Do you feel defined by the number on the scale? Have you tried dieting in the past with no success? Or feel judged at the gym or for what you eat? It’s easy to let our weight define who we are, especially in our society, and let our doubts take over. But you can implement real and lasting change when you transform your weight loss mindset, not just your habits and how you look.
The environment we are surrounded with can lead us to indulge in negative self-talk, thoughts of comparison, and unrealistic expectations. Juggling your day-to-day life, losing weight and staying healthy can feel like a tall order, almost impossible to some. But it’s not, and I want to guide you into a mindset that focuses on your health and well-being rather than your external self and self-image.
Weight Loss and Weight Gain
Weight is a common signifier of health and beauty in our society and is highly enforced in our media. The fact that now we have access to these images 24/7, on every type of platform and device, can only be increasing the need to lose weight.
Creating a desire to look perfect no matter what. But how are these images affecting your mindset, your self-image and your weight?
Researchers find that our environment, more sedentary lives, our genes, sleep, stress, and processed foods heavily increase the chances of being overweight (Harvard, 2019)
Stress levels, which are increasing yearly, are a huge influencer of weight gain and weight loss. This stress can be caused by the demands of life and the complete struggle you feel you face towards your weight (Avocadu, 2019).
If you feel like life is a struggle… try our FREE life balance quiz to start your journey to a well-balanced life.
The mindset and view of your body that you hold is so essential in maintaining weight and health.
People who view themselves as overweight, tend to gain weight and are more likely to overeat due to stress (HuffPost, 2015).
It seems like a vicious cycle when work and family life can cause stress, resulting in weight gain. Only to reinforce the negative opinion of yourself and cause more stress, also leading to weight gain. Perhaps you feel like you’re on this hamster wheel going nowhere?
This stress is a result of the imagery we see and the significance of our image in society. If we do not fit the acceptable image, we feel bad about ourselves which can lead to emotional eating, rapid weight loss, and weight regain.
Typically, this generates a highly negative mindset surrounding body image and weight. Attaching negative emotions to our bodies and being desperate for happiness through weight loss. Often, creating conditional limiting beliefs such as ‘I will be happy once I lose this weight’ and making your life a living hell when you don’t achieve this.
This mindset is set on getting fast results from a completely negative place. Dieting then becomes an obsessive activity to get quick results and often leads to failure. Ultimately, this obsession with body image completely overthrows the health benefits of losing weight. The focus is on the outside rather than on the inside.
Weight loss and weight gain can also lead to a multitude of health problems. An example is Tom Hanks being diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes caused by the dramatic weight gains and weight loss that he undertook for many acting roles.
I believe that health is much more important than weight loss itself, physically, mentally and spiritually. Focusing more on wellness and your mindset over weight loss can be the transformation you need.
8 Tips to Shift into a Weight Loss Mindset
From the research and experience that many people have, we know that your mindset is hugely important for weight loss. Your habits, mental state, and beliefs all play a part in your health and wellness.
If losing weight is coming from a place of stress, desperation, or negativity, you are more likely to fail.
Feeling ruled by bad habits, trying to break them is going to seem extremely difficult. If you think losing weight will solve all kinds of problems and improve everything, you may be completely mistaken and disappointed.
Therefore, shifting to a positive weight loss mindset can help you achieve the results you desire. Here are some tips to help you focus on your health, reach your goals and encourage complete wellness.
1. Tracking sensibly
Obsessing over the number on the scale is one way to set yourself up for failure. Too many weigh-ins can put a lot of pressure on your mindset and body when you believe the weight is coming off fast enough.
I can remember my own mother attending Weight Watchers once a week when I was young. This weekly weigh-in meant she almost starved herself the day before and the morning of so that the scale would show a number she was happy with. This isn’t a healthy way to lose weight and start feeling good.
This method gives the scale so much power. The real power lies with you and what you choose to do.
I have a news flash for you… the scale does not dictate your worth. It is just a number that we often give a lot of power to.
Take your power back by focusing on how you feel, rather than what the scale says.
Daily weigh-ins can be extremely helpful for your mindset when you see the overall downward trend. Yes, some days you may go up, and some days you may go down but there are many factors that contribute to your weight. Including, how much water you drank the day before.
Tracking your weight daily gives you a regular reminder of your goal. Helping you to keep your health at the forefront of your mind and make healthier choices.
You won’t lose weight from one day of starvation, you will change your life with consistent, healthy habits and choices.
If you find that stepping on the scale brings on too many negative emotions and pressure, then do not step on it at all. Your weight loss journey can be a positive, healthy experience when you don’t rely on the scale.
If you are someone who likes to track progress but your weight on the scale impacts your mindset, perhaps focus on different measurements. For example, tracking your sleep, blood pressure, and cholesterol or even doing monthly fitness tests to track your progress.
As long as you are encouraging positive, natural progress through your journey, you can limit your stress and embrace healthy change in many ways.
Start tracking your habits, sleep, and mood using our daily Wellness Journal! Available on Etsy here
2. Use Positive Language
Can’t, don’t and won’t are words that shouldn’t be part of the language you use. These are negative and restrictive words that hugely impact your mindset.
By telling yourself and powerfully saying:
I can
and
I will
You will transform your mindset and feel more positive and in control. Positive language can mean you start taking positive action towards your weight loss goals.
Often, we don’t realise the power that our words have over us. You know the saying, “you are what you eat” well that same process happens through the words you say and think. Therefore, by changing the language you use, you can literally change the person you are and what you do.
Who says you can’t become a heavy-weight lifter? Or that you won’t reach your goals? It is likely you who is saying that.
Start saying yes, start saying you can. When you believe in yourself, something will change and amazing things will happen.
3. Food is Fuel
Food has become a very social and huge part of our culture and it is far too easy to overindulge. If you change the way you look at food, then a diet will not seem restrictive and negative.
The food we eat is to fuel us for the day and the activities we take part in. Therefore, if you are training hard in the gym you want to make sure you have the right kind of fuel for your body to do it effectively.
If you want to feel healthier you need to be more attentive to the reaction going on in your body and the effect they have. For example, some carbs may make you feel bloated so avoiding them in your diet can help you feel lighter and happier.
This outlook on food is much more positive as you know it is benefiting your body.
4. Recognise your Triggers
Some situations, thoughts and emotions can trigger negative cycles of behaviour. This can be increased stress, emotional eating, alcohol consumption or even binge eating.
Recognising your triggers and cycles of behaviour can help you put a stop to them. These kinds of habits and negative thoughts no longer serve your goals and can throw you right off the track. Often, it is harder to recover from these instances when you have been doing well because you feel worse about yourself that you let this behaviour happen.
When you recognise these cycles you can prevent them. Maintaining your positive and empowered weight loss mindset.
I always recommend daily journaling to help realise where your mindset is at and recognise how you are feeling. It is easy to brush things under the carpet but I know from experience, that they never truly go unless they are resolved.
Every morning and any time you are feeling triggered or unstable, dive into the thoughts and emotions you are experiencing. Helping you to uncover your triggers and potentially avoid those situations altogether.
5. Have Patience
Like everything else in today’s society, weight loss is always a rush.
This rush to drop weight is another negative effect on your mindset and people may starve themselves, obsess over the scales and go to fitness extremes.
Being more patient with yourself and your body is a much more holistic approach to health and your weight. Allowing your body time to adjust to a new lifestyle, go through any natural process and focus on your fitness instead is going to be way more beneficial.
Improving your health and losing weight takes time and does not happen overnight.
6. Have Self Love and Respect
As research suggests, the view you have of yourself greatly affects what happens in real life. So, if you think you are ‘fat’, then nothing is going to change and you will remain in a negative mindset.
Instead, you can come from a place of self-love and respect. This indicates that you are nourishing your body with beneficial foods, taking part in exercise and looking after your health.
Understanding that you are on a journey towards your goal is essential. This weight loss mindset is freeing, patient and full of love for your body and the miracle that it is.
Encourage more self-love in your daily life with our self-love digital journal and start turning your mindset around for healthier weight loss.
7. Short-Term Pain
This is something I have learnt from Tony Robbins… choosing short-term pain over short-term pleasure.
Essentially, all the choices we make are motivated by our need for pleasure but often cause longer-lasting pain in the future.
For example, procrastinating from completing a work presentation to enjoy the cake (pleasure) leads to increased pressure to finish the presentation on time and future weight gain from the cake (long-term pain).
Instead, you have the power to choose to finish the presentation as soon as possible (short-term pain). In order to cook a filling, nutritious and satisfying meal and know you are maintaining health and weight (long-term pleasure).
Therefore, you’ll be making positive choices by knowing you will receive huge benefits in the future and taking action that serves your life as a whole.
This may also be easier when you know how to balance your life more beneficially for you.
8. Accountability
Taking responsibility for your actions can come across as a negative thought process. But hear us out…
In the past, you may have made choices that do not serve you now. However, you should know that now you have all the power to control your thoughts, emotions and actions.
You can change your mindset into a positive one for weight loss, you are accountable for the food you eat and how many times you exercise a week.
When you see the amazing results you get from those choices, you know you did it.
A positive weight loss mindset puts you in control and makes your health a priority. You know what action to take to see the best results for yourself.
You can easily check in with yourself and your mindset using our daily Wellness Journal! Available on Etsy here
Transforming Your Weight Loss Mindset Takes Work
These tips should make building a positive weight loss mindset seem easier and more achievable.
However, don’t forget that this will take time to get in the flow and have a strong mindset. You may fall back into bad habits, you may break promises to yourself. These are only small setbacks and you have the power, self-love, patience and choice to be the best version of yourself. Your health and well-being are for life, not for a just 12-week diet.
Share the challenges you face when trying to lose weight and the mindset shifts you have made for your journey in the comments!
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