The Advantages of Not Caring

Tried to lose weight and decided that you just. Don’t. Care. Anymore. You aren’t alone!

Many of us start out with hard core weight loss goals, and stick to a strict eating plan, exercise regularly, and keep our cravings in check for a good couple of weeks, even months… before the inevitable crash and burn.

Maybe it was a stressful day, or someone a birthday cake, or a night eating out. Whatever the trigger was, once you “broke” your diet that one time, everything else went out the window. You decided that it was all too hard, and you went right back to your old eating habits.

Any of this sounding familiar? Well the good news, is that sometimes having an “I don’t care” attitude about weight loss can be a good thing…

You get rid of that feeling of deprivation

Ever told yourself you weren’t allowed to eat chocolate, and then all you wanted was chocolate? The cravings were awful, and you ended up breaking and going for a late night drive to buy some? How about the opposite- ever had a house full of chocolate (like after Easter) and it sat there for weeks and you didn’t want it?

That’s how our brains work with feeling deprived. As soon as we think we can’t have something we want it so much more. By choosing not to list any foods as out of bounds, you remove the cravings. And if you do get a craving, maybe you choose a small portion, enjoy it, and know that you could come back for more any time you wanted.

You take the pressure off yourself

Having insanely high expectations for yourself (and not being able to live up to them) is a form of stress. And stress makes you more likely to overeat, to store more body fat when you do, and to choose sweet/fatty comfort foods in the hopes of feeling better… but then of course you just feel guilty.

Deciding that you aren’t going to put so much pressure on yourself could bring your stress levels down, and mean that you find yourself making healthier choices as a result. Plus, it’s a whole lot better for your health if you aren’t a big ball of tension every day!

You look for fun ways to move instead of the best ways to move

How many of you have found yourself on Google typing in “Workouts to lose weight fast” or “best exercises for fast weight loss” or even “Exercise to lose weight without dieting.” What do all of these have in common? They are going to show up results for high intensity, calorie burning, difficult workouts.

If you are just starting out trying to get fit, these types of workouts are not only going to hurt physically, but put you at risk of injury if you overdo it, and are going to be extremely challenging for you mentally. On the other hand, if you take the “I don’t care” approach, you might be more likely to choose easier workouts that you enjoy… and as a result you are happy to keep doing on a regular basis.

What’s better? A week of being yelled at in a boot camp workout that makes you want to cry… or a year of gentle daily walks along the beach with your significant other/friend, filling each other in on the days events.

Just ease up!

Chances are, it didn’t take you a few months to put on your extra weight, so it’s going to take just as long to get it off. Choosing a gentler approach with yourself, making healthier positive lifestyle choices, and working from a long term perspective feels like a much nicer (and more effective) method.

Of course, if you want to kickstart things we would love to welcome you to one of our weight loss retreats. Find out more here >>