DO your comfort zone and your fears stop you from doing the things which are important to you – including reaching your weight loss goals? Last week I presented our Slimpod clinical trial results to an international health conference in Dubai and it helped me to overcome one of my biggest fears – public speaking.
A few years ago I would NEVER EVER have dreamt I would be brave enough to step out of my comfort zone like this. Up until March 2020 I had never even done a Facebook live – that’s how bad my fear of “not being good enough” was.
However, when Covid hit us it was so important to me to support our Slimpodders so I took a deep breath and dived in! And same thing happened when I was invited to speak in Dubai.
I knew I had be there because it’s very important to me so I went all in and faced my fears. I’ve now started to learn that the magic is on the other side of my comfort zone, when fears are faced and overcome.
Speaking at this important conference felt so wonderful and it will definitely go down as one of the major achievements of my life.
But I know there are so many fears and anxieties around losing weight which affect so many people and they can really keep you stuck.
These can be anything from fear of failure and fear of self-sabotage to fear of being judged when you’re in a gym and also, believe it or not, fear of success.
There are so many negative emotions surrounding our individual weight loss journeys and they DO hold us back from succeeding. But we CAN smash through our mental boundaries. We CAN do it!
This is why I thought I’d share my experience in the hope it might inspire you to push your boundaries, too, and overcome weight loss fears.
All fear banished: Me at the lectern in Dubai
So many people hate what they see in the mirror every day and it often paralyses them into inaction. They become stuck.
Here’s the thing. If fears are really stopping you right now, you can cave either into the fear or you can be strong and get past it.
The greatest battles in life are between fear and freedom. Either fear wins or freedom wins.
How many times have you run away from something uncomfortable rather than looking past it for the possibilities, potential and freedom?
Yes, fear hijacks your brain – it’s called fight or flight. But what if the next time you were confronted with the fear you stayed strong – what’s the worst that could happen?
Make a decision now to stop letting your fears win.
You don’t have to be a slave to these rubbish thoughts. You can be free and overcome weight loss fears.
This all comes down to one moment in time when we interrupt the fear and activate our freedom by choosing to think and feel differently.
Think about your biggest goal. Why haven’t you accomplished it yet? If you’re like most people, the answer is basic: fear. Fear is the limiting factor stopping you from working toward what you want.
Receiving my certificate of appreciation from the organiser
Fear distracts us and leads to excuses – but it doesn’t have to. Learning how to overcome fear is one of the most liberating pursuits you can undertake.
It’s easy to pretend fear isn’t influencing you and to make excuses as to why you haven’t achieved what you’re capable of. Instead of turning your back and hiding from it, treat fear as a cue to take action, not an excuse.
Look at your goal. If you let fear chase you away from achieving it, then you’ve effectively given in.
Yes, it’s about choice! We all have a choice. We don’t have to be held hostage by our own minds!
Make decisions and choices that will take you forward into believing and trusting new things but ultimately believe and trust in yourself.
All you need to do is know it’s possible. Don’t let your fears define who you are.
As we get older, facing our fears can become more complicated.
Fear is a basic human emotion designed to motivate us to avoid danger but your subconscious mind’s interpretation of danger can often be totally different to reality. Challenge those fears!
So your task this week is to think about whether fear of failure is rearing its ugly head right now and confront it. Overcome weight loss fears!
DON’T let them win this time.
Five simple ways to really overcome weight loss fears
ONE: Identify your fears
What is it you’re afraid of? Sit quietly for a few minutes and study your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. Write down what comes up, and be as specific as you can.
TWO: Lean into the fear
Rather than avoiding fear, which is the normal reaction, lean into it. View the fear as a piece of information for you to act on instead of a threat to your survival. Use anxiety to your advantage.
THREE: Kick out the excuses
Excuses will ultimately leave you feeling unfulfilled. Recognise when you are using excuses and figure out how to overcome them. Too tired? Adjust life so you can get a better night’s sleep. Not enough time? Assess your priorities and find out where you can make time. And the next time an excuse comes to you, make the decision to not give in to the little voice telling you “No,” because it won’t help you grow in the long run.
FOUR: Develop a growth mindset
When you’re afraid, the fear holds you back. So you need to develop a growth mindset. This is not about being perfect – no one is ever perfect all the time – so stop striving for that. It’s about getting comfortable with what you don’t know and continuing anyway. As soon as you’ve accepted that the path to success includes growth and change, you’ll be one step closer to attaining your goals.
FIVE: Accept that you’ll fail sometimes
Failure is often a better teacher than success. If you accept that failure is an inevitable part of success, it reduces the fear. Failure can provide you with valuable learning experiences. Everyone fails – it’s about using failure in a positive way
More quick tips to overcome weight loss fears
** Be realistic about what you want to achieve in the short term. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals.
** Take one day at a time.
** Set small tasks you can achieve within the day – baby things
** Accept there will be challenges along the way. If you’re ready for the bumps in the road, it will prepare you for success!
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15 thoughts on “Overcome weight loss fears that are holding you back”
Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you very much Sandra. What really sets Slimpod apart is that you always talk from your personal experiences. Your recent experience of public speaking in an international health conference and the learning outcome of tackling your biggest obstacle of public speaking is incredibly inspiring and invaluable. Thank you for sharing them in this blog and reminding us to believe in ourselves and to face fear rather than give in to the fear of failure. Wishing you the very best.
I’ll second all of this, a valuable and indeed excellent read.
Hi Sandra, I’m finding the program really helpful and interesting. I listen to the pod every night
Very well done Sandra. but I have to say however hard (and I’m getting upset typing this) I try my inner self always says, Mavis, you are never going to lose weight!! I battle hard to overcome it but i can’t get through this. However it is lovely to see it happening to other people. Sorry I won’t be able to join in this Friday as our lovely family are taking us away for a long weekend as we continue to celebrate our 60th. wedding anniversary. You see I have so many reasons to lose weight but at the back of my mind a voice says don’t even think about it…However I will NOT give up.
Thankyou for your wise words.
I am listening and reading but find it strange not to be writing down my food and activity. Allowing things to ust evolve is a bit scary!
Great read, Thank you.
Love this, thank you. Very timely in my journey, just what I needed to hear this morning.
Thank you for this blog Sandra, it was illuminating in so many ways, and for me resonated beyond the fear of weight loss. I relate to your fear of public speaking and want to congratulate you, I wouldn’t have realised that you have a history of being fearful of public/live speaking as you come across as, and are, the consummate professional. Thank you for divulging this information and for helping everyone in the Slimpod and the wider community for sharing your work. YOU and your team are making a positive difference to so many lives x
I’m just starting my second month with Slimpod and can honestly say it’s been great, I’d one or two or three days that I fell off the wagon but feel no pressure as I’m not weighing myself, got back on track and am going all guns blazing, I listen to my pods at night and love Trevor’s voice,seriously this is such a positive experience and recommend to anyone who listens to me.❤️❤️
Face the Fear (and do it anyway) by Susan Jeffries used to be the go-to book about self confidence
Hi Sandra, as a Slimpod member I have come to the realization that what Slimpod offers is so much more than a weight loss program. I truly believe that because the approach you take is so holistic it has a profound impact on our mental health not just our physical well being. Thank you ?
Thank you Sandra
You’ve made me realise what is holding me back and I am now going to lean into my fears and learn from my mistakes and take things one day at a time
I am 12 weeks into the programme and I have lost weight, not sure how much as I haven’t weighed myself, my sabotaging mind is telling me I am kidding myself, I have realised I have never actually passed 12 weeks in the past of sticking to a healthy/diet plan, it’s hard to break the cycle, so your message of not being fearful is encouraging – I went food rogue last weekend, so it’s not failure, it’s feedback, it’s my mind saying “give up now” well I am not, I am getting back on track and joining extra, as I realise I haven’t cracked this, I still need Slimpod, it’s going to be a long journey but I am committed. Thank you for all the support!
You are so right Sandra. when you are overweight it does hold you back and you feel people are judging how you look. Thank you.