How many times have you made the decision to drop a few pounds? You begin dieting or exercising and stay motivated for a couple weeks but as the days pass, your motivation slowly declines leading you to give up. Eventually you become so discouraged that it’s hard for you to find the time and energy to put forth anymore effort.
It is important for you to understand why this took place by breaking down how our mind works. We live in a world where patience is no longer a virtue for most people. We want it now, regardless of what “it” is. To defeat the now or never mentality, you must be very deliberate in your systematic approach to accomplishing your goal.
Before you can accomplish your weight loss goal you must develop and maintain a strong psychological foundation. The good thing is, building the foundation isn’t the difficult part. If you can make a decision to lose weight, you can stumble through the rest until you become proficient by developing good habits. To help you accomplish that, I have provided my top 3 psychological hacks to successful weight loss.
1. Set Realistic Goals – Stop telling yourself you’re going to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks. Our brains have a characteristic that we as a human race still do not understand called the subconscious.
Although your goal may be to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks, if you’re subconscious doesn’t believe your conscious thoughts, you are going to have a tough time. Our subconscious must be programmed to operate a certain way and the unfortunate truth is that most of us have been programmed to do things the wrong way.
In my book “Weight Loss Wars | Battling Industry Tactics for Genuine Wellness” I talk about how the healthcare industry has programmed the American people to think a certain way. This way of thinking benefits the industry, not you and me.
Over 60% of Americans are considered overweight for various reasons, but one of those reasons is because the industry has led us to believe that eating 3 times per day is necessary.
I can write an entire chapter on this topic alone therefore if you want a free copy of my ebook you can subscribe to my newsletter “Slim Science in 30 Seconds”. Rather than telling yourself you’re going to drop 20 pounds in 2 weeks, tell yourself you’re going to lose 20 pounds in 4 months.
That goal is far more accomplishable, and it allows you to develop a routine without getting frustrated and quitting. If you were to lose 20 pounds in 4 months and maintain it, that is 60 pounds per year.
For most of us, it took a few years to put on the weight we want to lose so it is unrealistic for you to expect yourself to lose years’ worth of fat in a 2-week period. The other tips will paint a better picture.
2. Program your Subconscious – In the tip above I talk about how our subconscious is programmed to think certain ways. This is a result of our content exposure throughout our lives. How your subconscious is programmed will lead to wealth or poverty, thin or overweight, negativity or positivity, etc.
Reprogramming how you think is not difficult, but it takes some effort and consistency. If you want to lose weight you have to stop exposing yourself to negativity such as the news media or drama on Facebook.
Although our conscious self can only focus on one, maybe two things at a time, our subconscious is constantly downloading information from our environment based on what we see, hear, smell, or feel regardless of whether we are aware of it or not.
Reprogramming how you think is simply surrounding your senses with positivity such as motivational affirmations. If you develop a habit of putting ear buds in and hearing nothing but positivity most of your day, your life will change. More specifically, listening to affirmations regarding weight loss is ideal.
3. Visualize your Success – Part of programming your subconscious requires you to visualize the weight off your body. If you consistently see yourself as overweight in your thoughts, your subconscious will be programmed to achieve that, and nothing will change. You must manifest your desires but in order to manifest what you desire, you must believe it has already taken place.
One of the best methods of achieving this is through meditation but it is good practice to visualize your goals throughout the day. When intrusive and negative thoughts arise, recognize them, and purge the thoughts from your mind. Over time, purging these thoughts will become a subconscious behavior as well.
Keep in mind that achieving weight loss takes time, and embracing a positive and patient outlook can greatly contribute to your overall success. Integrating these psychological techniques with a well-rounded diet and consistent exercise routine will support you in developing enduring habits for a healthier lifestyle.