What is Self-sabotage in Relation to Weight Loss Goals?Â
Sabotaging behaviors are those behaviors that stand in the way of achieving our goals. A person is said to be self-sabotaging when they have negative habits or thought patterns that are preventing them from reaching their goals. You may already know some of your self-sabotaging behaviors, such as drinking, comfort eating, overthinking, etc. But there are probably many other things you do that you don’t know are undermining your efforts.
In other words, self-sabotage means that you are making decisions that compromise your goals and vision. These choices may not appear sabotaging to you, and they might even seem like the best decisions at the time you are making them.
A lot of people don’t know how their self sabotage is preventing them from losing weight. Self sabotage is a key part of weight loss psychology and the cause of many unrealized goals. The issue with self sabotage when it comes to weight loss is that it’s not always easy to figure out.
Weight loss self sabotage does not only occur when you break your diet rules.
It also occurs when you set unrealistic goals and when you fail to praise yourself for your little achievements.
Some Common Self-sabotaging Behaviors
- Negative self-talk (i.e., it’s too hard, I will never be able to do this, etc.)
- Being defensive
- Not being accountable
- Looking for excuses
- Comparing yourself to others
- Considering other people before yourself
- Being around negative people who don’t support your goals
- Overthinking and allowing yourself to get overwhelmed
- Being a night owl and not having adequate sleep
- Looking for people who will tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear
- Staying away from things you’re afraid of
- Trying to be perfect
- Procrastinating
- Shutting down emotionally and withdrawing into yourself
- Not seeking help when you need it
- Concentrating on the outcome instead of the journey
- Being fixated on the scale
- Eliminating certain foods
- Worrying more about where others are at instead of concentrating on your progress
- Gossiping, criticizing, or judging other people (this prevents you from doing necessary things)
- Getting yourself distracted with work or drama
The Link Between Fear and Self-sabotaging Behavior
For many of us, our body weight and health are a part of our identity, which can make the idea of changing them frightening and unsettling. The road to achieving a healthy weight is full of mental obstacles we need to overcome.
Despite our best efforts, a personal psychological barrier can drag us back to our comfort zone, hindering us from reaching our weight goals.
While it’s common for people to experience these negative emotions and fears, the problem arises when we are unaware that they exist. When we know of these mental blocks, it will be easier for us to overcome them and continue on the path toward a healthy lifestyle. Being aware of these feelings will enable us to handle them instead of allowing them to hinder our progress.
Here are some common reasons why a person might be afraid of losing weight:
1. Fear of failure: This is one of the most common reasons for self-sabotaging behaviors. It is usually due to the belief that we don’t deserve to be happy.
2. Fear of being intimate with people: You may also think that shedding weight will make you more attractive to people, which can lead to intimacy problems you’ve been running away from.
3. Fear of loss: Thoughts of leaving your social group, old behaviors, or comforts can also deter you from shedding weight.
4. Fear of change: Fears of your relationships changing or how you feel about yourself changing can make you not want to lose weight.
3 Tips to Stop Self-sabotaging Weight Loss Goals
A lot of us are trapped in cycles of undesirable behaviors because we fail to assess our situation realistically. When we look back to our past, we will have an idea of where the “present” is taking us and choose whether to continue what we are doing or change directions. Below are a few tips to help you stop self-sabotaging when trying to lose weight.
1. Figure Out How You Self-sabotageÂ
Identifying how you are undermining your efforts is the first step in overcoming self-sabotage. If you don’t know the exact things you are doing, you won’t be able to prevent them.
Find out the unhelpful actions you take and the thoughts responsible for them, as those thoughts are the cause of self-sabotage. When you are able to halt the thoughts, then you can put an end to the self-sabotage.
By becoming conscious of your negative habits, you’ve taken the first step to stop self-sabotage when trying to lose weight.
If you don’t know that you are doing something, you will never be able to change it!
- When you eat food, do you do so out of habit or hunger?
- Why do you avoid the gym? Is it because of your hectic schedule or because you feel like there’s no point going there?
- What are the thoughts that caused you to compromise your weight loss the last time it happened?
When you know what those thoughts and behaviors are, it will be easier for you to stop them. For example, if you are eating foods simply because of emotional cravings and not out of hunger, you can take measures to stop the habit.
A good way to achieve this is by journaling all your thoughts and habits during the day and reviewing them in your free time. This will enable you to recognize what’s occurring in your life, so you can avoid weight loss self sabotage before it begins.
2. Watch What You Say to Yourself
Changing your behavior is never enough if you want to overcome self-sabotage. You also need to address the thoughts and feelings that trigger the said behavior. It’s also good to praise yourself, as this can help stop the cycle of negative thinking and allow you to achieve more positive results.
By watching what you say to yourself, you can stop the string of thoughts that lead to your self sabotaging habits.
Negative self-talk, such as “I can’t do it” or “it’s not worth the effort“, sets you up for failure before you even start your weight loss journey.
A positive weight loss mindset can go a long way to bring you success.
So, it’s important to watch what you say to yourself when you self-sabotage. Make a list of all the negative phrases you tell yourself throughout the day. When you identify the negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that result in self-sabotage, you can then start working on how to deal with them.
3. Celebrate Your Wins Instead of Focusing on Losses
What you focus on is what you will replicate.
If you concentrate all your attention on negative things, then they are likely to happen again. But if you celebrate your wins, you’re going to repeat the actions that led to them.
Hence, engage in positive self-talk. This does not mean that you are lying to yourself. It’s a way of showing compassion to yourself and concentrating on your wins and not on what you consider as losses.
You can decide what to concentrate your energy on. If you want to overcome your self-sabotage, focus on the positive things about your health.
Take Away
Weight loss takes a lot of dedication, discipline and hard work. But there are still some little things that, if not addressed, can derail you from your goal path. Self sabotaging is just one of them.
Thankfully, a little awareness, smart work and guidance can greatly help you overcome self sabotaging and achieve your weight loss goals faster.
If you are struggling with your weight loss efforts and looking for reliable guidance and education, our experienced coaches could be your savior. Simply schedule a FREE consultation with us to see how we can help.
