Dear Pamela,
I am completely over dieting. I have tried everything, Keto, gluten free, Paleo, becoming vegan, fasting. Nothing works.
Whenever I start one of these, I stay on track for a short period of time, get some results, something happens to throws me off, and I gain everything back.
The worst part is, I feel like I a victim with no control, and I hate that.
I love taking Zumba classes, but in the last year I have gained 14 pounds and my joints are always aching.
I don’t want to be one of those ladies who can only take water aerobics. I want to dance!
I feel like there is no way I will ever succeed at maintaining my weight especially now that I am going into menopause. What can I do?
Sincerely,
Tried Everything
Dear Tried,
I see a lot of Hope here.
Your Diet-Optimism is fueled by HOPE
You know the fantasy I’m talking about. You envision yourself food-prepping and exercising so well, you are almost giddy at the idea of how changed you life is about to be.
You study up, stock up, and clear your calendar to give yourself an excellent start.
When something goes wrong, you fall back into more comfortable patterns. You will try again when things calm down.
Eliminate ambition overload
Have you heard that old adage about eating an elephant one bite at a time?
Changing too many things can be like trying to eat the elephant all at once.
Imagine if, rather than throwing in the towel on those old complicated diets, you made one simple, lasting improvement each time?
Those little improvements would add up to some great gains in your health over time.
What do all diets have in common?
Almost all of them boil down to some form of this:
- Eat real foods.
- Limit processed, fried, fatty and sugary foods.
- Eat in moderation.
- Increase movement.
Also, when you are attempting a diet you pay ATTENTION and you make choices with INTENTION. For example, handfuls of cereal are less likely to be tossed back without a thought.
Create YOUR plan
You are like a graduate student who has been doing research for years. Time to write your thesis.
Think back and ask:
- What worked well? Or a little?
- What was a struggle? Or road block?
Did eating more veggies at dinner keep you from snacking?
Did you ditch the coffee sweetener?
Did you pack a lunch?
Did fruit help with sweet cravings?
Did you identify a food you love, but tend to overeat?
What small truth is itching in your mind? Listen to it.
Then be ready to make very slow and boring progress. In menopause more than ever, fast doesn’t last, but the health changes above are vital.
Hope, you are a human woman with a beautifully full life and you deserve to Zumba your heart out (I suggest adding Zumba toning for muscle and bone health).
With the HOPE plan in place, you are back in that butterflies-in-the-stomach, exciting realm where your successful new life is just around the corner.
Wishing you persistence and an excellent Zumba playlist,
Coach Pamela
