Did you know that science now agrees that our beliefs, thoughts, actions, and mood hugely affect our general health and wellness?
So, logically it makes sense that you can help yourself meet your weight loss goals by building a positive mindset, doesn’t it. So, taking a closer look:
Positive Thinking and Weight Loss Success
The truth is, when we are continually feeling depressed and sad about the way we look, it’s no big surprise that we cannot lose weight. There are a couple of reasons why this is.
1 – Negative thinking will actually lead to sugar cravings and overeating, as we now know that sugary, chemical laden foods light up the same addictive part of the brain as alcohol and drugs which people take to make themselves feel better, in theory. Also with feeling down you probably won’t even want to get out of bed. So, exercise won’t be really an option on such miserable days even though it’s one of the best things to help boost the happy hormones.
2 – The Law of Attraction states that what we put out into the universe, what we ask for, the universe gives us back, so it makes sense that if we put out negative thoughts, feelings and assumptions of not liking our bodies and not being able to lose weight, that’s what the universe will hear and give you back, that’s not what we want is it.
On the other hand, positive thinking can help you boost your motivation, energy levels & a wee helping hand from the wonderful universe to provide all the good stuff makes everything easier. As a consequence, you are far more likely to be willing to stay on track and be determined when it comes to having a healthy diet and moving your body.
Positive Thinking, STRESS and Weight Loss
We are all familiar with the fact that negative thinking and stress go together, it sucks but they do. There are 2 camps of people really, some people find it difficult to eat when they’re stressed, they lose their appetite, and others find comfort in not so good food (hands up, er yes!!!) when feeling at their wits end. We’re looking at the latter for the purpose of this blog.
Unfortunately, stress can make losing weight quite tricky, if not impossible. When stressed your fight or flight hormone ‘Cortisol’ kicks in. We do need this hormone in our lives, but when stressed, it kicks in too much. This then affects your insulin hormone and makes you crave sugary foods as they are the quickest way for your body to get energy – think running away from a tiger – we need super energy.
Stress can also make all of your losing weight efforts FEEL useless and that ‘it’s too hard’ and ‘taking too long’. Nasty vicious cycle.
By practising positive thinking, you can reduce your stress levels and as a consequence (lots of consequences today), you will immediately be more likely to lose weight. Find your favourite way to manage YOUR stress without reaching for the choccy biccies or lying on the sofa watching the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice on repeat (once is ok though, maybe do 10 jump jacks when you change each of the 6 episodes), and you WILL reach your goals more quickly. For example, try walking, punching, doing yoga, meditation, listening to music (I’m a big pop, rock & musicals played really loudly), cooking, baking, indulging in reading a trashy novel or looking at the pics in a mag, watching films, etc.
Positive Thinking and Setting MANAGEABLE Weight Loss Goals
It is quite easy and common to start thinking in a negative way when you don’t reach your goals. However, this is could be a result of setting slightly unreasonable and unrealistic goals and expectations. Imagine you want to lose 5 pounds, and you only give yourself 2 days. Not so reasonable is it!
If you want to increase your chances of reaching your weight loss goals, set achievable goals – be nice to yourself. You can also divide these into smaller targets and take a step-by-step approach. For example, aim to lose one to two pounds a week and then set your monthly goals accordingly. Some weeks you may lose more, so it’s a winner.
One wee thing to remind you of, when you are in your 20’s and possibly your 30’s it’s much easier to lose weight than maybe your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s so please release the ‘but I used to lose ½ stone in 3 days’ mentality if you’re in the higher age brackets like me. Your body is now different, your hormones are now different, your life is now different.
5 Strategies for Cultivating a Positive Mindset
What truly matters is that you BELIEVE deep down in YOURSELF, which I know can be quite hard. That said, you can quickly embrace a positive mindset by practising some of the following simple strategies:
- Make sure that you keep inspiring images, affirmations, quotes, and goals somewhere you can see them EVERY DAY to remind you to adopt a positive mindset.
- Be mindful and appreciate even the smallest positive things. Don’t just wait for something huge to happen. Instead, celebrate small joys and wins and give yourself the credit you deserve.
- Make notes of at least three good things that happen to you every day & be grateful for them. Even better, choose the things that you had an active role in controlling. By doing so, you will teach your brain to focus on all the little things we usually ignore – they’re important too.
- Chuck out the negative thoughts and self-criticism. Whenever you realise you are being hard on yourself, rein it in & try repeating some positive affirmations to ditch the unhelpful negative thoughts.
- Visualise the best possible version of yourself in 1, 5, or 10 years. Using mental imagery will help you determine what’s most important in your life and will inspire you to reach your goals.
Affirmations for Weight Loss
Affirmations are a really powerful tools for embracing and initiating change. You can use them daily to help you think positively and aim towards your goals. Here are 5 sample weight loss affirmations:
- Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels
- I am healthy and strong, filled with energy and vitality.
- My fitness routine is enjoyable, energetic and comfortable.
- I love working out because it makes me happier and healthier.
- I am enjoying optimal physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health.
Change the wording to suit you.
Positive Thinking Quotes for Weight Loss Success
Last but not least, you can find motivation and inspiration to succeed with your weight loss by reading quotes by famous people on the power of positive thinking.
- The mind is everything. What you think you become. –Buddha
- Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. –Alice Walker
- If you can dream it, you can achieve it. –Zig Ziglar
- “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” –Oprah Winfrey
Now that you know all about the power of positive thinking and weight loss success, it’s the perfect time to start believing that you can change, adopt a positive mindset and reach your weight loss goals.
Have a great day & BE POSITIVE
Ex