Whether or not you set New Year’s Resolutions (NYR’s), here’s what you can learn about weight loss from Adele. I don’t know about you, but I’m a fan of Adele. So naturally, I recently watched the special concert Adele did which had her interview with Oprah (I’m also a huge fan of hers) interspersed in between songs.
One of the things that caught my attention was when Oprah asked Adele how she lost 60 pounds. Now, it’s no secret that Oprah has contended with weight loss issues for several decades, and I feel for her. For her struggles not only with the weight loss and gain. For the judgment from herself and others, the happy/disappointed roller coaster, and the attention and energy it took from her.
So I can see why it would be top of mind for Oprah to ask about. But the really incredibly telling aspect was Adele’s answer!
There is no secret, no magic pill.
Adele revealed that her success in losing weight was a direct result of her impending divorce. She needed something to do, so she wouldn’t be alone all the time. She needed somewhere to go to keep her mind off her personal troubles. Adele spoke of initially meeting her trainer at the gym and later hiking and going out to enjoy nature. Meeting with her trainer and having regularly scheduled activities became a normal part of her life.
Adele didn’t have a weight loss goal. No bench press goal. No competition to look forward to. Her goal was just getting to the gym to meet her trainer. When Adele told Oprah she bench presses 180 pounds, I about fell out of my chair! She also said she started with 10 pounds (just like everyone else).
Allowing the process to take place naturally.
I’ve written about setting NYR’s and ditching NYR’s. I’ve written about being happy with who you are right now and setting health-related goals instead of weight loss-related goals. But I just love what Adele said so much!
Take all that pressure off of yourself and just go to the gym. Do it as just something you do. You’re probably thinking, WTF, I already have a million things to do! Which is why it’s so hard to get to the gym. But before you shut this down, think about this…
I recently read an article claiming that in life we can’t have everything at once when it comes to our top three important things. (Most experts would say don’t focus on more than three things.) But this article was saying you can only (maybe) do two things well.
When it comes down to it, most of us have some combination of work, family, and the stuff that makes life “fun” – movies, exercise, friends, etc. The article proposed we could only choose two at any given time, and that the third would “suffer”.
That was unacceptable to me!
My work is important to me, it gives me a purpose in life. My family is an essential part of my life. So that leaves friends, health, and everything else as the thing I neglect right? Wrong.
With all that I’ve been through, and maybe you’ve had health issues too, physical activity is simply non-negotiable. I have to take care of myself so that I can show up like I need to and want to for the people I choose to have in my life. It also helps me with mental health.
And you can do the same.
What if… the gym wasn’t something you do to lose weight, but the place you meet up with a dear friend to spend time together? The gym became a family outing – something you do with your children as a way to teach them self-care? The gym was a source of friendly competition with friends or a significant other?
If you can’t get a trainer as Adele did, commit to going with a friend for accountability. Set your sights on how many times you go per week as opposed to the number of pounds shed on the scale.
Many people want to write a book but are intimidated by calling themselves an author or writer. As soon as they do, the ideas evaporate. The advice I’ve read is don’t be a writer, be a person who writes. In other words, sit at the computer and write jibberish if nothing else comes, but sit down and write.
That’s what I’ll end with here. Don’t be a bodybuilder or the biggest loser. Just get to the gym. Be a person who goes to the gym. Don’t be a runner, just be a person who runs. The rest will work itself out.
