Samara reveals how she stops self-sabotaging and stays on the right track

It’s not uncommon for us to self-sabotage our weight loss. In fact, many of us find ourselves stuck in the habit of eating our emotions, especially in times of stress.

But it doesn’t have to be that way! Samara Rochelle, who has lost 17kg through the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, has some useful tips to stop you from self-sabotaging.

Here’s how she does it….

What does it mean to self-sabotage your weight loss journey?

To self-sabotage is to consciously or unconsciously ruin any, or all, progress that you have made to get yourself closer to reaching your goals.

As parents, one of the easiest ways to get out of looking after ourselves, is to put our kids and partners’ needs ahead of our own.

Though, we may tell ourselves this is a selfless act, we often don’t realise how damaging it can be to our own mental and physical health! And this in turn, can filter down to our little ones.

Samara reveals how she stops self-sabotaging herself

Mum-of-two Samara says anything can derail you, it may be missing a workout and then ‘trying again on Monday’ but then to eat badly ahead of ‘starting again’.

You may then feel worse and start eating junk food. By self-sabotaging, you may be stuck in bad patterns, have a defeatist attitude, have fear of success, make excuses. Others may do this because they don’t feel worthy.

“I know for a fact that I have been through this cycle several times throughout my journey,” says Samara.

“If the above reminds you of conversations you’ve had with yourself, then you may be self-sabotaging your health and fitness goals without even realising it.”

“The good news is, you can stop this behaviour. Awareness is the first step.”

How to stop self-sabotaging

1. Self care – take pride in yourself
2. Set goals
3. Allow time for yourself and your needs
4. Get active
5. Stop procrastinating

“Remember, it is ok to be ‘selfish’ sometimes. Put yourself higher on that priority list and don’t use others as your excuse,” says Samara.

“If you have ever found yourself thinking “I’ll get it done tomorrow”, or “I’ll start again next week” – you, my friend, are procrastinating!”

How to make a change

“Start Now! There is no need to wait for a new day, new week or new month.”

“Give yourself a three hour reset rule – used responsibly of course.”

“Every 3 hours, allow yourself to restart. No need to wait for Monday! If you have had a sneaky treat, don’t write off the rest of your day or week,” says Samara.

“Every 3 hours,  drink a glass of water and make sure your next meal or snack is a smart choice.”

“When it comes to binge watching Netflix, jump on the treadmill, squat it out, or just move your body in some way while you watch. No more Netflix guilt!”

How to stop emotional eating

“You may not even realise it, but there are many occasions we eat for reasons that are not hunger related! It is common for us to turn to food for comfort, in stressful times or boredom and even to reward ourselves.”

“We look for foods that will give us instant satisfaction – all those comfort foods – candy, chocolate, pizza, ice-cream. Eating these treats can make us feel better in the moment, but often worse as the day goes on.”

How can I change it?

“The first step is figuring out what your trigger is. What is it that makes you want to emotionally binge?”

“Find other ways to positively react when these particular emotions come up. You could listen to music, go for a run, put on your favourite feel-good movie, make yourself a calming cup of tea, or call a friend to chat.”

“Another tip is to give yourself a 5-10 minute buffer zone. When you feel you want to stress eat, set a timer on your phone or watch,” says Samara.

“Emotional eating is often an instant craving, that we give into immediately and automatically without thinking. Tell yourself you can wait 5-10 minutes.

“This gives your mind and body a few moments to regroup, and you will often find that once the time has passed, you don’t want to eat it anymore!”

“It’s important to note, you aren’t alone when it comes to self-sabotaging. The key is to understand why you are doing it, and then take the steps to recognise it as it happens.

We all have small setbacks, but these do not mean we have failed!”

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