How to Lose Weight With a Mindset Makeover
Everyone has an individual mindset that determines how they will habitually eat and behave. This is why successfully losing weight and keeping it off requires addressing your thought patterns. Deciding to undergo a mindset makeover in an effort to get into shape can be accomplished by continuously following a few simple steps that will transform both your mind and body.
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose to live healthy instead of thin. If you have been overweight for almost all of your life or if you have a parent who is overweight, your obesity could be highly influenced by genetics. This means that while you are capable of maintaining a healthy body weight, being thin is not a realistic expectation.
Embracing the concept of being healthy will give you the opportunity to appreciate your weight loss achievements without comparing it to the results of someone who is able to be significantly thin.
-
2
Evening walks help burn calories while being an enjoyable event. Think of ways to be physically active. Most overweight Americans spend alot of time thinking about what they are going to eat. Thoughts of what snacks, lunches and dinners they are going to enjoy and when, is what outlines their schedule for the day. In order to have a successful mindset makeover for weight loss, you have to start including thoughts of physical activities with thoughts of food.
Each time that you find yourself thinking about what you will have for dinner, follow that thought with what you can do to promote physical fitness. For example, you may think, 'I would like to have a chicken dinner tonight and a bowl of raspberry sherbet. Then, I can enjoy a nice evening walk around the neighborhood.' You're allowing your mind to follow a mental association of eating with an exercise. Remember, to achieve weight loss you have to regularly burn more calories than you consume.
-
-
3
Focus on what makes you happy. "USA Today" interviewed Barbara Becker Holstein, psychologist and "happiness coach," who explained: "It's such a natural tendency to go over bad news or things that haven't worked out, to dramatize the drama we are already experiencing." Holstein states how this consistent thought pattern sabotages an individual's ability to be happy.
When a person who struggles with obesity gives into thoughts of unhappiness, unconsciously they trigger negative emotions such as, depression, guilt and frustration, which leads them to overeat in an attempt to feel better. Just by thinking of whatever makes you happy, you can improve your mood and detour yourself from reaching for an unhealthy snack.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Enjoy your body size. Being healthy looks different on each person, celebrating the body size you are will allow you to appreciate the dedication and effort it took to get there. Even when you've only lost 5 lbs., decide to be content with how your body looks at that stage. This mental encouragement will keep you motivated to continue working towards your ultimate healthy goal.
Have a happiness resource. When thinking happy thoughts isn't good enough to get you out of a negative thought process, have a favorite song or joke on hand. Using an external influence to help focus your mind on positive things is a good way to avoid reaching for food when you are not hungry.
Measure your efforts more than you measure your weight. Sometimes stepping on the scale to see how much weight you've lost can be discouraging. So instead of stepping on the scale to see if your weight loss attempts have been successful, think about all the things you've done to lose weight. If you decide that you've done your best, then celebrate your effort and weigh yourself the next time.
References
- Photo Credit profile of a blond girl looking up image by Galina Barskaya from Fotolia.com walking image by astoria from Fotolia.com
