You’ve heard it all the time, “What you think about, comes about”. Though most of us know this to be true, how many of us really take it to heart especially when it comes to losing weight and being successful in our efforts.
It’s hard to think about cottage cheese and grapefruit, when a fast food burger and fries seems to have center stage in the theater of your mind. So how do you learn to focus on what you know you should in order to stay centered on your goals?
Behavior specialists know that what you focus on expands, which means what you think about comes about becomes your outer world. Yet focusing on the right foods is often a problem so here are 3 tips to help you change your mind for best results fast!
Tip #1. Write down your weight loss goal– the actual number. For example if you know your body looks best at a certain weight, write that number down on a post-it and place it on your bathroom mirror. Every time you visit the bathroom, you will see this number and your mind will begin to subconsciously make a mental note that this is your current weight. Your mind doesn’t know the difference between the past, future, or present. Looking at this number physically or even mental during the day will help you begin to take the necessary steps in order to reach this goal.
Tip #2. See the End Result – Athletes have known for decades that if they want to win at their game, they need to see themselves being successful. Take time daily, preferably in the morning, to sit quietly, with eyes closed, and envision you at your desired weight and fitness level. If this is difficult, find a picture in a magazine that best depicts your body shape when you will have met your goal. Look at this picture and then mentally take the time to see it in your mind during the day.
Tip #3. Use Positive Affirmations – We use affirmations everyday all day long. The most common ones dieter’s use that seem to come up especially when temptation arises is, “I sure would like to eat that donut, I just don’t have the will power to resist!” or “If only I can stay on my plan today, but it is so hard”. These are negative thoughts and simply put, they are affirmations that affirm what you are thinking and ultimately will lead you to the path of eating off your plan or worse, binging out of control. Why not say something positive to yourself, such as, “I love eating healthy and I feel better everyday when I do”, or “I am so happy now that I look and feel great! All my friends compliment me on how young and vibrant I look!”. Will you instantly see results? You may not “see” results instantly, but you will begin to train your inner brain to think positively about your weight loss journey and your positive self talk will lead you to feeling better, resulting in making better decisions on your food choices throughout the day.
One client of mine told me she thought these ideas were a bit simple and doubted they would work. I at that point took out a picture I keep in my wallet all the time. It is a picture of a woman in a pair of Levis with my face glued on it instead. This picture is what I looked at when I was 232 pounds and was discouraged and doubtful that I would ever look like this model. But, I heard of the strategy and decided to apply it to my list of weight loss tip-list. 3 years later, and 100 pounds lighter, I can say that this method truly worked for me. If weight loss is your goal, using these tips will help you create a mind for success and changed body as a result.
