Is Weight Loss a Mind Game?

What if being overweight was an infectious disease? There would have been a state of emergency in the US! Isn’t that scary considering the vast population of obese people in the country? The major factors contributing to this problem are eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. Apart from working on these problems, it is important to experience a mental paradigm shift. This means that in order to achieve your weight loss goals, you must bring about a change in your perception of yourself. This helps you get rid of deeply ingrained habits.

Tips to Modify Your Behavior towards Weight Loss

The following are some methods proven through various studies to help you take charge of your mind:

Believe in Change: If you believe that it is not genetics or metabolism that led to weight loss, but your own eating and living habits, your chances of succeeding increase considerably. Many of us live with a subconscious belief of not losing weight ever. This has to be altered. You must believe in yourself and your power to change for better to control yourself. This will boost your morale to strive for results.

Change Your Eating Habits: About 95% of people who follow crash diets end up putting the weight back on. Altering your eating habits is not just about eliminating certain foods, but it is also about adding fruits and veggies to your diet. It is a gradual process that requires discipline and will power.

Exercise: A good diet must be maintained along with weight loss exercises. You can start with what you are able to do and at the same time enjoy. This will help you reduce calories at a faster rate. A fitness trainer can suggest you a good combination of cardiovascular exercises and strength training as per your body.

Visualize a Different You: Many of us have visions, some of which we are able to realize later in life. This can be applied to weight loss also. Visualize yourself as a fit and healthy person and keep your focus on that vision.

You didn’t gain weight overnight. So, the process of losing will also take time. For this it is important to set realistic goals to make you journey to lose weight smooth and full of fun. The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine proved through a study that obese people who set humble goals of losing only 5 to 10% of their weight have a better chance of succeeding than those who set very aggressive goals.