Do you struggle to lose weight and keep it off?
Maybe you find you start well and feel pretty motivated… But then life gets in the way, progress slows down, motivation drops, and it’s SO hard to keep going.
We know consistency is key to success, and it sounds simple, but it’s not easy. Very often, it comes down to mindset.
Mindset plays perhaps THE biggest role in weight loss success. And yet it’s something we’re never really taught about.
So, this is a post all about mindset for losing weight and keeping it off.
It’s based on a recent Think Healthy with Hayley podcast:
#181 – Mindset Mantras for Weight Loss Success
For different results in weight loss, you are likely going to need a new set of thoughts and actions in relation to your body, habits and lifestyle. In fact, you probably need to build a new identity to the one you have now. Which can sound pretty daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be one of the best and most rewarding things you do.
So how do you do it?
Step 1: Decide who you want to be and act like her now – on the way to reaching your goal
The version of you who’s at her goal – she’s reached her ideal weight and is feeling AMAZING.
What, and how, dow does she eat?
What are her habits?
How does she think and talk to herself?
How does she move through her day?
These questions prompt you to think about the person you need to become in order reach your goal and maintain it.
And that’s something a lot of people don’t do.
To lose weight and keep it off, we need to make an identity shift from the person we are now.
We’ll need some different thoughts, habits, and actions to create some different results to what we’ve had previously.
But this isn’t something we’re taught to think about.
We tend to think about what we want to weigh and look like, but not who we want to BE.
So, you who’s at her goal weight, feeling great, healthy, fit and strong…
What is she like?
Think about her habits and routines – to get different results, they’ll be a little different to what yours are now.
What does your lifestyle and mindset need to be like to reach and maintain those goals?
Understandably, this can be pretty challenging to imagine if it’s something you haven’t experienced before.
If this is hard to think about, think about someone you know who’s fit, healthy and has a great relationship with food.
What habits do they have?
What kind of thoughts do you reckon they have about themselves, food and exercise?
A key point to remember is this:
Practice these thoughts ON THE WAY to reaching your goal
Generally, we want to lose the weight first, ideally as quick as possible, and THEN we’ll work out how to maintain it.
People often try to lose weight through restrictive diets, beating themselves up along the way, thinking that harsh inner voice will motivate them to keep going.
Then if they make it through to the end of that miserable experience, the expectation is that they’ll suddenly feel proud, have wonderful thoughts, and it will be easy to keep the weight off.
But sadly, as you may have experienced, that’s not what tends to happen.
So many people make great progress towards their goal, without building sustainable habits or changing how they think about themselves and the process.
And then they slide back to square one – returning to old habits and regaining the weight. Because none of it was enjoyable or sustainable, and no new habits were built to sustain the results.
You who is at her goal and maintaining it will think differently, which will make her feel different and act different to you now.
But you now needs to practise those thoughts and habits, so they become natural and easy to do.
This isn’t something you need to get perfect at any point.
The goal is just to start thinking about who you want to be – this next version of you who’s even better – fit, healthy, strong, at her goal weight.
Then start practising thinking and acting like her now.
Something else that’s key to remember:
Think about what you want, not what you don’t want
The way we think and talk about things makes a huge impact on what we create.
And when it comes to weight loss, many of us are setting ourselves up to fail – by focusing on past failures or how we might fail this time, rather than the positive actions we want to take.
Have you ever said something like…
- I hope I don’t overeat this time
- I’m going to try not to drink too much tonight
- I really shouldn’t have the bread, or biscuits, or dessert, but they’re really hard to resist
- I always slip up eventually
- I just can’t resist chocolate – if it’s there, I’ll eat it
- I have no self control
Hoping to not do something, or thinking you shouldn’t do something, is keeping you focused on what you don’t want to do.
This essentially means you’re mentally rehearsing what you don’t want, and making it more likely that you’ll do it again.
And statements like the last 3 examples above tend to become self fulfilling prophecies.
If that’s what you say you do, that’s an instruction to your brain to do it again.
Our brains like to remind us of our past failures, and focus on things that make it hard.
We are programmed to see the negatives, look out for threats, and keep ourselves safe.
Thus going for a goal that we really want, and potentially failing, can feel very unsafe. So our brain is just trying to protect us.
But the trouble is, what we focus on is what we tend to create more of.
And focusing on what’s difficult, what we’re not good at, or what we’re missing out on will makes us resent the process.
So to get to our goals, we need to think about what we DO want to do, how it could go well, and how we can enjoy the journey.
Rather than worrying about failing, visualise yourself being consistent and making yourself proud.
Think about healthy foods you can have and enjoy, and how great you’ll feel after.
Look for things you do well.
Instead of hoping you don’t overeat or go off track, think about what you’d need to do to handle a situation well.
Or even just to make a bit of progress compared to what you might have done before.
Maybe that could mean eating protein and veg for a slightly later lunch, or having a protein shake before you go out for dinner. So you’ve covered your nutrition for the day and don’t feel ravenous, and can slow down, enjoy the meal and stop when you feel satisfied. It could mean drinking water in between glasses wine. Sharing a dessert instead of having a whole one, and eating it slowly and mindfully.
In essence, make a specific (and realistic) plan for what you WANT to do.
And then, train your brain to look for evidence of how you can do it.
This could be acknowledging and feeling proud of changes you’re making.
Perhaps it could be being inspired by examples from other people.
Essentially, you will create more of what you focus on.
So keep focusing on choices you want to make, and feeling good about the process.
If you continue to do this, when you look back in a few month’s time, you will be amazed at how far you’ve come.
For examples of this, check out my testimonials here:
Client Results
And to find out more about how I can help you, check out the link below:
Online Coaching for Health, Fitness and Weight Loss
