Is it worth it? 👀

Did you know that one of the characteristics of a successful dieter is that they perceive that the benefits (e.g. feeling leaner, fitter, healthier etc.) outweighs the costs (e.g. the time, effort and money that is put into training and nutrition)?

This feels very apt to talk about these days as we come into Summer (although I’m too sure if Galway gets a Summer, looking out the window here!).

So many of you understand what you need to do to lose weight.

(A calorie deficit)

So where does the struggle come from? Why do I have a successful business that helps women who want to lose weight?

Because they don’t perceive the benefits outweigh the costs.

Yes I can have you shredded for Summer, but it will involve not drinking at all, prepping and weighing all your food and spending your weekends in the gym building muscle.

Worth it?

I don’t think so. Maybe you disagree.

So what do we do? 

We find the right balance for your goals versus your life.

This is why we put such an emphasis on being clear on your values.

Maybe you will sacrifice 1-2 events if it keeps you in a calorie deficit in the long run.

Or perhaps you will prep and eat your lunches in work if it means that you can go out for dinner in the evenings and still be in a deficit.

To use me as an example, I have an exciting shoot for an exciting launch with MyProtein next week.

I found out about this two months ago.

Of course, it would be great to look and feel fit and strong for this shoot.

But at what cost?

I knew I was having my last few weeks in Bali, I was going to Paris and to Portugal for a month, to my cousin’s wedding, and to Galway with friends.

I could have sacrificed some or all of these to be leaner for the shoot.

But for what benefits?

So that people look at the pictures and say “hashtag-goals”?

I’ve had the body that most people would have thought was “goals” but my life wasn’t “goals”.

My purpose now is to help women be more confident in themselves as they are (which, incidentally, usually ends up in some fat loss because they are then eating and training from a place of self-compassion).

This is not easy work, and I can still feel the thoughts creeping in that I might look “too fat” for a “fitness” shoot but when I write that in my journal, I see how irrational it is.

Another tool I like to use is to catastrophise it and think about how I would feel in a worse case scenario…

Imagine people started commenting on the pics saying I had “let myself go” or “she’s been enjoying too much food” etc etc… (that probably will happen tbh).

I remind myself that I am not trying to impress the type of people who would comment that. These people are probably triggered due to years of not being able to accept their own body with a little more weight on it at different times.

So think about that when you are planning your summer around your fitness goals.

Is it worth it?

Only you know what’s right for you.

Thanks for reading,

Siobhan “Happiness is not a size” O’Hagan