Deciding to start a weight loss diet is probably the best idea you’ve recently had, and you should by all means act on it without delay. Still, the fat-shedding road can quickly slide off the beaten track if you’re not mentally prepared for the ride.
There’ll be challenges, rough patches, and small diet transgressions under the cloak of night, which is why you need to arm yourself with failsafe strategies to help you see the weight loss journey from the beginning to the end with maximum efficiency.
Here are a few useful tactics to help you think yourself into a slim body without any major derailments from the right track.
1. The power of visual thinking
Dieting motivation is a whimsical creature which pops up and disappears every once in a while. When skipping desserts gets tougher than usual, try one of the weight loss visualization tricks devised by Jon Gabriel and let your mind serve as a magnet for the results you’re aiming to achieve.
In case visual images are hard to come by, fish out photos from your family album to remind yourself of the slimmer you you’re working towards. You can also put the photo of your ideal figure on the kitchen counter to remind you what you’ll be cheating yourself out of by second helpings of energy-dense foods.
2. Break down the weight loss roadmap
Weight loss is a process, and you should treat it as such. To make the diet easier on your mind, set tangible and realistically attainable goals, and reward yourself by a healthy treat, manicure, massage, or mental pats on the head every time you drive a new yardstick into the slimming ground.
You can also break down the goals into mini-objectives, such as eating an extra portion of fresh fruit and vegetables a day, working out 30 minutes longer per week, or walking/cycling instead of driving to work.
3. Have day-to-day action plan in place
Eating on a whim is a shortcut to weight gain, and you should steer clear of it if you’re looking to maintain or lose weight. Plan your meals before turning in every night, treat visits to the gym as important dates or appointments with your slimmer self, and ditch empty calories, sugars, and fatty foods from your menu.
Also, keep track of your weight loss progress and scale the pace of your results against realistic benchmarks which you can lay down in consultation with a fitness coach or nutritionist. That way, you’ll be able to review and modify your goals as you go based on realistic possibilities.
4. Turn to CBT to nudge your mind further
Cognitive behavioral therapy has a wide range of applications, and it can be used to facilitate weight loss. According to the cognitive therapy weight loss principles developed by Ph.D. Judith Beck, your daily routine should include grocery shopping and meal preparation, décor tweaks to minimize temptations, and careful planning of high risk situations involving food, such as dinners out, family lunches, or birthday parties.
Reading cards with weight loss affirmations are also a part of the CBT-based technique as the system’s ultimate goal is to change your perception of food and your attitude towards it.
5. Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Therapy
MB-EAT is another psychological technique that can accelerate the weight loss journey drawing on mindfulness principles and the body’s inner knowledge about hunger, appetite, stress, and food. In MB-EAT, weight watchers are urged to expose themselves to tempting circumstances and focus on satisfying hunger and enjoying meals rather than limiting food intake.
In view of achieving self-acceptance and self-control, the person looking to lose weight is prompted to identify the type of food they crave and savor every bite fully. MB-EAT has shown impressively positive results in cases of emotional eating and food binges.
6. Ditch excuses to drop pounds faster
If you have a habit of procrastinating with lifestyle changes, no amount of willpower or carefully devised eating regimes will be of any use. Drop excuses, ditch ‘Yes, buts’ and ‘Tomorrows’, grab your workout getup, throw it in the gym bag, and head over to the nearest fitness center as soon as you’ve read this article. Also, make sure you pick clothing you feel comfortable in as this will also boost your motivation to keep coming back to the gym regularly.
Postponing fitness and lifestyle changes is like delaying a visit to the dentist: it can be painful, but it has to be done if you want to prevent large-scale damage to your health, figure, and self image.
Losing weight isn’t just a series of lifestyle tweaks: it’s a U-turn in the way you regard your body, health, and food, and as such requires a change of heart. Don’t lose sleep over less than desired weight loss results: the journey to a sexy figure begins in the mind, so start thinking yourself into the body you want to achieve, and pull your weight to shed extra waistline inches. Gods favor the brave and the weight loss-minded!
This article has been kindly contributed by Sophia Smith, an Australian based beauty, lifestyle and health blogger. She is very passionate about organic beauty products, healthy lifestyle and personal development. She is regular contributor at High Style Life and Ripped. Find her on: Twitter Facebook Google +