How to Figure Out Your Number One Weight Loss Mistake (+ Fix It)

I feel like I’ve always gone back and forth with my weight loss.

I’ll do good for a couple of weeks or months, and then slip right back into old habits.

I’ve never been someone who was really overweight, but since I became a teenager, my body has fluctuated between being skinny and having a little too much extra weight.

But in my journey to actually settling down into a healthy lifestyle (not dieting), I’ve found that there’s one thing that’s really hurt my progress.

Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” And he was right. So I decided to examine what kept me fluctuating, and this is what I realized.

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In This Article:

• My Biggest Personal Weight Loss Mistake
• Why It’s So Important to Know Your Weakness
• Creating Your Own Action Plan

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My Biggest Personal Weight Loss Mistake

I found that I had this “It’s not a big deal” mentality.

I would be on my way to losing a healthy amount of weight each week, making sure to not overeat, taking in healthy foods, and splurging once in awhile. But then… something would happen.

I would make a tasty (but not so healthy) dinner or go to an event and tell myself “it’s not that big of a deal if I over-indulge this time.” 

And then it would snowball.

The next day I’d say the same thing as I had not one but two overly creamy coffees. Or I decided to have that leftover dinner for lunch, instead of something tasty but healthy.

And pretty soon, I was back in my old habits, ruining my progress, going back to my original size, and feeling hopeless.

Why It’s So Important to Know Your Weakness

If you’re not examining why you’re doing something, then you’ll keep falling back into those same old patterns.

Also, I feel that it’s important to note that you can’t just examine and understand what you’re doing wrong.

It can be easy to think “Hey, I figured it out! Now that I know what it is, I’ve solved the problem and it won’t happen again.” But the truth is, unless you make an action plan (even if it’s a simple one), you’ll keep falling right back into that same mindset.

Also, make sure that you don’t compromise, because those bad beliefs are what keep you constantly going back. They make it seem like it’s not that big of a deal. So you need to be vigilant in watching out for them and not making exceptions. Because when an exception is made, it’s game over. 

Creating Your Own Action Plan

Take some time to figure out what’s keeping your from reaching your weight loss goals. Figure out what mindsets or habits are having you give up on your progress.

And to do this, take a piece of paper and either a.) Think about what went wrong during the times you backslid and/or b.) keep a notepad with you to write down what thoughts go through your head (or habits you have) when you do backslide.

Then create your action plan.

What would be the best course of action to stick to your weight loss goals?

These actions could be:

• Changing the old mindset for a new one. So for example, instead of saying, “It’s not a big deal if I over-indulge this one time.” Say, “I can have some, but I’m going to stick to my plan and not overeat. And later on, I’m gonna feel a lot better about myself.”
• Eating half now and bringing the rest home for later. That way you’re not over-indulging in that not-so-healthy treat now or later. You have the proper portions for today and tomorrow (and you have something to look forward to as well).

And I know that these things might seem simple to you, but I promise you that they do work.

It’s the small things now that lead to bigger results later on. And the longer you hold onto these new actions, pretty soon they’ll turn into a healthy lifestyle.

You won’t have to think about it, it’ll just be something you do.