Does Weight Loss Have to be Hard?

**This is one devotional day from Honoring Your Temple Through the Holiday Challenge. The challenge includes 21 days of devotionals, weekly focused challenges, and coaching zoom calls. YOU can join the challenge HERE if you’re interested in losing 5 pounds DURING the holidays!

“The Easiest Way to Lose That Stubborn Belly Fat!”

“Lose 5lbs Overnight!”

“10 ‘No Work’ Workouts”. 

We’ve all seen these types of headlines trying to lure us into the quick and painless.

Unless you’re the type of person that forgets about food, about eating, or about how much your body is working hard… weight loss probably won’t be “easy”.

The question is, does it have to be hard?

I had a client that wanted to get into a routine of eating a shake every day for lunch. The problem was, she hated shakes. Everything about them: yet, each day, she would blend one up, hoping she could “just get used to it for my own good.” Most of the time, she wouldn’t even finish it, and even if she did choke it down, it wasn’t keeping her satisfied. It just led to her eating more throughout the day.

Here is what I told her. 

Yes, she could maybe learn to tolerate a shake. But did she want to tolerate this lifestyle, or did she want to enjoy it?

She realized that she was making weight loss harder than it needed to be. The enemy had deceived her long ago that weight loss is hard. So in her head, doing the most challenging thing meant the way to weight loss.

Not the case, my friends. 

Weight loss is not easy, but it’s not hard, either.

It’s not the weight loss that is easy or hard. It’s how we think about weight loss and the approach we take.

If you start believing you LOVE vegetables and can’t wait to get fresh air on your walk, guess what? 

Those two things will become easier.

How we think determines how we live.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23

Write down EVERYTHING that feels hard about weight loss. 

Then ask yourself these questions about each one:

• What makes them hard?
• Is there anyone in the world that thinks this is easy or less hard? Why do they think this way?
• What would happen if you didn’t do this "hard" thing? What would happen if you did?

Then, share your list with a friend or your spouse. Ask them how you could possibly make some of these easier.

Pray over that list and ask God to show you Truth. 

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

P.S Did God ever say this life was going to be easy? If you need to, go back and review last week's blog post all about the benefits of discomfort.

Could you use some support and accountability to break down the "hard" parts of weight loss?  I help my clients enjoy parts of weight loss so that they build a lifestyle that they love and maintains a healthy weight.  If that's what you need, sign up for a Discovery Call.  Let's start making weight loss easier. Click HERE to pick your time.