The Psychology Of Weight Loss
The Psychology Of Weight Loss
The psychology of weight loss focuses mostly on shifting one’s approach to food, like determining what it is that leads to overeating and how to change bad behaviors with good ones. It also means teaching our inner voices to ‘talk nice.’ Positive self-talk means that we don’t beat ourselves up when we slip. Instead, our inner voices remind us that just because we slipped, it doesn’t mean we have to fall.
Of course, positive self-talk isn’t going to lead to weight loss all on its own, but it is a necessary way to the complex puzzle of weight control. Along with attitude adjustment, successful weight management also means learning new skills, like finding time to exercise, healthy cooking and calorie counting, and learning new and healthy eating behaviors.
What you do is important
Just keep in mind that what you do is important but how you feel about yourself matters, too. It’s more than just the number of calories you’ve eaten or how many steps you’ve logged on your pedometer. It’s about giving yourself a pat on the back for your intention and noticing how much healthier, trimmer, and stronger you feel.
But from time to time we’re our own worst enemy. We tell ourselves that we’ve never been able to lose or that exercise is difficult. And when we mess up, it’s even worse. Then it’s “I have no willpower”, “I’m a failure,” or “I’m lazy.” We tend to concentrate more on the negative “I ate way too much at dinner”, and less on the positive “I walked a lot faster than usual on my walk this afternoon”.
Let’s say that you do slip up—maybe you picked away at a donut at work. Your inner voice might say, “Since I’ve already messed up, I may as well pig out for the rest of the day.” But you could turn that self-talk right around and let that voice tell you instead, “It’s not the end of the world, and if I’m careful the rest of the day I’ll be fine.”
It’s basically an attitude adjustment
Keep in mind that your current health condition will determine your best exercise routine for optimal weight loss. And always consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine to make sure that you are healthy enough for the new workout, and then enjoy exploring not only with the basic exercise to weight loss but following a healthy diet and a positive mentality.
For example, if you tell yourself and believe that you’re already a healthy, active person who eats well, then you’re much more likely to behave like one. And those healthy behaviors should, in turn, lead you closer to your main objective.
If your goal is to burn fat, look for cardio classes that incorporate high-intensity full-body movements like kicking, jumping, and dancing with strength training exercises. By challenging both your cardiovascular system and your muscular strength, you will ultimately burn more calories and fat as you exercise and recover.
When you are trying to lose weight, learning which exercises burn the most fat can help you reach your goal faster. All exercise burns calories but some types are more effective than others. Find the most effective fat-burning exercises that can help you achieve your weight loss goals, and keep repeating to yourself that you can do it and find a good way to follow a routine.