Managing Expectations with Lifestyle Changes
I’m not sure about you, but I have completely been in the position where I thought that because I made some adjustment to my life, that I should see immediate results. If it were like that, probably more people would stick with these changes. However, the reality is that change takes time. Weight loss, benefits from healthy eating, mindset adjustments, etc all take time to see the benefits of the work, which is a struggle. Most people want and even expect to see some change or benefit in a short period. This may happen with some of the mindset changes and healthy eating to some extent, but exercise is one of those that it will take time to see noticeable results. Instead of starting and giving up quickly because we don’t think it’s working, we can learn to set our expectations around our work.
Whenever adding a different lifestyle option, I like to think giving it a month is a reasonable timeframe to tell any benefit from consistent work. As much as we want to see and know something is working, it just takes time. Going in with that expectation will help us stay with the work and not get frustrated when we don’t see immediate changes. Don’t expect to lose 10 pounds for an event or summer if you start working out in May. If you’re changing your mindset, expect to backslide and just be patient as you raise your self awareness and adjust your old mindset habits. It’s easy to fall into old habits when you’re changing eating habits. Be observant, no critical of yourself. It’s easy to feel disappointed and think those small things are something bigger.
When making lifestyle changes being mindful and self aware are two of the biggest factors. This helps see objectively where we are struggling and can help us identify opportunities for improvement. These changes can be a bit overwhelming at first.
This leads to the next point- be patient! Change and changing habits takes time! Don’t expect perfection from the get go. You’re going to have setbacks. The key here is to learn. Identify what happened and find ways to work with the problem or obstacle going forward. You had to eat take out because you ran out of time- see if there’s something you could have planned differently. You miss your workout because you felt tired and overwhelmed- feel out if you could have worked out and felt better (I go into some of my workouts feeling blah but I’ve realized it’s not because my body actually needs rest so I keep with my plan) or that your body legitimately needed the rest- if so take it and don’t feel guilty.
Be prepared for the unexpected and try to have plans. It goes without fail that every time you’re trying to make changes, everything seems to happen at once and it’s easy to get derailed without a solid plan in place. Have a meal plan for your healthy meals. Have your workout schedule ready to go and anticipate obstacles. Know your mindset struggles and be ready with how you want to respond in situations. Know what helps you- taking a deep breath or pause, not immediately speaking or responding, there’s several different ways to help your mind make changes.
Be patient, hold yourself accountable, and give yourself time to make lasting changes.
