Why should you stop making plans?

I spend a fair bit of time talking about the benefits of planning: planning your meals, scheduling your snacks, ring-fencing time for self care… Knowing what you’re going to do ahead of time saves brain space, time and hassle. Yes, the actual planning can take a little while, but it should definitely make things easier. It means priorities (ie you) don’t get overlooked and helps systems to run more smoothly. As for supporting weight loss, planning can reduce unexpected snaccidents, help you to maximise the calories available to you and to make sure that you are nourishing your body.

So yes, planning is vital for successful, happier, healthier weight loss.

Except…

Today I’m going to go against all of that and suggest that you don’t make any plans.

Give plans the day off

Yep, no goal, no regular commitment, no programme.

If you’re in the middle of your weight loss journey, or you’re picking it up again after a break, it can help to dial things down. When life is super busy, those extra plans can feel like a task too far. Losing weight is already a stressor for the body, so if the overwhelm is building, step back. Nothing bad will happen if you stop making plans for a day or two. It just means you can find some breathing space and go with the flow for a while.

Choose one thing

Instead of worrying that you haven’t planned this week’s meals, or that you can’t find time to get your steps in, choose one good thing for your diet or weight loss efforts today. That’s it. Never mind tomorrow, we’re not embarking on any dramatic lifestyle change here. It’s simply a no-strings, no pressure, no follow-up action that will make you feel good.

How about:

• a quick bike ride because it’s fun
• 5 tomatoes with your lunch
• 10 squats while your coffee cools down
• breaking into a jog for 100m of your dog walk
• eating a banana
• having a healthy, protein-heavy breakfast
• an extra glass of water – right now!
• one less sugar in your tea
• stand in your garden, silently for 5 minutes
• stretch

I really rate these.

Each one will do you good. None of them comes with any obligation or agenda. You don’t have to repeat it, you can do it and move on. Of course, you might find you enjoy your choice so much that it becomes part of your routine, that’s up to you. The main thing is that you are showing yourself some love in a simple way. No fuss, no drama. Hopefully even some fun. There are loads of possibilities, each individual to you. (Find some more fab ideas here).

The only given is that you just need to do it ONCE.

And yes, maybe you enjoy it enough to do it again another time, but by taking the pressure off, it’s much easier to do something new, be pleased with yourself then move on.

Back to the planning

I’d still recommend keeping some degree of planning in your life. The opposite could be chaos, and no-one wants that, least of all if you’re trying to lose weight sensibly. When the storm has passed, hop back on the planning pony and keep those routines going. The weekly meal plan, the scheduled movement, the decent bedtime, the afternoon snack or ever-present water bottle. Plans and routines make life simpler. But when you need a day off, go back to basics and choose to do just one thing to show you haven’t forgotten yourself amongst everything else.

Feel like the planning is all a bit much? Book a Clarity Coaching Session and we can put a plan together that works perfectly for you, ready to start straight after the call!