Hey there reader
So have you ever really thought about why you struggle to lose weight? Of course, we all know that overeating and not moving our bodies is the "scientific" reason, but have you ever thought about how chaos affects your weight loss efforts.
Years ago, I never really thought about the correlation between chaos and weight loss. I figured chaos was just a part of life, especially as a busy working mom, and if I wanted to lose weight, I needed to fit those efforts into my chaotic lifestyle.
I never thought to get my chaos in order first and THEN worry about losing weight.
I didn't know that chaos was one of the main reasons I couldn't stick with eating healthier foods or exercising.
Chaos halting my weight loss efforts wasn't even on my radar even when I started my weight loss journey. I didn't discover this until I started writing about it on Organize Yourself Skinny.
Then I had a lightbulb moment, and I was like, "whoa, meal prep does sooooo much more than help me eat healthier."
Looking back, I can see that the strategies I use to lose weight (and maintain weight loss) also help me control the chaos in my life.
Here's a post I put together that shares everything
I learned that it's one thing to be busy, but quite another to be completely unorganized, chaotic, and overwhelmed.
We might not be able to control the busyness in our lives (kids' schedules, work, emergencies, etc.), but we can control the other things.
We can create an environment that supports our healthy lifestyle instead of one that has us turning back toward old bad habits.
Here's the thing...
When living in chaos, you tend to lean on the habits that help you survive - this is your coping mechanism. No matter how bad that habit is, if you depend on it to get you through the chaos, you go where you're comfortable. This is why it's so hard to create new habits amid chaos.
Is this making sense reader?
Let me back up a little bit. What exactly am I referring to when I talk about chaos?
I'm talking about your hot zones. The moments where you feel completely stressed out, overwhelmed, and make "quick fix" decisions instead of long-term solutions.
Here are some examples.
👉 You wake up in the morning, and there are clothes all over the house, dishes in the sink, dog hair everywhere, and NOTHING is in its place. Instead of prepping food, exercising, or doing anything productive, you feel overwhelmed, so you do nothing...again. For some people, this can go on for decades.
👉 You come home from work, and everyone is screaming for dinner. You have nothing to prepare and no time to cook anything healthy, so you either make pasta and butter or order a pizza....you'll start eating healthier tomorrow.
👉 You plan to go to the gym, but you sleep in and can't find any of your exercise gear, so you don't go....you'll start tomorrow.
👉 You wake up late and have zero time to make lunches. You go to work hungry and head to the drive-thru for breakfast and lunch; you'll start eating healthy tomorrow.
These are just examples, but I'm sure you can see how these chaotic moments can snowball into more significant issues.
Can you also see that you're more likely to make healthier decisions by taking time to control these chaotic "hot-zone" moments?
If you're struggling to lose weight, take a step back and look over your lifestyle.
- Are your "hot-zone" moments sabotaging your weight loss efforts? Is chaos holding you back?
- What will help you take control of the chaos?
Like I said earlier, the weight-loss strategies I use did so much more than help me drop a few pounds. These strategies gave me back my life. Sorry if that sounds dramatic, but it's true.
Meal planning and weekly food prep make healthy food available and remove the stress of "what to eat" during the week. By taking time over the weekend to plan and prep, I can free up much more time during the week. Get my favorite healthy meal prep recipes here.
Keeping a calendar, setting goals, and writing a to-do list help me prioritize, stay productive, and work towards my goals. I don't just wake up and hope for the best. I'm more intentional with my days and time. Check out my post on time-blocking for weight loss.
Prioritizing exercise helps me manage my weight, but it helps me manage and cope better with stress. And I'm able to prioritize exercise because I go to bed at a decent time, have all my exercise gear ready, and carve out time in my schedule. Exercising doesn't just happen; I need to make it happen. Here are my best tips for making exercise a priority.
Having daily routines to keep my house in order reduces stress and increases focus more than I can ever explain. I would've never thought this would play a role in my overall healthy lifestyle - but it certainly does. My favorite weekly routines that don't include food and exercise.
Again, I didn't realize that the strategies I used to lose weight would also help reduce the chaos in my life. But they did. And once the chaos was under control, it became more natural and easier to live a healthier lifestyle.
The last thing I want to mention is that change does not happen overnight. I've been at this for over a decade and still learning new habits to make life better. My advice is to implement 1-2 habits at a time. Don't try to be an expert. If something doesn't work quite right at first, try it again or try something new. Start slow and always keep going.
Have a great week!
Tammy
Organize Yourself Skinny
PS. Did you know that I have an eBook? Actually, an eBook Bundle! This bundle includes the Organize Yourself Skinny eBook and 30-day Workbook. The eBook shares step by step all of habits and routines for prioritizing a healthier lifestyle. The bundle consists of 4 weeks of make-ahead meal plans, exercise plans, and habit challenges. You can check it out here.
No comments:
Post a Comment