Losing weight isn't all about changing your physique. No matter what you eat and how often you exercise, those pounds won't necessarily come off if you aren't able to adopt a positive attitude about weight loss. By making over your mind as well as your body, you will effectively reduce the stress that can cause your body to hold onto its weight. Moreover, changing your attitude will help you stay focused on being happy within your own skin, no matter what life throws your way.
Step 1
Discover your true goal. Knowing your goal is the only way to stay motivated. Whether you're trying to lose weight for health or cosmetic reasons, write down what you would most like to accomplish with your weight loss plan. Keep your goal in a place where you can see it every day. Every time you read your goal, visualize that goal in action. For example, visualize the "skinny" you running around the yard with your children and dog.
Step 2
Commit to losing weight in a healthy way. Forget the diets that rob you of all the necessary calories and eat as many nutritious foods as possible. According to a Spanish study published in the October, 2009 issue of "Archives of General Psychiatry," people who followed to the Mediterranean diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish) exhibited fewer signs of depression. Eating good foods to replace low-calorie junk foods will help keep your body healthy and allow you to think positively, which will help keep you feeling well enough to lose some pounds.
Step 3
Write down anticipated roadblocks and get around them in advance. You can maintain a positive attitude if you feel like you are constantly in control of your diet and exercise habits. If the holidays are coming up, write down your concerns about eating turkey, sweet potato pie and stuffing so that you can assess how to surpass the roadblocks. On the same sheet of paper, write down your method of balancing out your diet despite holiday calories. For example, you can allow yourself to have one small serving of each treat if you promise to walk a few miles during the day while the turkey is in the oven.
Step 4
Speak positively about yourself. What comes out of your mouth reflects how you feel and it continues to feed into the way you feel about yourself. This can be great if your words are reassuring, but it can spell disaster if you don't control your negative language. Never talk about yourself as being "fat," don't talk about your weight loss goals as being far-fetched like the lottery, and refer to setbacks as challenges rather than failures.
Step 5
Surround yourself with positive thoughts and positive people. Stay away from the friends who consistently point out their own flaws and stick around the people who care more about their spiritual growth. Read inspirational books, watch inspirational television shows, and leave yourself sticky notes with positive messages such as "You are a strong and healthy person!" in places where you will see them most often, such as on the bathroom mirror.
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