Are you thinking about losing weight?
Are you struggling to lose weight?
Are you struggling to maintain your weight loss?
Do you find that dieting alone does not work?
Perhaps are you struggling to keep motivated?
- Change Your Goals …
- Gravitating to positivity …
- Rethink Rewards and Punishments …
- Take a Breath …
- Throw Out the Calendar …
- Identify Your ‘Trouble Thoughts …
- Don’t Step on the Scale …
- Talk to Yourself Like You Would a Friend. …
- Forget the Whole ‘Foods Are Good or Bad’ Mentality…
- Focus on Attainability …
Even though research shows that if you get your mindset right, positive results will follow. So, when you stop and think actually it is common sense! A clear and right purpose and intention are needed to make that shift.
With my experience added to this, EVERY diet and weight-loss strategy has its pros and cons, but for any one of these to truly work its magic, you’ve got to get yourself in the right mindset.
Shifting your mindset on how to lose weight is the biggest factor in losing weight can’t shift your weight from the outside without realizing the correct inner resolve and intention.”
The majority of the people try to lose weight with the worst state of mind. They are just wanting to “fix” themselves but not really preparing themselves mentally for when they go into their diets. They simply jump into diets and exercise plans out of self-deprecation, all the while pinching their “trouble” spots, calling themselves “fat” and feeling altogether not enough. They get obsessed with what’s on the scales, comparisons, results, focusing on quick fixes and in return, they are completely losing sight of sustainability and even more importantly their health.
This type of thinking can be destructive. Rather than focusing on the good that can come of weight loss – such as better health, a longer life, more enjoyment in everyday activities, and the prevention of diabetes and heart disease – these folks focus on negative thoughts. Ultimately, a negative mindset leads to failure.”
Yes, shifting your attitude around weight loss isn’t just about feeling good; it’s about results. In fact, the more dissatisfied women are with their bodies, the more likely they are to avoid exercise, or they may go to the extreme causing more damage to their health and mind.
According to research published in 3015 in the International Journal of Obesity, simply thinking that you’re overweight predicts future weight gain, While psychologists stress that how you see yourself and your core identity predicts your actions (see yourself as overweight, averse to exercise, or unworthy, and you’ll act accordingly), biology
may also play a role.
We know that the stress hormone cortisol, which your adrenal glands secrete every time you get down on yourself or worry about how you measure up on the scale, increases the distribution of fat around the abdomen.
Fortunately, the mind is a flexible but incredibly powerful thing. Here I want to share with you 10 things you can consider, to help you change your mindset and make your weight-loss approach healthier, happier, and much more effective:
- Change Your Goals
Losing weight might be a result, but it shouldn’t be the goal. Rather, your goals should be small, sustainable things over which you have full control.
Did you eat five servings of fruits and veggies today? Success! Tick! There’s one goal met.
What about eight hours of sleep; did you get them in? If so, Success! Tick! Another goal off your list.
- Gravitating towards Positivity
Surround yourself with positive people. Yes, doing this provides you with an encouraging, emotionally healthy environment in which to invest in yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or support. Helps with accountability too.
- Rethink Rewards and Punishments
Don’t be so Hard on Yourself! Keep in mind that making healthy choices is a way of practicing self-care. Remember??? Food is not a reward, and exercise is not a punishment. Hand in hand they are both ways of caring for your body and helping you feel your best. You deserve both.
- Take a Breath
Taking a few minutes at the beginning of your workout, or even at the beginning of your day, to slow down and simply focus on the act of breathing can help you set your intentions, connect with your body and even lower your body’s stress response.
Lie on your back with your legs extended and place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold for two and then exhale through your mouth fully releasing all the air. This helps to fill your lungs with cleaner air and help relax and clear the mind even better.
- Throw Out the Calendar
Don’t get too obsessive with time and calendar as this does not help your mindset. Patience is so important when you are losing weight in a healthy and sustainable matter, if you focus on meeting truly actionable goals. No need to get wrapped up in a timeline of goals ahead. Think of the fact that each 24 hours comes with new successes so focus on that.
- Identify Your ‘Trouble Thoughts and Self-Talk
Identify your thoughts and self-talk that get you into trouble; instead, work on changing your mind to stop and change those negative thoughts and self-talk to more positive fulfilling thoughts and self-talk. Perhaps it’s your internal dialogue when you look into the mirror or cravings when you get stressed. Consciously make them stop by saying ‘stop’ ‘I’m awesome ‘I value and love who I am,’ out loud. This might sound ridiculous, but that simple action will break your chain of thought and allow you the opportunity to introduce a new, healthier one. A good technique is to count down from 100 as many times as you need to until the destructive thoughts subside.
- Step away from the Scale
While the scale isn’t intrinsically bad, a lot of us have learned to associate it with self-destructive thoughts and actions. We can become obsessive with this which then affects our mindset negatively if the results are not happening to our expectations. The fact is that if you, don’t even bother stepping on the scale until you get to a place in which the number on the scale doesn’t define your worth! This is such an empowering position to be in.
- Talk to Yourself Like You
Would to a Friend
When it comes to ideals of beauty and body image, we are incredibly hard on ourselves. Give yourself a break! As those values/ principles, we adopt for ourselves are punishing. Would you ever hold your friends or loved ones to those standards? Of course not! You’d be far more caring and kinder to them. So why can’t you apply it to yourself? You are AMAZING and deserve the same respect and compassion as anyone else. So, treat yourself like it.
- Forget the Whole ‘Foods Are Good or Bad’ Mentality
Somewhere along the line, we’ve learned to feel either proud or guilty about every food choice we make. But it’s just food, and you shouldn’t have to feel guilty about wanting the occasional cookies and chocolates. Give yourself permission to have a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate or cake. Everything within proportion is allowed, except if it is something that you cannot have due to server medical reasons.
- Focus on the Attainability
If you have never done something before then don’t set your expectations too high. Set goals that are small and attainable. That is the key to success.
If you have never stepped into a gym before, your goal shouldn’t be doing 30 minutes straight out on an elliptic machine or lifting 30kg in one go. A much more productive goal would be to do a 20-minute walk or lift 5/10kg instead.
If you want to cook more but have little experience with healthy recipes or are strapped for time, don’t expect yourself to craft new healthy recipes every night after work. Perhaps consider using a delivery service that provides you with pre-portioned ingredients and recipes. Or simply just eat a much more-smaller portion than you normally do. Research shows that the portion size of your main meal should not be more than the size of a fist. Start where you are and build from there.
***Stay tuned for my next upcoming blog and video post on Proven Ways to Optimise Your Mental Health by following 5 simple steps…
Author of ‘Start Each Day With Affirmations & Empowering Questions
My mission is ‘To Empower Your Mind To Achieve The Life You Desire- by helping you find & forge your path’