Weight Loss Psychology: Easy Dieting Strategies

Weight Loss Psychology


Being psychologically prepared makes losing weight much simpler. Although it may seem obvious, in my experience the majority of dieters give up their weight-reduction plan for psychological reasons rather than because they are hungry or have trouble navigating the menus. 

Either they get bored, are unsatisfied with how quickly they are losing weight, slip up briefly and are overcome by guilt, or feel too "starved" to keep going. Then, in an effort to justify their failure, many of them point the finger at their eating plan, their living arrangements, or their innate incapacity to lose weight. 

As a result of the frequent repetition of this process, some dieters may spend years making vain attempts to reduce weight before discovering the root of their problems. Here are three psychological issues we frequently run into when attempting to lose weight, along with some advice on how to deal with them.

Problem 1. Not Knowing How Weight Loss Will Benefit You

Regardless of whether we wish to drop 20 or 220 pounds, we must alter our diet and maybe other lifestyle habits. On Day 1 or Week 1 of our weight loss plan, making these changes might not be challenging because our initial enthusiasm generally provides us with enough incentive. 

However, our "new" eating pattern usually starts to interfere with our normal lifestyle within two to three weeks, and unless we are ready for this, our motivation to continue dieting will start to wane. We view our diet as a burden and an impediment rather than as a ticket to a healthier weight and form. 

As opposed to being something we "want to," it becomes something we "must" do. This is the first big emotional problem we encounter when dieting.

We need to be very clear about our goals for losing weight in order to solve this issue. We must be certain of its value to us. Because we won't be able to resist the urge to return to our old bad habits unless we have a specific reward to look forward to. 

The general advantages of having a leaner, lighter physique are insufficient. We require a self-serving, concrete advantage that grabs our attention and is something we can see. Perhaps a trip to the beach, a fantasy wardrobe to wear on a certain day, or a new physique to flaunt at Thanksgiving. 

Whatever we decide must create a commotion in our minds! It's important to keep in mind that when we feel forced to accomplish anything, such as paying taxes or cleaning up the basement, it becomes the adversary and our desire evaporates. We must "want it" if we want to lose weight permanently.

Problem 2. Trying To Be Perfect

I've worked as a nutritionist and weight reduction consultant for around 24 years, during which time I've spoken with 100,000 dieters online and met probably 10,000 of them in person. But I haven't yet come across a single successful dieter who was flawless. 

Contrarily, the majority of my prosperous clientele committed several blunders. They experienced awful moments, bad weeks, and even bad months during which they lost all control. 

But none of this prevented them from ultimately succeeding. why not since they improved after making blunders. Let's not forget that our failures, not our accomplishments, are where we learn the most about ourselves.

Unfortunately, a lot of dieters are fixated on perfection. As a result, they find it difficult to accept their "failure" and get overcome by guilt when they do fall off the wagon, which they invariably do. So, despite the fact that their mistake may have only been a weekend binge, they crumble. Because, as usual, it's the guilt rather than the bingeing that does the actual harm.

This is the lesson. Don't waste time striving to be flawless when dieting. It merely causes more failure and guilt. Accept that you will make errors instead, and when they do, don't let them derail you. 

Consider them a teaching opportunity. If you overindulge in alcohol when dining out, for instance, and significantly overeat, as a result, don't go into a depressive episode the next morning. Instead, relish your experience and be grateful that you learned something significant-namely, that drinking too much alcohol makes it harder to lose weight. 

You will avoid guilt and find it much simpler to get back on your diet by acting in this way.

Problem 3. Treating Your Diet As Race

Treating Your Diet As Race

The rate at which people lose weight is another frequent issue. Many dieters have unrealistic expectations for how quickly they will lose weight and are unprepared mentally when their body defies them. If a week goes by with no weight loss, people get discouraged and begin to lose interest. 

Whether we like it or not, the human body is made for survival, not for "beauty". It perceives body fat as a crucial source of energy during famines, thus it has no interest in losing it. 

As a result, although someone who is under 30 pounds overweight may lose roughly 1 pound, we can only lose a maximum of 3 pounds of fat every week. Any additional weight will most likely be made up of a combination of water and muscle.

Stop viewing your diet as a competition if you want to conquer your impatience and keep the weight off steadily. 

Think of it as a trip instead. As a result, you feel less anxious and have more "breathing room" to adjust to your new eating routine. Most people consider this to be a really advantageous strategy, and I go into more depth about it on my fantastic weight loss forum. 

A weekly visit to the bathroom scales is the maximum you should allow yourself. More often weighing yourself will just push you to evaluate things in the short term, which is not beneficial.

Though "steady" weight reduction might not seem all that appealing, in my experience, the slower the weight loss, the longer it stays off. And as was already mentioned, if you lose more than 3 pounds each week, it won't be the fat you're losing; it'll be muscle or water. 

Additionally, although reducing water is ineffective and only temporary, losing muscle will lower your metabolism and increase your chance of gaining weight in the future.

So keep this in mind when you embark on your next diet: there's no rush. Set a reasonable weight reduction objective for yourself and let nature take its course. 

For instance, if your goal weight is 150 pounds and you now weigh 200 pounds, give yourself six months to get there. What does it matter if it takes a bit longer? So what do you have to lose?

Numerous diet failures can be attributed to these three psychological issues. Your chances of losing weight would undoubtedly increase if you can master them. 

So take some time to consider these concerns before starting yet another "new" diet with all of your usual enthusiasm, and then watch the pounds melt away!



Next Post Previous Post
No Comment
Add Comment
comment url