When Weight Loss Feels Risky

Bigger decisions in life that will affect our time, energy, money, and overall quality of life, can feel pretty intense, especially at the point of decision. The intensity comes because the results of that decision could have a big impact on our lives. Decisions like pursuing a degree or building a new home are common ones that fit in this category, but did you know we could add 'starting a weight loss journey' right alongside? With these kinds of things we know that they can lead to some really great results and experiences, but that decision to begin can feel really risky!

We're going to look at the topic of risk together, coming at it from a few unique angles beyond what you might think. Don't worry, I'm not just going to tell you, "Take the leap!" or try to convince you that sensing risk means something is worth doing. Those are the typical messages we tend to hear about risk, but there's more to it than that, right? Read along to get a handle on risk and know what to do when you run into it on your journey!

Risk is Normal

Everything in life involves some amount of risk, even the things we consider part of our normal, everyday life like driving a car or taking the first sip of freshly brewed coffee. Obviously the risk levels vary across the board, so risking getting a little burnt by hot coffee is different than the possibility of backing into another car in the parking lot. But risk is a part of normal life, nonetheless.

Taking risks isn’t inherently good or bad, but we do know that there’s no growth, no change, and nothing different happens without encountering some risk. All we can do is look at a choice, consider what we know and don’t know about it, count the potential costs, and weigh the potential benefits against that risk. Once we make the best decision we can, the outcomes have to just play out.

The truth is, outside of a few products out there, the majority of things in life don’t come with a bold and bright “100% guarantee” sticker on them. And interestingly, a guarantee is not really able to influence the actual outcome itself, but it addresses our experience with the outcome (whatever that may be). That's why a product label usually says something like "100% satisfaction guaranteed OR ____." The point is, with or without guarantees, we really can’t know how things will work out until we try!

Different personalities and ways of growing up cause us all to see risk differently. Some people have a really low threshold for risk while other people are tolerant of high levels of risk. Some people decide to take on the risk of climbing Mount Everest while others decide that walking a trail in a local park is risky enough for them. It's not that we need to have capacity for high levels of risk, but we certainly don't want to run at the first sign of risk or uncertainty either. Rather, it's important to be aware of how our perception and assessment of risk influences us.

No Risk, No Reward?

'No risk, no reward,' is a well known saying to us, but it turns out to be pretty true of life, don't you think? As we talked about, risk is normal. All risks are not equal, so when you hear the word 'risk' it could be one that carries potentially heavy costs, lighter costs, or a level of cost lying somewhere in between. Regardless, on the other side of taking a risk is the potential for things to go well. Some of the best outcomes we can experience in life come from saying yes to decisions that feel bigger than we’re comfortable with at the time.

No one could enjoy living in a home that belongs to them if they weren't willing to risk making an offer on one.

No one could receive an academic degree if they didn't risk sending in an application.

No one could have a close friend if they avoided the risk of vulnerability.

No one could create or do anything new without encountering risk.

And no one could experience weight loss without the risk of doing things differently.

The risk level involved is only one part of the equation. It's taking center stage in this blog post so that we can debunk some of the misconceptions and highlight some of the pitfalls that can be avoided. However, when you make decisions about your weight management, don't just think about the potential risks but bring the potential rewards to the forefront as well.

Spend time envisioning what could go well on the other side of your choice to pursue a healthier lifestyle.

When it comes to choices that involve risk, we tend to think most about what will happen if we say 'yes' to taking the risk. We see things like the possible expense and the opportunity for failure, and if we're intentional we'll also see the positive we might gain as well. However, when presented with a choice, there's another side of the coin to consider too! What would happen if you were to say 'no' to that choice?

The funny part is we often completely forget this part of things when making a decision. We tend to look thoroughly at what could go wrong if we said yes, while ignoring what we could miss out on if we said no! Thinking about what it will mean when you say 'no' to a choice can help bring clarity to your decision and bring you a more balanced perception about the choice in front of you.

If you never look at the risks of what can happen if you don't move forward, if you don't do something differently, or if you don't seek out support, you can be fooled into thinking that saying no is always the best answer.

There aren't just risks when you say yes to something; there are inherent risks when you say no as well. In order to make a decision you're confident in, you'll want to consider both sides of the coin, so to speak. Sometimes saying yes is the best, and sometimes saying no is better! There is no consistently right or wrong answer when it comes to decisions that involve risk, but it's important that you look at it from all sides to make the best decision for you.

Ask yourself:

If I say YES to this, what could I lose? What could I gain?

If I say NO to this, what could I lose? What could I gain?

Dealing with Risk & Your Weight Management Journey

Stepping out and saying yes to going on a journey with weight management and improving your health is one of those things that can feel risky. No matter which way you set out on the journey, whether you’re picking your own plan and approach, getting in a support group, trying an app, or working one-on-one with a health professional, it can feel like a big step out of your comfort zone. For most people it's stretching to say yes and begin!

Combine that with the fast pace of things in our technology and convenience driven culture, it can seem like once the decision has been made, the process of losing weight should happen fast. It’s normal to feel a combination of pressure, excitement, hope, nervousness, and even urgency at the outset. Urgency is one of the biggest things to watch out for when it comes to managing risk.

The two elements of risk and urgency are common to run into when you're trying to make impactful changes in your health and they sort of play off each other. Sensing risk can lead to feeling an urgency about it, and then the urgency can feed back into the sensation of risk causing it to feel even bigger. So let's dig into the dynamic so you can avoid that stressful loop and experience more ease on your weight loss journey!

Urgency & Risk

Think about how you feel when you're making a decision, even a fun, low-key decision like picking out a movie at a Redbox. Now think about what it feels like to make that same decision when there's 5 people waiting behind you for their turn. What comes into the equation when you feel like time is limited? Urgency. Even in small, low-risk decisions it can intensify things when you feel you have less time to 'get it right.' Obviously picking a movie isn't life-altering, but the concept holds true for most things.

Urgency increases our perception of risk and generally adds stress. Some urgency cannot be avoided in life, but it's worth mentioning that we live in a culture that thrives on urgency. We're familiar with a fast-paced, convenience and efficiency driven culture down to the small things in life. Seconds after you think of a question, you can have it answered on a search engine or by a device that literally talks back to you. If you decide you want a new product, oftentimes you can have it on your doorstep the very next day, or within hours!

Over time these kinds of things have trained us to expect immediacy, even when it comes to other parts of life as well. In the health space, it's very common to feel a sense of urgency when you arrive at the decision to lose weight.

The urgency you may encounter can come from all kinds of sources- maybe you've been vaguely thinking about your goal to improve your health for a while and then something happened that became "the last straw" for you. Maybe you have a vacation coming up and you feel like that has you on a limited timeframe; maybe you got a report from the doctor that provoked you to pursue change. It's normal to feel urgency come in, but it's not something you want to carry forward. It may seem like a helpful push at first, but when you recognize you're being pushed by urgency that's when you need to stop and take a breath before you move forward.

Urgency amplifies the sense of risk. When you go into something feeling like you're already behind, or that if you make one wrong move you won't reach your goals at all, everything begins to feel like a big risk. Not just what program you choose but it can trickle down to how you eat, what you eat, and what brands you buy. Urgency and risk mixed together can create an unnecessary and uncomfortable intensity about your weight loss journey.

Things can get distorted pretty quickly and the intensity of it all can sabotage your success and take joy and ease out of your journey. And around here at Get RD Nutrition, joy, ease, and simplicity are a high priority! So if you feel urgency come up about your weight loss process, go after it! Stop, take a breath, look at why you feel the urgency and face the expectation you have head on. Don't let urgency steal any peace from your weight loss journey.

Taking Reasonable Risks

Life involves taking risks, and when it comes to your weight management journey, you'll encounter some things that can feel risky too. There's no way to remove all sensation of risk for yourself, but if you'll say no to being pushed by urgency and look at decisions from all angles, you can move forward in confidence even if you don't know *exactly* what will happen next.

Only you know your capacity for stretching out of your comfort zone. So when you step out and take what feels like a risk to you while you're working on making healthy changes, you alone can determine how big of a step you're willing to take. When you want to see change in your life through changing your health, taking those little and/or big risks is what will get you there. Take those reasonable risks!

You alone will ultimately decide what choices you make, but sometimes the key to taking reasonable risks toward improved health is having the right support at your side. I'd encourage you to reach out for support when anything about your weight management journey feels risky. Maybe that support will look like someone with more knowledge or experience giving you the information you need to make an informed choice. Or perhaps support will come in the form of an encouraging voice, when you already know the risk is reasonable, to remind you, "You can do this!"

For now, I'd like to leave you with this last bit of support on the topic. Your weight loss journey doesn't have to feel like running the gauntlet. Yes, there will be unknowns along the way, but you can take reasonable risks with ease when you evaluate your choices from all sides and have support by your side. Fear doesn't have to keep you from stepping out and seeing your health goals met. Remember...

Risk is normal.

Growth involves risk.

You can take reasonable risks toward growth!

Get RD Nutrition is a virtual nutrition counseling practice for residents of North Carolina- offering weight management counseling, right where you are!