While weight loss boils down to burning more calories than you consume, the reality of dieting isn't always so cut and dried. Sedentary work environments, high-tech lifestyles and a growing reliance on fast food can all work against your best intentions to shed excess pounds, notes Intelihealth. Your thoughts can also interfere with weight loss plans. Becoming aware of the psychological aspects of weight loss may help you achieve your dieting goals.
Denial
Denial appears to be a powerful psychological force that can stand in the way of weight loss. A 2005 Gallup Poll found only 8% of Americans think of themselves as very overweight despite the fact that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 64% of U.S. adults over age 20 are overweight or obese.
Keeping a food diary can help you realize exactly how much you're food you're actually eating in a given day, notes dietitian and nutritionist Andrea Wenger Hess of the the University of Maryland's Joslin Diabetes Center. You may also be less tempted to grab that second slice of pizza or pie when you know you have to write it down.
Defeatism
Doing away with self-defeating comments, such as telling yourself that you look fat or that you'll never be able to trim your waistline, can only serve to work against successful weight loss.
Developing a positive attitude that focuses on creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, rather than worrying about numbers on a scale, is important for effective weight management, according to Wenger-Hess.
Emotional Stress
It may be especially challenging to lose weight during times of emotional stress. Food can offer comfort during trying times and may trigger strong cravings for certain foods,especially high-calorie foods that contain large amounts of sugar, according to the Mayo Clinic. Emotional eating can be triggered by health, relationship or financial problem, fatigue or even gloomy or inclement weather.
If you are under stress, try meditation, yoga or other relaxation techniques rather than grabbing a candy bar. You may want to consider professional counseling if you continue to have problems controlling emotional eating.
Determination
Making up your mind to develop and maintain a commitment to regular physical exercise can help trim your waistline, notes Intelihealth. Aim for 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic activity like walking, swimming or biking most days of the week.
Exercise burns extra calories to help you lose weight, and can reduce emotional stress and improve your mood, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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