Weight loss: Is happiness measured in inches?

lose weightGetting inspired to lose weight can be easy or difficult, it all depends on how you approach it. If you need to lose weight and do nothing about it, the situation is only going to worsen.

As you get older, you will get fatter, and it will become increasingly difficult to shift this weight. The problem is that if your mind is not right, you will be on a hiding to nothing. You will not lose weight, and this will begin a spiral of depression and low self-esteem, which will only motivate you to eat more and become fatter.

You might not realize it, but I just gave you some inspiration to lose weight

It might not be the inspiration that you were looking for, nevertheless, it was so. If you do not do something about your weight, you will become more disenchanted.

Leave all negativity at the front door if you really want to lose weight

Your mind needs to be strong no matter what weight management program you decide to run with. You need to be proud of the fact that you have decided to change your life for the better. Hold onto that feeling as you will need it in the months ahead.

I think it was Benjamin Franklin, who used a “pros and cons list” whenever he needed to make an important decision. He would list all the benefits on one side of a sheet of paper and all the disadvantages on the other side. The good news with this is that there are no disadvantages to losing weight, only advantages. Some of these include:

  • improved health
  • better quality sleep
  • better disposition
  • increased mental alertness
  • healthier skin
  • improved performance and endurance
  • increased self-esteem and
  • much more energy throughout the day.
This list does not begin to cover the emotional and spiritual benefits of weight loss and the benefits your family and spouse will gain from seeing you in a new and improved body. The benefits on the list above have incredible spin-offs for your family members too.

Be clear about your goal if you want to lose weight

Write down how much weight you want to lose. This will serve as a constant reminder as to why you decided to lose weight. How do you know your goal is realistic? Read more here about how to set  goals.

Exercise helps you lose weight

Exercise promotes the release of endorphins in your body, and this will make you feel great. This sense of well being should help to keep you inspired to lose weight. Find ways to exercise that agree with you so that you stick to the program. It takes 21 days to develop new habits so be sure to stick at for the first 3 weeks. You will be glad that you did.

Breakfast helps you lose weight

Breakfast is an important meal, and you need to eat the best food possible. Stocking up on eggs, bacon and toast have become so last season, and it does your cholesterol levels no good. Find a low-fat breakfast option that nutrifies and satiates you at the same time. Find someone who can hold you accountable so that you stick to the plan. This is one of the most important steps towards getting inspired to lose weight.

Remember that millions of people before you have reached their goal weight and if they can do it, so can you. You owe it to yourself, your spouse/ partner and your children to be as healthy as possible and losing weight IS and will always help you feel better.  Fat people are NOT happier – on the contrary…  Using these strategies to get inspired to lose weight is far better than developing weight related illnesses that will force you to lose the weight any way.

Why me? Why NOT me!?

weight lossI have written several articles on here about the importance of your mindset when you are trying to lose weight. Wrong thinking can undermine your weight-loss efforts, ending up in more disappointment. Most of us have some faulty thoughts, no matter how positive we try to be. Some negative thoughts are disguised as positive language, but if you look deep down, it is not really that positive.

Let’s take a look at some of the faulty mindsets that affect us:

Defeatist Thoughts

When you feel that you have to take a harmful appetite suppressant to lose weight, you are shifting the responsibility for poor lifestyle habits away from yourself. Another defeatist attitude is accepting that being overweight is in your genes and can’t be changed.

Many people are losing weight by using self-empowering thoughts and good nutrition.

Labeling Yourself

Using words like “ugly”, “fat” and “sloppy” to describe yourself  causes you to live by those labels.  These labels break down your self-confidence and you then become the label instead of the person you were meant to be.

Thinking Frustration

Changing your lifestyle, eating healthier and exercising require discipline. It is the lack of discipline which has got you to the place where you are at. Trying for a while and failing over and over can easily lead to frustration. This is how you learn to avoid frustration by not trying at all. So the cycle repeats itself over and over again.

Go Big or Don’t Go at All Thinking

When you get on the scale and again you did not lose as much weight as you had hoped, you say to yourself:

“I am working so hard at this, but I am not losing any weight. I am wasting my time.”

This comes with a whole set of negative self-talk.  It reactivates unwanted behavior and causes more damage.

There is nothing wrong with still enjoying a small piece of cake, but this mindset leads to binge eating. This is the very thought-process which causes alcoholics and drug addicts to relapse.

Unrealistic Goals

Who doesn’t want to look like a celebrity? Well, me. Yes, they are beautiful – on paper. But they spend hours in the gym every day. They follow unrealistic diets and take dangerous prescription drugs. But that’s not even enough. Their photos have to be enhanced to make them look like they do on television and in magazines.

Read this post on weight loss goals.

Extreme Obsessions

Do you say these things to yourself?

If I don’t lose weight now, I never will.

My husband will leave me if I gain weight.

If I eat that one small piece of chocolate I will gain 20lbs.

It is essential to understand that our everyday circumstances are ordinary and not to exaggerate them. Everyone has small slipups every day, but the key to success is in how we handle it.  Using this type of self-talk does more harm than good. Yes, you won’t eat any chocolate or cake or fattening  foods, but is it really sustainable?  For most of us, no. However, by thinking about a small indulgence (provided you keep it small) realistically and enjoying it as such will stop it from turning into a catastrophy.

Learn four steps to manifesting weight loss right now.

Friday Take-Away

Remember, you don’t lose weight because you have super-human self-control. You lose weight by being disciplined despite being a human being who enjoys the sweet things in life. It is about moderation and enjoying your food. You can’t lose weight when you feel deprived as your efforts are blocked by negative and disempowering thoughts.

Make the decision today to change your mindset and change your life.

 

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