• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Clean & Delicious logo

  • Recipes
  • Video
  • Food For Thought
    • Intuitive Eating
    • Mental Health
    • Nutrition
    • Weight Loss
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work With Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Home » Food For Thought » Weight Loss » Perfectionism + Weight Loss

Perfectionism + Weight Loss

Published: Sep 17, 2015 · Last Modified: September 27, 2019 by Dani

This post may contain affiliate links.

Watch the video HERE!

Here’s what the equation looks like for a perfectionist:

  • Set a goal
  • Make a plan
  • Execute plan
  • Go off the plan (in other word – NOT be perfect)
  • Kick yourself, beat yourself up, feel badly
  • Never get back on the plan because you are exhausted from all the emotional beatings (this is the part where you tell yourself you don’t really care – but you do, your just tired

Clearly this does not and will not work.

Here’s the same equation minus the perfectionism:

  • Set a goal
  • Make a plan
  • Execute plan
  • Go off the plan (in other word – NOT be perfect)
  • Observe, adjust, extend love and patience to yourself
  • Keeping moving forward and reach your goals

Can you see why being a perfectionist does not work?

It’s inevitable that you will at some point go off your plan and being a perfectionist does not leave any room for flexibility.

Remember that plans are ultimately guidelines to help you create a deeper more intimate relationship with you and your body and NOT the end-all-be-all.  We need to maintain flexibility within our plans if we really want to do them for the rest of our lives.

So onward I march with my 2013 goals of being my leanest, strongest, healthiest self continuously reminding myself to check my perfectionist at the door and stay calm, loving, flexible, and patient with myself.

Do you suffer from perfectionism?  And if so what habits/behaviors can you start to practice TODAY to help you reach your fitness and health plans while leaving your perfectionist at the door?

For some more thoughts on this topic, be sure to watch my video HERE.

Weight Loss weight loss

About Dani

Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.

Learn MoreWork With Me

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    February 26, 2013 at 7:59 am

    5 stars
    I have done the same thing to myself for years. Start exercise goal miss a day or two beat self up until I’ve convinced myself I don’t have the time to exercise since I can’t do it all the time. Instead I’ve complimenting myself for the exercising I did do! Now I’ve chosen not to make a plan any more complex then eat healthy as often as possible and workout as often as I can and whatever kind of workout interests me that day. Basically taking one day at a time. If I only have enough time to do a 10 min ab workout or time to do 30-60 min cardio, I do whatever the day allows and compliment myself on doing something!! and not feeling defeated. And there are still days that through the whole workout I’m fighting my brain saying you can’t do this while I’m doing it!! Heck there was a day I worked 17 hours straight came home and did 10 mins of abs and kept my eyes closed the whole time pretending to be sleeping LOL!I’m 24 and I work work work work work so there’s not always alot of time for myself but I make it!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      February 26, 2013 at 9:41 am

      5 stars
      Great points Sarah. It’s so important to compliment ourselves for what we DO do. Our brains love to migrate to the negative so keeping them focused is half the battle;).

      Reply
  2. Tiffany Bastian says

    February 26, 2013 at 9:03 am

    5 stars
    I just went through an episode of this last night. Today is myfresh day. The funny part is when I look around me my not being perfect doesnt matter to anyone..my husband…my kids…family…friends…I know they not perfect either so why is it I feel I have to be?
    I just want to be perfectly happy…

    Reply
  3. Debra Terry says

    February 26, 2013 at 9:10 am

    5 stars
    You give great inspiration Sarah and Dani! We all need to be reminded of that “beating up” thing we do to ourselves. I am going to try and leave my perfectionism at the door the rest of this week. I agree we can find some time in a day to do SOMETHING no matter how busy, even if its 10 minutes. If we do even just a little exercise routine, we feel so much better. I have always liked the saying, “Someone busier than you is working out right now.” LOL. It gets me motivated and back on plan.

    Reply
  4. Helen says

    April 7, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    I agree with Debra. Someone busier than you is working out right now! I was talking to a friend the other day and she said that she had decided to rewrite the saying, A job worth doing is worth doing well, to, A job worth doing is worth doing badly. We can always do better but we will never give ourselves the chance to do better until we start to do something.

    Reply
  5. Laura says

    April 20, 2013 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for this post! I have struggled with perfectionism with losing weight/getting healthy for most of my adult life and have yo-yo’d constantly. I’m actually there right now. Last year at this time, I had lost 50+ lbs and had ran my first ever 5K. Now, here I am, back at the weight I was prior to that and disappointed in myself daily. I know that it’s not right, but I still feel like I have to be perfect. If I “mess up”, then I throw out any plans I have to continue and eat everything in site. It’s the all or nothing mentality, and I don’t know how to not be that way. I desperately desire to have the strength to forgive myself when I eat something I shouldn’t or skip a workout, and then continue on to the goal instead of throwing away all I’ve already worked for. Thank you again for this post. Because of this, I don’t feel alone in this struggle.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m Dani.

I’m a Health, Wellness & Weight Loss Coach, Mom of two, and the Founder of Clean & Delicious®. I’ll show you how to make healthy eating CRAZY-easy and insanely DELICIOUS!

Learn more

Reader Faves

Roasted Shrimp & Green Beans

One Pan Roasted Shrimp and Green Beans

meatloaf muffins in muffin tin

Meatloaf Muffins

Brussels Sprouts + Grapes

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes | Healthy Holiday Side Dish

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats - Clean & Delicious®

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Roasted Rosemary Chicken

Baked Chicken And Potatoes

apple-protein-muffins

Apple Protein Muffins

Seasonal Picks

dairy free mashed potatoes in bowl

Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes

brussels sprouts with bacon and apples

Brussels Sprouts With Bacon and Apples

cornbread stuffing in 9x9 baking dish

Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

healthy skillet cornbread

Healthy Skillet Cornbread Recipe

Artichoke Asparagus and Green Bean Salad

Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes and Feta

My Ebooks

As Featured On

Footer

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe to get new recipes + tips via email plus my BONUS smoothie making guide!

  • Recipes
  • Food For Thought
  • Resources
  • About
  • Work With Me

© 2021 Clean & Delicious. Privacy Policy