3 Phases of Weight Loss: #1. Gain
Something that keeps coming up in conversation is weight loss and the process. If you think that moving a little and eating ‘well’, you will lose weight, then you are halfway there. Essentially, this is true, but once you dive into the details of weight loss, apart from exercise and food, the journey is unique to everyone which can encompass mindset, self-care, relationships or environmental shifts.
I keep a safe space where I don’t blame, shame or judge anyone who wants to talk to me about anything health related. I believe honesty is the best policy and pride myself on being me while we talk. Talking helps to promote knowledge. It illustrates what we know, what we think we know and can even highlight what we don’t know or (my favourite one) don’t know what it is that we don’t know. Confused? I’ll simplify.
I have been through the process of weight loss. It is not always easy or fun, but it is worth it. I believe that weight loss is simple, not easy. It is a straight line; however, we tend to overcomplicate the line most of the time. Lately, in discussions that I’ve had, I have had to define the process of weight loss more and more to explain how each phase can impact your life. The more I have researched, read and talked about this, I believe it something worth writing about.
The Three Phases of weight loss are 1. Gain 2. Loss and 3. Maintain.
In each phase, there are different stages that you go through and the different stages that you may have to overcome. I will discuss each phase in more depth. I have broken this down into 3 blogs which I will share. Today, I’m going to dive into the details of the stages during the Gain Phase.
Weight Loss In General
To me, weight loss is about tweaking our habits in ways that work for us to reach our ideal weight. There are different tweaks that I believe necessary for each of the phases and in turn each stage as well. For instance, you cannot go back to the habits you had during the Gain Phase after you lost weight in the Loss Phase. If you want to maintain your newly lost weight, you have to find a happy medium or what I call balance which summarises the Maintain Phase.
Balance, to me, is understanding the good and bad, it is enjoying high energy days along with rest days, massive workout sessions and easy breezy movement, healthy meals and meals containing ‘sometimes’ foods. To define sometimes food, I think of sometimes foods as treats that you don’t eat every day. Balance, to me, is no starvation or deprivation. Balance is all about moderation. Finding your balance is part of the journey.
I focus on a balanced lifestyle. I believe a little good and bad is always necessary. Should there be equal amounts of good and bad? Probably not, but you will have your own amounts of each so that you can live a happy and healthy lifestyle. Weight loss is about finding what works for you and that balance that will work for you, so you are not overwhelmed or frustrated.
Weight loss is simple, and it doesn’t have to be daunting, and you don’t have to feel inadequate or overwhelmed. I know, I have been there.
To me, the Gain Phase happens when you are less mindful about your choices when it comes to eating, drinking, socialising and relaxing. These are the ‘unhealthier’ habits that you fall back into when you are cruising through life. You then have to undertake changes through better choices to enter into and to get through the Loss Phase. There are more dramatic changes from Gain Phase to Loss Phase. Then you tweak your habits from the Loss Phase to enter into and be consistent in the Maintain Phase. In the Maintain Phase, you find what per cent of good and bad, your balance, you need to sustain your ideal weight.
As a mentor, people want to know the secrets of weight loss; it seems like everyone wants a magic pill. Sorry not sorry, there is no pill. I try my best to explain that the expectation for weight loss should be like what it is like in the Gain Phase. The Gain Phase is quite gradual, so you have to be mindful that the Loss Phase will be as well.
There is, however, something that can help, knowledge. And I believe, knowledge is power. Knowledge is the key that helped me. Understanding what you are going through, where you are at and what needs to come next is the best way to take action. Action or change is what gets results with the right information.
After all this, I want to dive into the stages of the Gain Phase.
Gain Phase
Let’s be honest. If you want to lose weight, it is because you gained weight and you are not feeling the best about the way you look and feel. Weight gain can be for many different reasons such as sickness, stress, change in eating habits, change in environment (work, a move or different seasons) or change in your mindset.
The four different stages in the Gain Phase are as follows: Ignoring the Problem Stage, The Holy Sh*t Stage, The Denial Stage and of course, The Acceptance Stage. I’ll now explain these stages more.
1. Ignoring the problem Stage
The Ignoring The Problem Stage is when you are assuming you are eating healthy and being healthy, but the weight is creeping on. Maybe your exercise has fallen flat, or you keep treating yourself to drinks out or to your favourite restaurant a bit more frequently than you want to acknowledge.
During this stage, you know and feel amazing, but you don’t realise that you are enjoying a few more ‘treat’ or ‘cheat’ meals than before. This is the time where you think you are managing your weight by watching your food consumption, but you don’t actively watch it.
You are not actively checking in with the scale, looking in the mirror as much or taking notice of your measurements because life is full. The Ignoring The Problem Stage can last a lot longer than most stages because you are so blissfully unaware of what you are actually doing to your beautiful self.
The Ignoring the Problem stage happens, but it is no reason to get frustrated with yourself. There are tells. Once you know your tells, simple check-in reminders can keep you from staying in the Gain Phase. Fluctuation can happen, and it is how much you are comfortable with fluctuation is the main question to whether you will be in this stage or not.
2. The Holy Sh*t Stage
The Holy Sh*t Stage is when you realise that your favourite jeans or dress doesn’t fit you like it did yesterday. This stage hits hard like being slammed up against a wall by someone walking full speed past you while you are in their way. Essentially, this stage knocks your socks off.
You are starting to feel a bit different, possibly a little down, and wonder what the heck has been happening. You are questioning your choices in your moments of shock — a bit of self-doubt or a moment of being insecure starts to become present when getting dressed.
This stage can be made of fleeting moments when you are in shock, and then you tell yourself you will do better and it passes until the next shock and awe happens.
Something bigger happens during this stage as well. You see yourself naked in a full-length mirror or have a picture of yourself taken, and you don’t recognise yourself. Alternatively, it is when you go out and do an activity that used to be easy, but you are puffed and not as strong as you once were. It is when you noticed a backward movement in some area.
This stage can stop you in your tracks and make you retreat within. Sometimes during this stage, you will choose not to go out and be social anymore because the holy sh*t hits you hard.
Please do not get stuck in this stage. You know that even if you get to this stage; your family and friends love you for being you. You need to keep loving you as well. Tells are essential in this phase so that you don’t get bogged down in a negative shock and awe headspace.
3. The Denial Stage
No one likes The Holy Sh*t Stage, so The Denial Stage is imminent. This stage is where you will retreat within and forget about the holy sh*t stage for a little while. If you ignore the problem, the problem will not exist – AHH but it will!
The Denial Stage is when you go to buy new clothes but try on the same size is what you already have because you just can’t be any bigger. You are bummed out, and you treat yourself to something delicious because well if you have gained weight, one more treat won’t hurt.
In this is the stage where even though you know you have gained weight you are still choosing to do the same things you were doing while you were gaining weight but hoping you will start to lose weight instead.
Sometimes in this stage, you can become down at night when your headspace and negative self-talk overcome you about the choices you made during the day. This negativity can loom in and take over your headspace in this stage.
Essentially, you are ignoring yourself which means you are getting very frustrated with yourself.
This stage can last as long as you want it to last. The longer it continues, the harder it is for you. This stage is where you can get very stuck – in your head. Make sure you do things to stay out of your head such as journal, write, read or meditate.
4. Acceptance Stage
The Acceptance Stage is where you are getting past The Denial Stage. You accept that you have gained weight, you accept that you put on extra weight or you accept you may want to do something about it.
You are over being frustrated with yourself, and you know you need to take action and make changes. You know when you are ready and commit to taking action.
The Acceptance Stage is when your mindset at night is frustration overload, and you decide enough is enough, and it is time for a change.
Acceptance is an active stage. The active part means that you are mentally preparing to change. This Acceptance Stage blurs very quickly with the Loss Phase.
Weight loss is simple, and we tend to over complicate it. Three keys to having a successful weight loss journey are nutrition knowledge, consistency and accountability. If you are interested in getting out of the Gain Phase and into the Loss Phase, click the link below to book in your complimentary Weight Loss Breakthrough Session below.
