When starting your weight loss or health and fitness journey, one of the biggest traps is comparing yourself to someone else. This could be an Instagram model or even someone you know personally. Remember, you don’t know the full journey they’ve taken to reach their results — you often only see the end result. In today’s society of instant gratification, this can make you feel like you need results as fast as possible.
Why Comparing Yourself Can Be Dangerous
Attaching your journey to someone else can be mentally challenging due to high expectations. If you don’t reach what the other person has achieved, it can feel like failure. One word I rarely like hearing from clients is “failure.” In reality, there is no failure — only feedback.
Using Others as Motivation
However, using someone else as motivation can be a powerful tool. You can celebrate their achievements and use it as inspiration for your own journey. Set your own goals and give yourself positive feedback for whatever progress you make. For example, if you have a short-term weight loss goal and don’t meet it by your target date, reflect on what you can change moving forward. Taking ownership of your results gives you power.
Your Journey, Your Feedback
This is why it’s called a weight loss or health and fitness journey. Celebrate wins along the way and give yourself feedback when things don’t go as planned. Many people see a missed goal and say, “This didn’t work, I give up.” The key is to learn from it and keep moving forward. During my own nearly 30kg weight loss journey, I succeeded because I gave myself feedback consistently and didn’t give up. The only person you should compare yourself to is yourself — whether it’s weight, measurements, or workout performance.
Goal Setting and Patience
One of my favorite tools with clients is goal setting — both short-term and long-term. This keeps them mentally on track while allowing the physical side to catch up. The secret is patience and consistency. By being consistent in your actions and patient with your progress, you can achieve sustainable results.
