At the beginning of each year it seems like everywhere we turn someone or something is telling us we need to lose weight. I went in a store 1 day after Christmas to buy candles and all of the workout gear was already front and center in the store. Fitness is a huge part of my life and I do believe that we should all be able to reach the fitness goals that we set for ourselves. But I also understand that losing weight can be extremely hard. How we think about health and fitness impacts our actions, so before starting any fitness journey you must learn how to change your mindset about weight loss.
How to change your mindset about weight loss
The first step to changing your mindset is to be honest with yourself about what fitness and health mean to you. Everyone has a different definition of healthy and being fit looks different for each and every one of us. What does this mean? Fit for me might mean one body size while fit for you means another. A lot of people go wrong with striving to be thin. There is nothing wrong with being thin, but every body is not meant to be a thin one.
Changing your perspective on what healthy actually means will set you on the right track to reaching your goals. We have to understand that food is fuel and that we must eat food that helps to nourish our bodies.
Adjust your goals: Focus on what you can control like making sure you got the proper serving of fruits and veggies and ensuring you get a good night of rest.
Be honest with yourself: Set realistic weight loss targets based on you being able to eat a healthy balanced diet and workout regularly.
Myth
If I follow this diet I’ll lose the weight I want to lose faster.
Did you know that it is very common for people to binge eat when they are trying to follow a diet? Personally, I do not like diets. I feel that they are confusing, unrealistic, and hard to follow. If you are someone who likes to diet, I am not here to knock you, but they are just not for me.
What do I believe? I believe in moderation and balance. This means creating a consistent workout routine and eating healthy balanced meals without depriving myself. I try to eat healthy as often as possible, but if I want a slice of cake I am not going to deprive myself of having it.
Ditching The Traditional Mindset Toward Weight Loss Goals
Don’t be alarmed. I am not telling you to stop working to lose weight. What I am saying is instead of stressing about the number on the scale, focus on health goals. When you enter your fitness journey with a health first mindset, you are more likely to be successful at reaching your fitness goals.
- Counting every single calorie you eat every day is super stressful.
- Trying to keep up with every new diet trend that promises to help you lose weight is not sustainable.
Changing the way you view health and wellness is a long term change that will help you to view your health differently and continue to stay on track.
Change Your Mindset About Food
To change your mindset about weight loss you must change your mindset and relationship with food. We’ve been so conditioned to think that food is evil and that we must watch every single thing that we eat. But that’s just wrong.
- Food is an important part of life.
- Food is meant to nourish our bodies.
- Food is not the enemy.
Instead of fixating on negatives take the time to learn how to eat for your body. Learn how to stop eating when your body says it’s full and also learn how to eat the proper portion size for your specific body.
When you change your mindset about food you will notice that your relationship with your body will change.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
We can all be insanely hard on ourselves when it comes to ideals of what our bodies should look like. Treat yourself with the same love and compassion that you treat family and friends with. If you are taking the necessary steps to change your weight loss mindset you should allow yourself a bit of grace.
Set Realistic Goals
If you are not someone who has a regular fitness routine, don’t set yourself up for failure by suddenly deciding to work out 5 times a week. Instead, set small and attainable goals for yourself. Start by going on a short walk each day or making the effort to cook at home and eat more healthy and balanced meals.
Be realistic and map out how much time you can actually dedicate to a fitness routine.
Know That You Are In Control
The key to changing your mindset about weight loss is understanding that you are in control. It might seem scary to think about doing this, but who else has your best interests at heart more than you do? Focus on solutions instead of strategies. Try removing excuses because of fear of failure. Understand that you are in control and every action you take is a step toward shifting your mindset about weight loss from a negative one to a positive one.