Our lifestyle, aside from nutrition and fitness, plays such an essential role in our ability to plan our path to weight loss. In order to set successful, long-term goals, we cannot ignore all the other lifestyle factors that come into play. Whenever I work with a client this is where we START! We start with lifestyle! Why? Because I could give the best fitness and nutrition plans around, but if you can’t stick to them because they don’t fit with your lifestyle then what is the point? It doesn’t matter how amazing your regime is if it doesn’t allow you to live your life!

 

It is essential to look at how your lifestyle is impacting your weight loss goals if you are to make a successful plan for life! So what kind of things impact your weight loss?

 

Mental health:

 

If you suffer with depression, anxiety and stress then these are all going to directly affect your ability to be consistent. Perhaps you are too tired to get out of bed, maybe you don’t have the emotional strength to make good decisions because you are so exhausted and overwhelmed. If you are feeling horrible then having the energy to put into eating better and exercising is beyond you at this moment in time. If you become aware of these factors then you can make your plan to fit!

 

Instead of starting something that becomes impossible for you, starting small and just taking on what you can manage will go a LONG way towards your goals.

 

As I always say, start where you are with what you’ve got!

 

Hectic, busy family life:

 

If this is you then starting a plan that requires too much of your time is going to get difficult. If you don’t have time to eat, let alone cook and workouts are beyond you then its time to plan for what you CAN do. Maybe you seek out healthier ready meals, make better takeaway options or try to walk some places where you would normally drive. There is always somewhere to start and if you want to lose weight then start to make small changes.

 

Illness and injury:

 

If you are on medication for an illness or you don’t feel good a lot of the time then there are still things you can do towards your weight loss goal. Focusing on your nutrition (with professional guidance) will be a great place to begin. You don’t have to do everything at once.

 

If you have an injury then there is always a way to work around it. If you want to work out but you aren’t taking any steps towards that then seeking the advice of your doctor, a physiotherapist and having just one or two sessions with a certified referrals trainer will mean you are working towards being able to work out in the future! These are small steps in the right direction.

 

Financial restrictions:

 

You don’t need to spend a fortune on expensive ingredients to eat healthily. There are lots of ways you can get a balanced diet without stocking up on random and rare ingredients. The great thing is these days you don’t need an expensive gym membership. You can get a great workout anywhere, even at home! You don’t even need equipment! If this is you and you are strapped for cash then the workouts you should be looking for are bodyweight workouts.

 

Unsupportive family and friends:

 

If your husband and kids don’t want to eat your healthy food it can be really disheartening. If you friends keep inviting you out to party and it keeps throwing you off then this is something you need to plan around. If you KNOW these are issues then its time to come up with some simple solutions to find your way to deal with them. If you don’t then this lifestyle factor will keep coming back to haunt you. What can you do to make this situation better for you? What can you say to help them understand why this is important to you? What steps can you take to change this?

 

Sleep problems:

 

If you aren’t getting enough proper sleep, and tiredness is throwing you off your game then this is an issue worth addressing. Actively starting to get to the bottom of your sleep issues will help give you some control back. Try one thing! At least you know you are doing something about it.

 

You hate healthy food and exercise:

 

Getting to the bottom of this issue is the only way you are going to be able to achieve your goals. Instead of starting a diet, it is time to learn why you have a bad relationship with food and exercise and address that so you can move into your future with a lifestyle that you like! There is no point forcing foods that you don’t like so planning your diet around foods that you DO like is going to be really powerful! There is always a way to make your current diet healthier. Repairing your relationship with exercise and finding something you like to do is going to go along way to helping you plan your healthy future!

 

These are just a few of the most common issues that I come across and it is amazing how much easier your healthy journey becomes if you acknowledge your issue, deal with it head on and start to remove the barriers that they create. Our lifestyles are always going to have an impact on our weight loss. We can’t just take lifestyle out of the nutrition and fitness equation. Learning to identify the barriers and deal with them step by step will help you to be more consistent in your goals.

 

What can you do today to identify your lifestyle barrier and deal with it?

 

I have created a printable workbook to help you identify and deal with your barriers that can be found in The Full-Bodied Evolution Members Club!

 

As always, drop me comment below, plus don’t forget to join my private Facebook Group if you haven’t done so already……and remember The Full-Bodied Evolution Members Club has a wealth of materials and a growing community of like-minded people to help you on your weight loss journey! Plus, you can always find me on both Instagram and Pinterest for more lifestyle food and fitness tips!

….and don’t forget to listen to The Full-Bodied Evolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!