When You’re Feeling Discouraged on Your Weight Loss Journey

Starting a weight loss journey can be hard. Continuing on your weight loss journey without feeling discouraged and quickly giving up is harder. A lot of us have been there. If you’re feeling discouraged on your weight loss journey, I’ve got a message for you…

There are a lot of reasons women have trouble losing weight. And as a Registered Dietitian who works with a lot of women looking to lose weight, I can promise you that I’ve heard and seen ALL the reasons. 

But there is definitely one reason that takes the cake for what I see most often. Time and time again I speak with women that have started their weight loss journey but quickly give up. Why? Because they get discouraged that they aren’t already at their goal weight. Fast forward a couple of weeks and they’ve already given up and are right back where they started- feeling hopeless and confused.

Like I said, a lot of us have been there. But here’s the deal: Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither is the long-term, healthy, sustainable weight loss you’re ~definitely~ capable of achieving!

If you’re feeling discouraged on your weight loss journey, I’ve got some helpful tips (and a little bit of a pep talk tbh) for you to take into consideration!  

When you’re feeling discouraged on your weight loss journey, put the scale away for several weeks!

Throw out scale

I know what you’re probably thinking…”but Laura, how will I know if I’m losing weight or not?”. To that I say…constantly focusing on what you see on the scale can be super discouraging for a lot of women if you hop on and don’t see exactly what you’re hoping for. For some, it can turn into a whole downward spiral resulting in completely giving up! 

INSTEAD, focus on what you CAN control. You’ll be much more pleased with your results and overall wellbeing if you shift your focus to maintaining a good mindset and attitude, staying consistent with your healthy habits and behaviors, and focusing on how you’re FEELING! I mean feeling good is really what it’s all about, right? 

We can’t actually control the number on the scale, so we can’t give so much power to something we don’t really have control over. Taking a break to focus on feeling your absolute best mentally and physically may be exactly what you need to actually see the scale move- or maybe even decide the scale isn’t how you want to be measuring progress in the first place. 

Take some time to reflect on how far you’ve come already!

If you’ve been on your weight loss journey for some time now, chances are you’ve made more progress than you’re giving yourself credit for. You should feel PROUD of the steps you’ve already taken and the challenges you’ve overcome! And again, I’m not only talking about the weight you may have already lost. What about those victories that aren’t related to the scale or your clothing size at all? Maybe it’s your increased energy levels, consistently incorporating more movement into your day, adopting a new nighttime routine to help improve sleep, consuming more fruits and vegetables daily, or whatever it may be!

The more you focus on the short-term goals you once set for yourself that you’ve already achieved, the more motivated and encouraged you’re going to feel to keep going! 

Focus on how far you've come

Focus on how you can enjoy the journey more!

It makes total sense, right? If you aren’t enjoying yourself and you’re feeling discouraged, why would you stick with it?  

It’s as simple as that, enjoying the process plays a huge role in your success and whether or not you continue on your weight loss journey. So, if you aren’t enjoying yourself and you aren’t enjoying the process of what you’re working towards, take some time to reevaluate what you can change to make the process more enjoyable and sustainable.

If you aren’t enjoying the food you’ve been eating, how can you spice things up to keep yourself interested and excited? Look for new recipes, incorporate new snacks, or make a goal to try at least one new food each week! If you aren’t enjoying your workouts, can you pinpoint why that is? If you’ve been pushing yourself really hard lately, try taking a step back and focusing on enjoyable movement-whatever that may look like for you. If you’re bored with your workout routine, try a new class, follow a new plan, or work out with a friend to keep things interesting! 

Hopefully trying out these tips will give you the kick in the butt that you need to jump back in and keep it going! 

But, if you feel like you’re needing professional and individualized help (or a kick in the butt!) on your weight loss journey, head to this page to learn more or to book a free strategy call with me to see if the Busy Gal Nutrition coaching program is right for you.

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