Weight loss is as much of, if not more of a mental challenge than a physical one. While you might not be able to think yourself thin in the literal sense, your thoughts do have a strong influence on your success. Here are 10 thoughts to keep your mind right and help you lose weight.
Today is the Day
You can’t reach your goals if you never start. Tomorrow and Monday are popular days to start diets, but today is just as good as any other. Why not start now?
One of the toughest aspects of a fitness program is simply starting one. Everyone wants to, but not everyone does. Stop thinking about starting one and actually start one. Be a doer. Flip the switch and make your next meal a healthy one. You can do it.
My Friends Will Be a Positive Influence
Surround yourself with people who will pick you up instead of put you down for your lifestyle choices. We are strongly influenced by the people closest to us.
Don’t feel the need to explain your choices to those who don’t support you. Be your own person. You have to live with the consequences of your lifestyle choices. Do what makes you happy. If you’re not happy, the people around you aren’t happy either.
That ______ is OK to Eat in Moderation
Most people hear the word “diet” and they immediately feel deprived. There’s no need to feel this way. You can still eat all the things you love as part of your healthy lifestyle.
As long as 80% of your life is healthy eating mixed in with 20% of “fun” foods, you’re going to be very successful. The problem lies in the lifestyles that are 80% pleasure eating mixed in with 20% healthy eating. Get the ratios right, and you can enjoy just about anything within your caloric limits.
My Weight Will Fluctuate
Weight loss isn’t linear. It does not go from point A to B in a straight line. Successful weight loss is one gigantic zig-zag. This is mostly due to body function variations, one-off lifestyle events, and water weight fluctuations.
Try focusing more on fat loss and body composition. Measuring your progress this way will keep you motivated instead of getting you discouraged over a meaningless number on a scale.
My Health is the Priority
I want to look great, but I understand the ultimate goal is to be healthy. With good health comes a better body. You might have started your weight loss journey for any number of reasons. Maybe it was to have a certain body. Maybe it was to fit into particular clothes.
These goals are fine to have, but eventually you come to realize that you just want to be healthy. With that mindset, you will achieve all the secondary satisfactions and benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
I Need to Have Some Patience
It took a while to put the weight on, it will take a while to take it off. Have a little patience. Your current physique is the culmination of years of lifestyle choices. The good news is that lifestyle choices got you to where you are, and lifestyle choices will get you to where you want to go. Be patient. Be consistent.
I Can Do Anything
If you don’t try, you’ll never succeed. If you want to accomplish your goals you’re going to have to put aside any preconceived notions for why you can’t accomplish them. Can’t is going to have to be erased from your vocabulary.
You’ve already succeeded at many things in your life that others thought were impossible. People lose weight every day. There’s no reason why you can’t – you will.
This Will Only Get Easier
Don’t give up. The hardest part of starting a fitness program is getting a new lifestyle routine established as part of your day to day life. Whether it’s getting past those difficult first couple of weeks of dieting, or it’s getting up a little earlier every day to work out, once you start making fitness a part of your everyday life, what you do – just is.
I Control My Body. My Body Does Not Control Me
This is a little bit of mind over matter. Point being, successful weight loss comes from being in control of your body. During your journey, your body is going to throw everything it has at you in an effort to maintain the status quo.
Physical and mental challenges are going to be forthcoming. The key to remember is that you own your thoughts. You are what you think. Practice self-control and success will follow.
I’ve Already Made it So Far
Looking forward always seems so far away. It can be very discouraging to think that you have to keep doing what you’ve been doing for months or even years. Instead, take a look back at how far you’ve come.
You’re already a different person from all the short-term goals you’ve accomplished. Simply undertaking and making it through a couple of weeks of a new fitness program means you’ve made it farther than the majority of the population. Be proud of yourself, and keep that positivity moving forward.
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I needed to read this one today! Thanks so much
The ‘today is the day’ thought is so important. It’s like people who wait to make a lifestyle change until New Years and end up quitting because they put it off for so long The time is now!
Thanks for the inspiring and informative articles all the time.
I’ve gained about 20 pounds (168cm 76kg-heaviest and then lost weights by 73kg later ) for the last 3 years because of school and work. Now I’ve started to work out since this February and lost 18 pounds and gained more muscles. I have 10 more pounds to go (66.5kg) and try to gain a nice bikini body for this summer!!! 😀 I certainly look better than before and can see the differences of myself in the pictures. However, it is still hard sometimes when I see jiggly thighs, underarm fats and stretch marks. This whole process is more of a mental challenge to me. Hopefully, I can keep this up and not only reach the goal weight and gain more controls in my body and lifestyles.
Love this! So true. I am so hard on myself sometimes and need to relax! I’m going to print this out and put it in my vision book.
Thanks!
“I control my body”!! Yesterday this was my challenge. I’ve lost 10 of 64 lbs so far and yesterday I felt like my body was my enemy! My appetite was raging and my physical activity was not as much as I would have liked. I actually felt my body trying to reach its comfort point again. This is the point that really makes a difference because this is usually when I give up and revert. I refuse to this time, I am aware of it now!! Thanks for all your help along the way. You really help me to be stronger (physically and mentally)!