What’s a Weight Loss Athlete?

Athletes can either be good, great or exceptional. The same is true for people who lose weight.

I have trained many athletes and have studied what it is about them that makes some succeed more than others. I have compared the behaviour of good, great and exceptional athletes to those people who are good, great and exceptional at losing weight. I believe that they demonstrate the same qualities in order to achieve what they want. They share the same frame of mind, attitude, habits and outlook.

GOOD

Good athletes, often motivated by fear and pressure, complain and moan – it never seems to be going their way. They may achieve some success but it’s often short-lived and disappointment soon sets in. Despite their failings, good athletes are reluctant to change or take on board new ideas and rarely recognise their own weaknesses. We often see good athletes repeating the same mistakes over and over again without progressing in the right direction – it’s a classic sign that they stick to what they know in the hope that things might work out.

‘Yo yo’ dieter – a typical Good Weight Loss Athlete. They do achieve some success, albeit through gritted teeth, but it’s never an enjoyable experience and they often fall back into the trap of bad habits. People who are good at losing weight are often motivated to start a new diet by seeing a ‘bad’ photo of themselves, or finding their favourite jeans don’t fit. They feel bad about themselves and throw themselves into their new regime. A life of restriction and unhappiness means that they do well temporarily but they soon go back to what they were doing before. Weaknesses are never addressed and negative feelings are comforted by food.

GREAT

Great athletes want to be the best, they want the ultimate success. They focus on this goal and only this goal – it’s all about the end result. They do have talent and winning is enjoyable to them but the process of getting there is not.

People who are great at losing weight are really motivated to achieve their goal, whether it’s being slim for a holiday or losing weight for their wedding. But it’s tough, and once they’ve reached their target it’s easy for them to slip back into old habits. The process is difficult and un-enjoyable. Great Weight Loss Athletes tend to overdo things, from training too hard to eating too little, which has a detrimental effect on how they feel. Once they achieve their goal they often put the weight back on again – not such a bad thing, as they know they can lose it again!

EXCEPTIONAL

The only way to be an exceptional athlete, apart from having great talent, is to love your sport. Having a passion for what you do drives you to do well. It becomes part of you, second nature. Winning is a welcome part of it, but the ‘doing’ is what it’s all about. Exceptional athletes focus on what they do well, what they love doing and, despite some setbacks, will continue to do well.

Exceptional Weight Loss Athletes don’t see adopting a new lifestyle and changing from old unhealthy habits as a hardship. They want to change, they want to do things differently and embrace the process wholeheartedly. They enjoy their new lifestyle, relish the challenge and, most importantly, bounce back from difficulties.

People who are exceptional at losing weight and keeping it off don’t find it a chore, it’s who they are; they’re relaxed about it, it’s become their way of life. They feel good and they enjoy it. Tough triggers, that for others may lead to failure, are nipped in the bud before they have the power to question their success.

Click here to listen to the Exceptional Weight Loss Athlete podcast