, your body is savvy to your new program, and your mind is tired. You have been slogging for awhile now, watching other people eat food you love, sitting on the couch while you hit the gym, and complain about your healthy new meals.

Not to mention what happens after 3 months, 6 months, or even a year. It took me a full year to lose 100 pounds, with all of the ups and downs in between. I am certainly not perfect, and my progress was not always consistent.

What do you do? Instead of giving yourself a BIG OLE HUG for being the amazing woman you are, and putting in all that work, you decide to give yourself a B!TCH SLAP. You go all medieval on yourself, open up a can of whoop A$$, and forget you ever did anything right in your entire life.

You punish yourself by saying:

• I will give up all sugar!
• I will avoid all bread!
• I will spend 2 hours at the gym instead of 1!
• I will never, EVER rest!!!

Does that sound like you?

Let’s turn that around. You see, I am not only a health coach, but I am also a lifelong confidence coach. Even at my highest weight of 280 pounds, I never told myself I was fat, or stupid, or lazy. Well, maybe the lazy part…

After talking with so many health coaching clients, the most common theme is they simply don’t believe in themselves. In fact, that is the sole reason I name my paid coaching sessions, “Celebrate Sessions“. I not only want to celebrate YOU, but also enable you to celebrate YOURSELF.

In honor of my upcoming birthday this November, I would like to give you 15 reasons to celebrate BEFORE you lose ANY weight.

1. You stopped sitting on the fence by choosing a program that works for you (still undecided? Let’s talk)
2. You recognize the importance of improving your health
3. You aren’t fooled by weight loss products or infomercials
4. You are ready to invest in the greatest wealth– your health
5. You aren’t waiting for approval from anyone else (i.e., partner, mother, manager, neighbor, dog…)
6. You realize that extreme approaches don’t yield long-term results
7. You are ready to get clearer skin by drinking more water
8. You want to increase energy by exercising instead of loading up on caffeine
9. You don’t eat whatever crap is convenient- because you hate how you feel after
10. You want to have more fun in the kitchen by exploring new or re-imagined recipes
11. Your kids will follow your lead when it comes to healthy habits
12. Your kids hear every word you say about yourself (and may repeat it)
13. Your kids aren’t getting enough exercise, and prefer spending more time with you
14. Your partner wants you to be happy and will support your path to get there
15. Your health is more than just a chore- it is a choice

Those are celebrations you can have today and every day. Celebrations that acknowledge your determination, your strength, your commitment, and your desires.

As I turn one year older, I can’t help but look back at the various birthday celebrations I’ve had. The most important moments were never about the presents. The most important moments were always about the support of the friends and family who were celebrating with me.

I want you to have that. In fact, I am offering a week-long Birthday Bash (starts on Halloween!) in my brand-new free Facebook group, Weight no More. This group is friendly to both LOSERS and MAINTAINERS, and offers daily themes with real, practical tips you can implement day by day.

If you join me in this group, you have the opportunity to win prizes all next week to improve your health. Some of these prizes include The Art of Weight Maintenance, the Hot for the Holidays challenge, and even a starter pack of Release health coaching.

I want to celebrate my birthday with you. Won’t you join me in Weight no More?