Losing a significant amount of weight has definitely stirred up a lot of feelings in me.  In some ways, I’m even slightly uncomfortable at the idea of getting under 200 lbs – because it hasn’t been part of my reality in a very long time.  I’m in my weight comfort zone right now (mid 200’s)… and it’s the scariest place to be in because it is so comfortable.

 I was journaling & I realized that I actually do a lot of things to keep myself in my comfort zone (in regards to my weight and my life)… and I wanted to share a few of them with you.

Perfectionism
When I want to do something I have to get all my ducks in a row… everything has to be set up just so – so that when I actually start whatever it is – it will be perfect.  Problem with this is that nothing will ever be perfectly set up, and I’ve just bought myself time to get bored with whatever it is and to come up with excuses as to why it won’t work. 

All In
The opposite side of perfectionism is going ALL IN right away!  I’ve done this many times with weight loss… I want to lose weight – so I buy a bunch of workout clothes, a cute water bottle, and a new pair of sneakers.  I get rid of any food in my house that is remotely unhealthy… it’s lean protein and veggies for me all day every day! And I join a gym and wake up at 4:30 every morning and workout for an hour or more every day.  After a month I’m burned out and all diet and exercise have gone out the window. I’ve learned that baby steps are much more effective than big steps. Tackling one thing at a time with a plan to do more allows me to stick with things for the long-haul.

Excuses
I talked about this in my blog last week… excuses are just lies you tell yourself to keep you in your comfort zone.  They have never done me any favors, and I try to recognize when I’m making excuses so that I can flip the script. Easier said than done, but I’m working on it!

Fear of Failure
This is a big one for me!  I’ve had some major failures in my life and they have been embarrassing.  So embarrassing that I actually have a severe fear of failure and rejection – to the point that it’s often easier not to try.  If I don’t try, I don’t fail. This, more than anything, keeps me in my comfort zone. With my weight, my job, my life…

I’m not a complete lost cause though!  I have done some really scary, awesome things that are WAY outside my comfort zone.  For example – I quit my job and traveled around Europe with a friend for 5 months… and I moved to San Francisco without having a job, a place to live or knowing a single soul.  They were completely terrifying, but they were also the best things I’ve ever done. When I get too stuck in my comfort zone – I like to remind myself that I have it in me live boldly and that when I do life rewards me in wonderful ways.

 Here’s to living boldly and pushing outside of our comfort zones!

~C