PERFECTION: Will ruin your weight loss goals

Do you ever remember seeing a cartoon or a comedy sketch where they dangle an enticing treat in front of someone…. Trying to get them to catch it….. but knowing they never will.

It’s pretty cruel when you think about it.

Dangling some ideal in front of someone, knowing they’re never going to reach it. It’s the carrot and stick approach.

But they’ll almost send themselves crazy trying to reach it.

Now replace that carrot with the word, the idea, the concept of “Perfection”

That everything you do must be perfect.

It has to be perfect.

Nothing less will do.

It is so easy for you to fall into this thinking when you’re trying to lose weight.

“My diet has to be perfect, absolutely no junk food, all healthy stuff from now on”
“I have to exercise every day.”
“I will always go to bed at 10pm and sleep 8 hours”
“Urgh Christ, I’m never drinking again…That’s it for me”

And you go about giving yourself The. Most. Perfect. Routine. In. The. World. Ever.

For about 1 week.

Some blip or situation happens.

Then it slowly falls apart and you feel crap and give up the next week.

 This is why aiming for perfection is never going to be a good idea.

I was listening to a podcast the other day where someone worked with Miss Fitness USA. You’d think she’d be perfect all the time.

Nope. She admitted to never being perfect and messing up all the time. If she’s not perfect then why are telling yourself you have to be?

Instead of aiming for perfection, work on being ‘good enough’

Your eating doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be good enough to get you results.

Your exercise doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be good enough to get you results.

Your drinking, sleeping, general activity, lifestyle doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be good enough to help you get the results you want.

So drop this idea of being perfect. Instead look at what you can do that’s good enough to get results and work on your ability to get on with that overall plan. When you hit some blips, handle them and keep moving on.