DAY 21: 5 Reasons Why the Right Directions Got the Wrong Result

Do you know it took the Israelites 40 years to go on a trip that should have taken 11 days? Sadly, they had to learn the very long and hard way to trust God, listen to His direction and do what He said before they could reach the promised land. Sadly, many people are going in circles like the Israelites, wandering around aimlessly looking for more (or better) information instead of just applying what they have already been told. Here is some encouragement for anyone who feels like they are doing everything right but still going in weight loss circles (AKA: a plateau).

Listen, it’s easier to shoot the messenger than take responsibility for our part. Like the Israelites, the message can be right but our own ability to follow directions properly, get impatient, or trust the process can cause us to give up. Here are a few scenarios you can learn from so you don’t have to be stuck in the weight-loss wilderness and finally get to the promised land.

5 Reasons Why the Right Message Got the Wrong Result

1. Maybe you heard wrong.

OK, so maybe you heard the truth, but you interpreted it incorrectly. Make it a mission to not just hear but fully understand diet and fitness. Also, be willing to be wrong. Many times we experience a plateau because we never heard what was actually said because it didn’t fit what we expected to hear. Sometimes success requires us to abandon all prior experience, failures and thoughts so you can start fresh.

2. You didn’t follow the instructions.

Some people quit a fitness program or diet plan simply because they didn’t follow the instructions. You have to be honest with yourself when you find yourself going in weight-loss circles. Did you follow the instructions to a T – 100% of the time? Did you follow the instructions long enough to get the results you wanted? Chances are, the instructions were right, but they weren’t followed correctly. We can never get 100% results without 100% compliance. Otherwise, round and round we go.

3. It wasn’t the right timing.

I can’t explain why someone tries something a million times and suddenly it works, but maybe they just weren’t fully ready. Unfortunately, some people are not quite miserable enough to embrace a real change. It is so easy for our priorities to be out of order and put other things before our health until we realize just how much of a priority our health really is. Sometimes it is just bad timing with too much opposition whether it is stress, relationships or a busy season at work. There are plenty of reasons why people may not be able to be all in emotionally but timing is everything.

4. Circumstances got in the way.

Life happens. We get in survival mode and abandon things that are important. The first things to go seem to be our health or even going to church, when those should remain priorities even through the tough times – especially through the tough times. If something got in the way last time you tried to succeed, forget about it. Forgive yourself and just start fresh. Even if you have to start over a million times, never give up.

5. You weren’t a believer.

 Not every trainer or fitness enthusiast is on target. Just like there are some “false prophets” and pastors who are off track, there are fitness leaders who don’t speak the truth too. If the message you’ve been told sounds too good to be true, maybe you need to check your source.

In the spiritual world, we check someone’s teaching against the Bible to make sure it lines up or does not contradict scripture. For fitness, we should check it against text books and people who are well educated.

The same way your faith can’t depend on someone else’s knowledge or experience (it has to be your own), your health and fitness can’t solely depend on other people’s knowledge. It’s up to you to get the education and experience you need to make better choices too. However, even if you are told the truth, it is really impossible to do it if you don’t believe it so be sure to follow fitness leaders you fully trust so you can confidently follow their lead.

In summary, it is impossible to fix a problem you don’t have. Success requires honesty, perseverance, accountability and the ability to accept the fact we may be wrong. You can break the vicious weight-loss circle with some good old self-examination and reevaluation. Plateaus can be broken as long as you don’t let them break you.

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Scripture of the Day:

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

Mantra of the Day:

There is no magic pill. There are no shortcuts. The sooner you apply what you already know, the sooner you will get results. You aren’t just putting off the work, you are putting off the reward. – Bonnie Pfiester

30 Days of Motivation