When you make the decision to lose some weight, it usually goes something like this: You decide what weight you want to be, you make a lifestyle adjustment that will allow you to reach your goal weight and then you….well….just do it. Sure, there may be some setbacks along the way but eventually with hard work and dedication you can expect to get there one day.

But when you do actually reach that magical number on the scales this is often just the start of the journey. The real challenge is staying slim. It’s kind of like the big build up to your wedding day. You’re all excited and you can’t wait to get to that big day….and yet when the day is finally finished and done with you might be left feeling a bit flat. So it is with weight loss. When you finally reach that healthy weight range, you might be left thinking….well what now??

Here’s what my client ‘Dianne’ had this to say about her weight loss journey:

‘Even though I have reached my goal weight I seem to want to lose even more weight. Part of me knows this doesn’t make sense, and my friends agree. They think I look great the way I am. I have worked really hard to get where I am and logically I know it would not be good for me to lose any more weight because that is just unhealthy. Still, another part of me is stuck in a big person’s mindset. It keeps telling me that I am still overweight. So even though I’m wearing size 8 jeans, I still see a fat person in the mirror!’

Many people who have spent years struggling to lose weight and stay slim develop an old outdated picture of their body that’s hard to shake. When they do eventually achieve a healthy weight range they often find that this is not enough; something inside them drives them to keep going. Inside their mind there is a self-punishing part that says: ‘no matter what weight you are, you will NEVER be slim enough’. If we listen to that part we may end up going overboard and losing too much weight. So we have to pay attention to this subconscious part, which in some strange way is trying to help us. We must address its concerns in a logical, rational way.

Reaching you goal is one thing; but if you want to maintain a healthy weight range you need to adjust to the new you. So the next time you look in the mirror, congratulate yourself. You have worked hard and you deserve to enjoy your body. You ARE acceptable just the way you are and you CAN continue to eat healthy food and exercise regularly. If you feel worried that you may become too thin or that you may crack under pressure and put all the weight back on, remember to talk to that little part of you. It is operating on a program based on who you used to be, NOT who you are now. Tell it you understand it is trying to help you. Give it a new role so that it can help you in a much more positive way.

For example, perhaps that part could help you with your self esteem. Maybe it can help you learn no manage your anxiety better. It wants to help you so there is no limit to the number of positive roles you can give it. Whenever you are tempted to criticize your body, understand that it’s just that part trying to help. Refuse to get caught up in those thoughts because they are not real and they are not the totality of who you are. Instead of cracking under pressure, you can choose to examine your thoughts and hold them up to the light. As you do this, you will realize that they are just thoughts; that you don’t have to act on them. You can enjoy being in a healthy weight and love life at the same time. Here’s to your health and happiness.