And change takes time.
That important statement should go without saying; yet it also warrants stating. Because one of the most common and most damaging mistakes people make with lifestyle change and weight management programs is to have unrealistic expectations of the rate of change. Expecting too much, too soon can undermine small, positive changes and detract from the motivation that you need to persist over the long term.
So, the first task for this lesson is to reflect upon the gains you’ve made to-date and to then calculate how substantial these changes will be if you continue making positive progress for another month, six months, a year or another five years? Download this worksheet to help manage realistic expectations.
What you’re being encouraged to contemplate here is whether or not slow and steady wins the race (hint and spoiler – it does!).
But there’s also another common mistake people make when it comes to making changes and it’s that in addition to the rate of change, people often assume a certain ‘smoothness’ of change.
That is, they assume that if they do the right things and work hard and persevere then things will just get better and better and better… like a plane taking off and increasing altitude for ever and ever, amen.
But this is not how change works.
As nice as that might sound, the reality is quite different.
More likely, for most people most of the time, progress will be more like an undulating roller coaster ride, albeit one whose trajectory is (hopefully) mostly in an upwards direction over the long term.
Why is this important to consider?
Because by having realistic expectations one can more easily avoid disappointment and frustration; by noting this and expecting these ups and downs, we’re more likely to be more resilient and persistent.
Your second task for this lesson, then, is to think about change as realistically as you can and especially, to answer the following questions:
- Is it realistic and helpful to assume change will be smooth and easy?
- If not, what is a more realistic expectation of my progress towards my SuperFastDiet goals and my Super Life?
- Given this, what can I say to myself when I’m trending upwards, in a nice and positive way? (Hint: reward and reinforce yourself!)
- And what can I say to myself when I have a setback or make a mistake? (Hint: practice self-compassion: be kind to yourself the way you’d be kind to someone else in a similar situation. And reassure yourself that it’s ok not to be ok at times, and that you can bounce back.)