Are you tired of feeling overweight and getting caught in the perpetual loop of working to lose weight then feeling defeated? Know that you are not alone! What if I told you the #1 reason you aren’t seeing weight loss isn’t what you eat? Yes, it’s related but… it isn’t the main source for why you aren’t losing weight. Having a healthy mindset is the magic sauce to actually losing weight!
Why should you give a crap what I have to say about weight loss? To be clear, I am not a doctor, nurse, weight loss expert or trainer. More importantly, I am not a stick figure that hasn’t struggled with my weight. I have been there! I spent most of my life straight up struggling to lose weight. At my highest I was 330 pounds folks. I have tried every fad diet out there… KETO, South Beach Diet, Jenny Craig, No Carb Diet, Low Carb Diet, Vegan, the list goes on and on!
This post will probably be a bit shocking for revealing the #1 Reason You Aren’t Losing Weight. Bear with me and read to the end. The solution to losing weight is one of the hardest and yet simplest things EVER! It is my hope that this post will help you realize your weight loss and health goals once and for all!
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The Weight Loss Struggle
If you have ever struggled with weight loss you probably know the see-saw effect of feeling so driven that nothing will stop you from realizing your goal to feeling completely defeated. Sometimes this takes days, other times months or even years.
Have you ever signed up to participate in a diet plan 100% committed then found yourself realizing this is NOT going to work? Then most likely you revert back to all of the old habits you had prior to making the commitment to lose weight. I know I sure did. Many times too. This is the perfect example of not having a healthy mindset.
The real question is why do you see success(even if only temporary or minimal) and then relapse into old habits, right?
#1 Reason You Aren’t Losing Weight
I had to learn the hard way that the main thing stopping me from losing weight was my mindset!
You have to change your mindset towards the whole process to truly see success!
It seems completely ridiculous when you really think about it, right? It is SO TRUE though! When a diet fails or results don’t come to you as promised, your tendency is to revert back to your old tendencies. You see, what other reason would cause you to go right back to the same habits that led to your weight gain? The answer lies in your mindset.
Now, most of the time, in the moment that is NOT what you are thinking about. You are probably just thinking something like, “why bother, it’s not going to work anyways” or “I am constantly craving foods that I can’t have!” or the most common, “I will find a better way and be 100% committed when I do it!”
Having a healthy mindset regarding your body, body image and weight loss is all about really BELIEVING that you are worth the work it will take to lose the weight. I’m not talking about the actual act of losing weight. This is about the mental attitude you have towards losing weight and your body in general. Some critical steps to gaining a positive mindset towards losing weight are laid out for you here.
Trying To Lose Weight Is Hard: Healthy Mindset Needed!
First and foremost, let’s just admit that losing weight is NOT EASY! If you are reading this you know that. Either you or someone you know and care about has struggled with their weight. It is difficult to watch someone you care about go through the roller coaster ride of ups and downs that come with this struggle. Living it is even harder.
There are body image issues, health concerns, decreased activity levels and just general sadness that is affiliated with being overweight. Acknowledge the struggles you’ve had. Let them really soak in. One of the things I have seen over and over again is the ostrich mentality when it comes to weight loss. (This is not a healthy mindset habit, folks!)
If I stick my head in the ground and just keep on keeping on this too shall pass. Let’s be honest, that is not how this works! Yet somehow, it’s what so many people do. It may not even be a conscious decision. It just happens.
Guess what, you aren’t perfect and that is OK!
Accept That Losing Weight And Getting Healthy Takes Time
First and foremost allow yourself to just accept that whatever your goals are, no matter how much you want to lose, it isn’t going to happen overnight. Going into the process of choosing a healthy lifestyle is just that. It is a life-long commitment.
Expecting your weight loss to happen in a short amount of time isn’t healthy or realistic. More than that, it won’t last! You want the changes you make to be habits that last throughout your life. With that in mind, remember that you are changing the habits you have.
Can we just take a second to acknowledge that this process is hard! Your instinct to stop at a fast food restaurant when you’re short on time doesn’t just vanish when you decide to start focusing on your health. The unhealthy foods that surround you at gatherings don’t just magically change to healthy options when you start this journey. Losing weight is HARD! Choosing to have a healthy mindset isn’t easy but it will make ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD with your results and ultimately your health!
One of the most important things to do when deciding to lose weight is to acknowledge how many challenges you will face. Rather than be defeated by those challenges because you didn’t give them the credit they deserve, acknowledge them right from the beginning!
Lose Weight For Yourself
Whether you are married, single, widowed, working, retired… add any word here… the focus of your weight loss should be the same. You have to be doing this for YOU!
You probably have gone through some series of statements that sound something like this. “I want to be attractive for my (insert significant other here).” Maybe you want to be more respected at your work. People “see” you before they hear you. Do you think people don’t hear what you have to say because of how you look?
Look, we can acknowledge there are external benefits to looking healthy and dare I say… looking good. The reality is, that cannot be the catalyst for your weight loss. I will say it again. You have to want to lose weight, or live a healthier lifestyle, for yourself. Anything else will be very short lived and leave you worse off than when you started.
Try to think of the healthy reasons to lose weight for yourself (in other words… a healthy mindset). Here are several ideas to get the positive mental perspective flowing for you.
- I want to feel good in my clothes.
- Believing in myself is a trait I would love to pass to my children.
- I want to be able to be more active.
- Physical activity without running out of breath would feel great!
- I want to have a positive body image.
- Choosing healthy food options rather than feeling forced to pick them would be great.
- I want to choose to be confident in all aspects of my life.
- My lifespan will not be determined by my genetics!
These are just a few to get you started. Only you know what motivates you, but you have to do it for yourself or you risk resenting the people or things you are doing it for.
Regardless, you are worth it!
Having A Healthy Mindset Is Critical To Losing Weight
You deserve to make this change in your mindset because you are uniquely you. There is no other person just like you. What works for one person may not work for you. That shouldn’t surprise us! Whatever your goals are, you are best able to meet them when you give yourself the grace to be human and make mistakes.
Having a healthy mindset will make choosing the foods that allow you to meet your goals easier. You will be able to celebrate your wins and accept the small pitfalls without reverting back to your old ways. No more punishing yourself for not being perfect.
Go into or continue on this process with a mindset that empowers you rather than holding yourself back with limiting thoughts. You can lose weight for any number of reasons. The number one reason should be because you want this for yourself. You deserve to be the best version of yourself.
I changed my mindset towards my health, why I eat, and weight loss in general. That was when everything completely shifted and I am now down just under HALF of my starting weight. Don’t believe me? Here’s my before and now pic (I recently decided to stop saying “after”). It was not easy to find a before pic. I avoided the camera like the plague! This is no filter, no alterations, no retouching. Just me.
Your healthy mindset is critical to your health! So, start working on your positive mindset by:
- Acknowledging and accepting losing weight is not easy
- Losing weight is going to take time
- You need to want to do this for yourself
- Having a positive mindset is CRITICAL to being successful
The power that exists when you not only accept the reality of what you are wanting to accomplish but also have a positive mindset is truly life-changing.
Positive Mindset: Healthy Mindset Vision Board
Use my favorite positive mindset for weight loss vision board template for a healthy approach to weight loss! Make the choice to live your best life because you deserve it. Hang it somewhere prominent and start realizing your goals once and for all!
This bundle gets you access to a free vision board template in Canva! It is my favorite place to make anything with images and text and is totally free! Gain access to even more images and fonts with the paid version. Don’t worry, the free version has everything you need to create a killer vision board and just about anything else you want to make too!
BONUS: You will get our Healthy Mindset Worksheet too! The best part is, this bundle is designed to go with our Home Workout Bundle! Read the Home Workout: Easy And Fast post here!
Love who you are today and believe in what you know you are capable of. The sky’s the limit!
This post was all about how having a positive mindset will make losing weight more achievable and finally help you achieve your healthy lifestyle goals!
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