Mind Over Body: Getting Your Head in The Right Place
Losing weight is about burning more calories than you consume. Many times we forget this simple point and end up wondering why we gain weight soon after dieting.
Just as important as our daily food intake and our daily energy output is our state of mind when approaching permanent weight loss goals.
Anyone can have a library full of reference books, or a chef and personal trainer at their disposal just like the celebrities. But when you’re not mentally prepared to lose weight and have a diet plan that also supports their mind, the chances for success are next to nothing.
Take some time and really think about the following four points and how you approach weight loss. You just may find a key that will help you succeed once and for all.
Mind-Over-Body Approach to Weight Loss
It takes more than just saying, “I want to lose 10 pounds,” to have your mind ready to work its power over the body. Most people who are overweight or unhealthy because of their diet want to be in better shape, yet still can’t succeed. In order to make real changes in your weight, you have to get the mind to the point that it controls the body, not the body telling the mind what it wants.
That’s not to say that your body doesn’t signal your brain about what it needs. Cravings for certain healthy foods can be a trigger to tell your mind to get some fresh veggies into your body. What the mind-over-body theory means for losing weight is that you have to be mentally strong.
Here are some ways to put your mind to work in your weight loss efforts and stay mentally strong for the long term.
Connecting to Your Self Worth
Don’t let your physical appearance define who you are. You are so much more than what you see in the mirror. Take some time to acknowledge your skills, talents, and abilities. If you find this hard to do, have a heart-to-heart talk with a friend who really knows you and can help you get your head connected to your heart.
If you are not comfortable with your self-worth as an individual, then no matter what you weigh you will not feel any different about yourself when you lose the weight.
Choosing the Right Reasons
Make sure you want to lose weight for the right reasons. If you are trying to lose weight in order to become a stronger, healthier person—and even a better looking person—then you will be successful.
If your only reason to lose weight is because you think it will magically make bad situations in your life better, then your chances of success are not as likely.
Don’t try to lose weight to please someone else. Weight loss has to be for you in order for it to be lasting. Trying to please a parent or spouse might motivate you to start, but it won’t work for lifetime maintenance. As soon as someone or something disappoints you, you may find yourself turning to food for fulfillment. If you want to lose weight because you really care about you, you can!
Feeding on Positive Thought
Give the brain a healthy dose of positive thoughts. Just as you would feed your body healthy food, the brain needs healthy thoughts to be nourished and to thrive.
Let your diet feed your mind. If you have started a diet and failed because you couldn’t stick with it, then chances are it was not providing nourishment for your brain. Once you’ve decided you want to make changes, it should be the responsibility of the right diet plan to incorporate support that feeds you mentally as well as physically in order for you to keep your spirits up and stick with it.
If you find you can’t, then the diet failed you. You didn’t fail at dieting. So don’t look back at the past; look forward and align with a plan that feeds your mind as well as your body.
Embracing a Long-Term Attitude
Many diets claim to offer quick results. That’s okay, but be prepared for plateaus. That is a natural part of the body balancing. The scale does not tell the whole story. Diets that promise rapid weight loss can get people mentally psyched up in the beginning. When they see the results start to slow as the body fights to keep from starving, it can lead to feelings of discouragement.
Remember, when you support the mind as part of your weight loss approach, you will easily support your body. Weight loss that is healthy and permanent involves a diet plan that feeds the mind as it nourishes the body back to balance.
By connecting to your inner self worth, choosing to obtain healthy weight for the right reasons, feeding positive thoughts to your mind, and embracing your weight loss goals with a long term attitude, you are sure to succeed.
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