Countless people make their New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Even more decide throughout the year to do so due to health scares, choosing to be a better example for their kids, looking better for dating, or just wanting to feel better about themselves.
Unfortunately, while most people make the decision to lose weight, few people do, or they gain it all back faster than they lost it.
Here are five key mindset shifts that make losing weight easier.
Have a Good Why
Studies show that the reason for losing weight is key to sticking with it to achieve the goal. Knowing you have an event, major birthday, or other time-sensitive need is great motivation to make a change. However, to keep the weight off once that date passes requires achieving the initial goal with lifestyle habits that are manageable long term.
Permanent Weight Loss is a Marathon, not a Sprint
If you lose weight quickly, you will likely regain it quickly. Drastic diets and quick weight loss techniques might initially get the weight off, but they are likely not long-term, healthy solutions. Much of the initial weight loss is water weight. If you are heavier, it may seem like you lose a lot of weight quickly at first but more slowly over time.
All of these things are normal, and there is no reason to give up or stumble. Consistent weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week is a steady and sustainable goal. For most people, it only takes a few small lifestyle changes that can be maintained long-term to keep the weight off.
You Might be Thirsty not Hungry
Change the mindset that every tummy rumble is hunger. Your body requires a significantly greater water intake than it does calorie intake. A glass of water when “hunger” hits could do the trick. The habit of having a glass of water before meals has been proven to help people eat less over time.
Live and Eat with Gratitude and Mindfulness
Mindfulness and gratitude are two traits that work hand in hand to help people appreciate the lives they live and live them better. When it comes to meals, eating mindfully will make you more conscious of what you eat and how much but also the colors, flavors, textures, atmosphere, and feelings of the experience of eating.
With your body, mindfulness will encourage you to be aware of how your body moves, all it does for you, and areas to improve — like posture, strength, and flexibility. Gratitude for your body and the food you eat will make you more intentional so that you eat well and treat your body better. Pausing to think about meals, snacks, actions, and activity or the lack thereof can take you from striving to achieve a calorie deficit to striving to live well.
Live Like You Have Already Achieved Your Goal
Akin to the logic of fake it ‘til you make it, it can be beneficial to live the life you seek now. It can improve confidence and get around the procrastination of starting. Suppose you keep telling yourself all the things you would do if, you might never do any of the things you have in mind. Live for your tomorrow now. Otherwise, tomorrow is less and less likely to come.
These are 5 key mindset shifts that might seem small but have a big effect in making weight loss easier. They will give you the motivation to start, help you set realistic expectations for long term change, and help you love the body you are in for the entire journey.
References
1. Attributes of successful approaches to weight loss and control - ScienceDirect
2. Elfhag, Kristina, and Stephan Rössner. "Who succeeds in maintaining weight loss? A conceptual review of factors associated with weight loss maintenance and weight regain." Obesity reviews 6.1 (2005): 67-85.