Your mindset is key when making any types of changes to your lifestyle and a healthy, balanced weight loss mindset is crucial to weight loss success. While we’re shifting weight on the outside, its just as important to be working on the inside. There are many things that you can do to create a positive mindset and lose weight in a happy, balanced and healthy way.
Set realistic goals and include goals not related to your weight
Research shows that starting with unrealistic expectations leads to abandoning of efforts. Starting with realistic and achievable goals is important to keep you motivated. Losing weight may be the
result but it should not be your only goal. Setting non-weight related goals helps you to see the bigger picture, you’re less likely to become fixated on your weight and helps you to see all your successes and reflect on what is truly important to you.
Take the focus off the scales and focus on how you feel instead
It’s so important to focus on yourself as a whole person – you are so much more than your weight. Take note of all your successes which can range from increased energy, increased fruit and vegetable intake or being more active. These are the things that truly make a difference to your wellbeing and should be celebrated! Weight is also very subjective and doesn’t account for changes in bone and muscle mass and other factors such as fluid balance and hormones. So remember the scales don’t always reflect your progress.
Don’t compare yourself to others
Everyone is on their own personal journey and it’s important not to compare your progress with others. They say that ‘comparison is the thief of joy’, so focus on your own goals and achievements. This helps you to see yourself in a more positive way and become grateful for what you can do and what you have achieved, rather than all of the things you don’t have, can’t do or achieve.
If you’re spending a lot of time on social media do a review and unfollow any pages that don’t make you feel good about yourself, or make you feel less worthy.
Pages displaying unrealistic ideals of what you should look like can increase negative mood states and be demotivating. Instead, follow a range of pages, about travel, nature or other interests that inspire you.
Avoid creating rules – forget about ‘good’ & ‘bad’ foods
Giving yourself strict rules to follow only leads you to want to do something even more! If you tell yourself chocolate is ‘bad’ and you can’t eat it at all, it’s likely you’ll spend a lot of time thinking about chocolate!
Give yourself permission to eat all foods and remember that balanced sustainable eating is the key to long term success.
Be kind to yourself – talk to yourself like you would to a friend
Would you ever say some of the things you say to yourself to your loved ones? Treat yourself with respect and speak gently and kindly by using positive affirmations and positive language.
Reframe negative thoughts into more positive constructive ones like “I’m doing the best I can” or “I’m making progress”.
Also try to stop discussions about extreme diets, bodies, fat, flaws and appearance. Being preoccupied with bodies and appearance can be harmful to your own body image and lead to you feeling dissatisfied. Make a pact with family and friends that you have more important things to talk
about.
Most importantly remember that weight loss is a work in progress. It’s about small sustainable changes over time rather than extremes, so give yourself the time and patience to work on things.
