5 Ways to Stop Self-Sabotage

I used to feel like I just didn’t have the willpower to stay on plan.

About two years after I’d gotten to my goal weight with Trim Healthy (and several years before I became a coach), I went through a really high-stress period of time that caused some weight gain, then hit a lengthy weight loss stall. I was SO frustrated and discouraged. Later, I developed the stubborn-weight busting tools that I teach in my THM Bootcamp, but initially it felt IMPOSSIBLE.

In the midst of that struggle, I found that I started to go off-plan from time to time. It started small – I remember eating a piece of lasagna at a friend’s house, feeling like I couldn’t tell her no (by the way – there IS a way to overcome that particular situation and stay on plan! If you struggle with this please drop a comment to let me know and I’ll hop on YouTube to chat about it!).

After the lasagna, I decided to have dessert. Then the next day, I was offered nachos and said yes. I managed to wrangle myself back on plan for awhile, but I’d occasionally make those off-plan choices that just weren’t doing me any favors. I felt like I was *mostly* on plan, but really wondered why I wasn’t losing weight.

I like to think that I’m a pretty disciplined person. So for months, it didn’t even really register that I was eating off-plan. Instead, I blamed THM.

“WHY is this not working?” I would think sometimes. And in the midst of an off-plan food choice (or binge) I would think, “It’s not like the plan was working anyway! This one dessert/burger/fries/fill-in-the-blank won’t make a difference.”

Friend, I am here to tell you that it DOES make a difference. And it wasn’t until I got that under control that I started to see exactly how detrimental even the occasional off-plan choice could be!

So how did I overcome this struggle? And how did I not only stop eating off-plan, but then go on to break through that weight loss stall? There were several necessary steps, and I’ll share just a few of them with you today!

One BIG realization I came to was that willpower is NOT dependable. Instead of relying on willpower, I changed my mindset to start focusing on HABITS and putting systems in place that put THM on Autopilot (this is what I teach in my THM Bootcamp). Habits have made THM SO much easier, and willpower isn’t even a factor for me anymore.

1. I started tracking all of my food. Once I started tracking, I had a friend look over my food journals with fresh eyes and tell me where she thought I was going wrong. This was before I became a coach in 2018, and it was SO eye opening!
   
   This is what inspired me to include food journal reviews in my THM Bootcamp. I’m able to review every single thing my Bootcampers eat – you wouldn’t believe how often you might be eating for weight gain instead of for weight loss, even if you are eating completely on plan! But lots of times we find those little things that are adding up to weight gain – tiny choices that my Bootcampers *think* are on-plan, but actually aren’t. Eliminating those completely can make a huge difference!
2. I stocked up on good, on-plan foods…and LOTS of foods that could make super fast THM-friendly dinners. I taught about some of these options in my free THM Made Easy class – fast and super easy THM meals are my specialty!
3. I got support. I started talking to friends and family around me. I told them that I wanted to get healthy, and those gentle nudges from people who loved me made a difference! The online community surrounding THM is so incredibly helpful in this way! Staying accountable is HUGE when it comes to staying on plan! Whether you decide to stay accountable to me as your Certified THM Coach, or to someone around you, Accountability is key for long-term consistency.
4. I made a plan. Having a meal plan is KEY. And if you aren’t someone who wants to follow a meal plan, making meal LISTS (like this one) is a fantastic way to stay on plan!
   
   Knowing what is available for you to eat is huge. If you have a list of ideas handy at all times (including desserts and snacks!) you are WAY more likely to stay on plan.
   
   If you need some meal planning inspiration, I have an Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning on THM here, and some video ideas for adapting other meal plans to work for you and your family here.
5. I made a backup plan. This is a big one! The simple truth is that life simply doesn’t wait for a meal plan. If I plan a whole roasted chicken and veggies for dinner, but then have car trouble…or a doctor’s appointment that ran late…or hit traffic…I used to order a pizza or make macaroni and cheese once it became apparent that the big dinner wouldn’t work out.
   
   Once I was fully on plan again, eating off-plan became unthinkable over time. It’s just not who I am anymore, and I teach my clients the same mindset! When THM meals became my default, instead of that mac and cheese or pizza, I saw the best results I ever had.
   
   Making a rock-solid back up plan for nights when I can’t stick to my original meal plan was a game-changer. My default back-up options are all THM options now, and it feels amazing to know I can stay on plan no matter what!
   
   I use this system for organizing full, shelf-stable meals in my pantry so I always have easy back-up meals ready to go in under 15 minutes.
   I also made backups to my backups. Life can be crazy busy, so I always had another system in place in case my pantry meals didn’t work out! If I was going to be stuck out of the house, I have a car snack bag full of shelf-stable, THM-friendly snacks with me at all times, and a list of go-to simple meals I can make with a rotisserie chicken just in case!
   
   My goal for my clients is to be sure they NEVER feel they need to go off-plan, and I know having some simple strategies in place to make THM meals easier WORKS.

These are just a few key areas I’ve identified – there are quite a few more that make it feel so much easier to stay on plan 100% of the time!

If you feel like you need some help to hit all six of these focus areas to help you avoid self-sabotage, Bootcamp has served over 4,000 women, helping them to get on plan and stay on plan. With hundreds of five star reviews, Bootcamp is called a “game-changer” for a reason!

If you’ve wanted to be completely consistent and finally get results with Trim Healthy, Bootcamp is for you.

Bootcamp will teach you how to structure your THM journey for best results. You’ll learn how to create new, sustainable habits to get on plan, stay on plan, and build momentum to get the best results from THM.

Bootcamp is hosted in a private, online network with daily accountability and support to help you reach your goals. I can’t wait to see you there and work with you personally!

You can click here to learn more.