If you’ve been thinking about wanting to lose weight, the real question becomes how do you make it permanent this time?

Because, chances are, you’ve lost weight before – it worked – but it didn’t last, and you are looking to figure out a way to achieve healthy permanent weight loss.

The good news is that it’s absolutely possible for you.

It starts with these 5 critical components.

Let’s break them down…

#1 A Better Question

When women go on “diets” the language centers on all the things you lose – happy hour with friends, a nightly glass of wine, ice cream at 10 pm, Starbucks run at 3:30 pm, etc.

From that dieting aspect, this feels really hard, right? You are losing out on stuff you love.

That’s why you have to shift your perspective. The first step is asking yourself this instead…

What are you going to GAIN?

  • Self-esteem and self-love
  • Confidence
  • Courage
  • Boundless Energy

Showing up for yourself in a bigger way because your weight has been holding you back.

Right now, take out a piece of paper or your phone – something to actually write down or track.

Answer this question: what do you believe you’re gaining? Why is it so important?

You need to believe it’s worth it.

What tends to happen is that most diets center around losing weight fast. You like it because it’s quick and it works. But it isn’t permanent.

If you want to develop a plan you can stick to forever, you have to look at what you’re gaining as well as ending the all or nothing approach, so the “losing” part doesn’t feel so overwhelming.

I actually created The 14 Day Kickstart for this reason!

If you’re looking to get your courage back up to try the whole weight loss thing one more time OR you simply want to do it in a gentler way…

In 14 days, discover the key strategies you absolutely need to know if you want to lose weight and keep it off. You’ll receive daily emails, videos, and downloadable handouts to implement the tips every single day.

Learn more about it here: 14 Day Healthy Weight Loss Kickstart

#2 Decode Your Excuses

Still have that paper and pen or phone out? Good, you are going to need it 😉

The next step is to write down your excuses…every excuse or justification or reason you haven’t been able to lose weight in the past.

  • Lack of time
  • Too hard
  • Overwhelm
  • Don’t like it
  • Confusion
  • Good for a bit and then “fall off the wagon.”

What trips you up? You have to identify so you know and then you can move forward. If not, you will keep living them out repeating them, and constantly feel like a failure.

You may be using these excuses as your scapegoat because there is some discomfort when you decide to change your relationship with food and your body.

But discomfort is different from miserable.

This is a crucial distinction. Dieting is miserable and that’s why you end up quitting because of those extremes we mentioned in the last section, but you will hit up against your discomfort or your excuses.

You can’t change what you’re not aware of. So, once you know what those look like for you, now you have the ability to create change.

#3 Take Responsibility

The next part is asking yourself a pretty deep and necessary question…

  • Are you a victim of your circumstance?
  • Are you at the mercy of your limiting beliefs?
  • Are you operating from this position most of the time?

Sometimes, it’s easier to decide that life is happening to you. You are not alone in thinking this, but once you realize that you have more power in your own life than you think, it actually helps you lose weight.

Taking responsibility for your life is more powerful (and way more permanent) than a fad or current diet trend.

When you do this, it directly correlates to the next step…

#4 Create A New Contract

Once you decide to take responsibility for your life and accept that you really do create the reality in which you live, especially when it comes to weight loss, you then have to decide to create a new and better contract with yourself.

Because the body that you are in, you have every power to transform it. But you have to keep those agreements.

North Americans tend to go for the easy way out. It’s not your fault – it’s literally written into every piece of advertising you find – quick, fast, simple, easy are the ultimate buzzwords for marketing.

Instead of searching for that easy way out, go back to the agreements you are making with yourself. That’s why it’s a good idea to write them down so you can always look back and why you are doing this and what you’ve promised yourself.

Don’t let the challenge dictate your terms.

#5 Be Impeccable With Your Word

While you’re doing this, go get a copy of The Four Agreements. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read and something I reference with clients all the time. You won’t regret incorporating it into your weight loss journey.

Because the last step is taken directly from this book…

You need to become absolutely impeccable with your word.

  • How often do you lie to yourself?
  • Make a commitment and not keep it to yourself?
  • Break promises to yourself you would never do to someone else?

How good are you at operating with integrity with yourself? This means do you do what you say you’re gonna do?

If you can become so committed to following through on your word, weight loss gets easy.

What’s hard is getting started or when you don’t feel like doing it because feelings are seductive. In the moment, the feelings feel so real – feel unworthy, too hard, don’t have time, too tired – and it’s easy to let them win out.

When really it’s just a feeling, it isn’t fact. If you can track and recommit, you are now operating in integrity.

[BONUS STEP] Most people who diet to lose weight do massive changes in a short amount of time to get results.

Similar to what I mentioned in the beginning, this doesn’t work. Women already have so much on their plate. To make all these major changes at once leads to overwhelming which leads to quitting.

Instead, make small changes you can do for a long period of time…

  • Get up when you say you’re gonna get up.
  • Eat more veggies on Tuesdays.
  • Go 3 nights a week without wine.
  • Stop snacking after dinner.

Then, add the next step. Then the next and keep going.

You can get more of this in The 14-Day Kickstart.

It really is never too late to go after your goal. Now is the best time, doesn’t matter what that time is and when you’re reading this.

Now is the time.

When you use these 5 steps, you’ll learn to keep going and tweak as you go with true passion and faith to get what you want – and stay that way.