Adjustment does not mean failure
Sometimes things don't click right away and some retuning is needed to dial things in
In my pursuit to minimize the drama of getting back into my healthy habits and lifestyle, one of the major challenges that pop up repeatedly is the need to adjust what I’m doing.
Shouldn’t it just be that I can do a certain set of behaviors and start seeing consistent results? I think that’s fair and not asking for a lot.
The physical element of this shift doesn’t seem to agree with that. That’s where my patience needs to kick in, and that’s still not my best quality. I will say it is developing slowly. Don’t think I can’t see the irony of slow-growing patience.
I haven’t been clinging onto how many days in a row I’ve tracked since deciding to take control once again. (Edited to add: 13 days completed as of this post. I was curious). But in my head, I know I’ve been doing this consistently for a couple of weeks now.
What does that look like?
On the outside, it doesn’t look any different than it did a few weeks ago.
I look the same. The scale isn’t moving much. I’m not weighing in daily—just a few times a week. The number bounces around a lot. It reminds me of one of those movie scenes where a compass spins to find the true north.
The scale certainly doesn’t have a clear direction right now.
I’ve been checking in with my doctor about my Ozempic. Today I will move to the 1.0 dose.
First, I was on .25, then .5. Now we’re jumping to 1.0.
“Am I failing at this? Doing it wrong?” I thought to myself.
I’m unsure if I’m taking enough of a calorie deficit right now. I’ve deliberately been doing this very slowly so I don’t feel restricted and bounce back into unhealthy eating behaviors. So, I continue to exercise patience there.
My doctor has assured me adjustments with this medication are normal until the right dose is found. We meet again in a few weeks to see how I’m doing.
I’m not failing. I’m learning and so is my body. Adjustments mean refining and tuning in to what you need. It does not mean failure.
But, it’s challenging not to think of the number when you want to lose weight. So, lately, I’ve been trying to look at the other areas where things are different.
My energy level is already changing. Even though there are days I feel more tired than I have in a while, I know the physical activity creates that sense of “good tired” instead of just feeling listless.
By not focusing on the calorie count so much and just on the tracking process, I sense a shift in my thinking when making my food choices. The mindless eating habits are starting to fade into the background as quiet chatter instead of screaming in my brain.
That allows me to hear my body’s quiet hunger and emotional cues. That is a new experience for me.
This period of adjustment is going to take a while. I can feel it in my core. For it to mean anything, I have to lean into finding the best options for me in a given moment and not think any action is permanent and “THE one” that will flip the switch to forward progress.
So, we’re moving the dial again and see what I can tune into. Here’s to another week of adjustments and success.