3 Mental Blocks That Impede
Your Weight Loss
And What To Do About Them
Like most people who want to drop those unnecessary pounds, you probably believe in the basic formula of diet and exercise – eat less and exercise more. But there is one thing wrong with this equation of diet and exercise. It sounds as if they are equal partners in your quest for losing weight. They are not.
Diet counts for the vast majority of your efforts (up to 95%); and exercise, although important for many reasons, only counts for a small percentage of your weight loss efforts.
For real and effective weight loss, focus on what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it.
And it takes mental preparation to do that so you lose those pounds successfully because your mental attitude is way more important than you realize.
In one university study on weight loss, subjects lost 5 times more weight than average. What did they do differently than the other subjects? The secret was visualization.
They learned visualization techniques where they envisioned themselves doing the things necessary to reach their weight loss goals. They also visualized the positive impact of reaching that goal would have on their lives.
To help you get into the right mindset to lose weight, you need to be aware of three potential pitfalls:
1) Outsmarting reality.
Be realistic!
Real and effective weight loss takes time so don’t set yourself up for failure even before you even begin. Expect to lose only one (maybe two) pounds per week. Don’t panic or get frustrated with yourself if some weeks you don’t lose any weight. And keep in mind that a person’s weight fluctuates through out the day by a few pounds.
Take baby steps!
Starting small helps you get into and maintain the right mental attitude. You can’t transform your lifestyle in a single day, week, or month. Every week or two, focus on one or two things you can realistically change. For example, rather than drinking soft drinks (diet and otherwise), always keep a water bottle filled up and handy.
Sidestep comparisons!
This is your journey, not someone else’s. Delight in every success, no matter how small. Comparing your journey to some celebrity or social media person can demotivate you. If or when you catch yourself in some type of comparison, think to yourself, “This is my journey, not theirs.”
Give yourself a break!
You are human. You make yourself vulnerable to temptation if you make your diet too restrictive. Being realistic does not mean being perfect. You can enjoy your favorite treat in a smaller portion every once in a while.
2) Feeling isolated.
Seek support!
Seek out online groups on Reddit or Facebook or other platforms. Seeing regular people going through the same journey you are can be encouraging. Reading about their struggles and successes is motivating. Encourage others and posting your own successes and struggles is a great way to get positive feedback and encouragement.
Let’em know!
Let family and friends know you’re serious about losing those pounds. Tell them what kind of help and support you need – emotional support or an encouraging word or two goes a long way. Tell your spouse or partner to knock off any teasing or joking about your new resolve. Also, let you doctor know what your are doing.
Educate yourself!
Go online and watch TED Talks and videos about nutrition, weight loss, body fat, etc. Search for online articles, classes, and information about the various aspect weight loss. The more you know, the more you’ll understand.
3) Thinking you can keep doing the same things
Change is necessary!
Changing your relationship with food is a vital part of permanent weight loss. Most people overestimate how hungry they are actually are (thinking something like, “I could eat a horse!” sets you up for overeating) and underestimate how many calories they are actually eating.
Changing your mental landscape about food influences your eating behaviors!
You don’t need to eat everything on your plate. Notice your eating behaviors when your anxious or stressed. You eat to feed your body, not your emotions.
Set goals!
Again, be realistic. Weight loss is the natural result of doing a number of things well (not perfectly) and consistently over a long period of time. You can do it!