Have you ever noticed how overthinking slows you down? You plan, you analyze, you wait for the “perfect” moment. But real change doesn’t come from thinking—it comes from doing more and thinking less.
Action Builds Confidence
You don’t wait until you feel confident to act. You act, and that action builds your confidence. Every time you follow through, you’re proving to yourself that you’re capable. Even the smallest steps count. Take a walk after dinner. Prep a balanced snack. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier. These little actions start to add up, and they’re what shift you from doubting yourself to trusting yourself.
Jennifer, whose story you read earlier this month, discovered this after a holiday season where she felt shaken by comments about her new weight. At first, fear made her want to stop. But by choosing to keep moving forward, even in small ways, she rebuilt her confidence and got back on track.
Stop Waiting For Motivation
If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll change when the motivation shows up, you might be waiting a long time. Motivation comes and goes. Action, on the other hand, is something you control. And once you take action, motivation often follows. Think less about whether you “feel ready” and more about what you can do right now.
Brent, another client story from this month, learned this when he stopped blaming his wife’s desserts for holding him back and started asking for what he needed. That shift into action not only sped up his progress but also helped him grow more confident in his ability to succeed.
Keep It Simple
Change doesn’t have to be dramatic. In fact, the best way to overcome overthinking is to keep things simple. Instead of creating a perfect plan, choose one small step you can repeat consistently. Maybe it’s swapping fruit for dessert a few nights a week or heading to bed a little earlier. Keep it so simple that it feels almost too easy. That’s how you build momentum that lasts.
From Thinking To Doing
As Chapter 18 of my book, Happy Life at a Healthy Weight reminds us, fear and doubt can easily lead to rumination. We spend so much time stewing in “what ifs” that we talk ourselves out of change before we even begin. Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, authors of The Confidence Code, offer a clear antidote: “Do more. Think less.” If you choose not to act, you have little chance of success. But if you choose to act, you may succeed more often than you imagine.
Want to know what’s really getting in your way? Take our free Top Inner Roadblocks to Weight Loss Success Quizto uncover the hidden patterns holding you back and get personalized tools to keep moving forward.
Taking action builds confidence, but what happens when success brings up new fears? Read Why Success Can Feel Scary to learn how to face them and keep moving forward.
Source:
Loughrey K. Happy Life at a Healthy Weight: Creating a Shame Free, Healthy Relationship with Food and Life.Authentic Wellness Publishing Company, LLC; 2024.
Zhana Ivanova
University of Maryland – Nutrition and Food Sciences
Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN is a licensed Nutritionist-Dietitian and a weight loss coach with 30+ years of experience in helping people lose weight and develop healthier relationships with food. She coaches her clients nationwide providing weight loss planning, video check-ins, and more. Schedule your free consultation.