How to Lose Weight

Step 2: Having The Right Attitude

Step 2: Having the Right Attitude.

The most important step in achieving your weight loss goal is having the correct attitude for it.

What is the right attitude?

Well, this is what Meghan Porter, RD has to say:

"-If you think you were born to be fat then you should know that a USDA study found that women who think their gene pool regulates their waist size are more likely to be heavy. Your genes do have an impact on your weight. However, it's the everyday choices you make that determine how large you become.

-Attitude Adjustment: Start thinking, "The food and lifestyle choices I make today determine my shape." Put yourself in situations where you are likely to be successful in choosing healthful foods until you build a history of success. Then gradually increase the difficulty.

-Do you hear yourself saying, "I'll never lose this weight!" If so, you may be setting your expectations too high. If you think you need to get back to your high school weight, no wonder you're feeling overwhelmed! Research shows that losing 7-10% of your weight will improve your health and dramatically decrease your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Attitude Adjustment: Learn how to set challenging but reasonable goals that will lead to long term weight loss success.

-Are you always thinking, "I don't eat much, and I still can't lose weight!" Just remember that you must take into account every morsel of food and drink that passes your lips.

Attitude Adjustment: Work with the facts. Become familiar with using a food diary for a few days. Count the calories you consume and match them up with the calories you burn. This way you can tell if you have more calories coming in than going out, and it can help you understand why you aren't losing weight."

This is what fitwatch has to say:

"1) Get clear about WHY you want it. Why do you want to lose weight? What will you gain by being slim and healthy? When you think about yourself finally being healthy and thin, which parts of that vision are most thrilling to you? Write these reasons down and keep them close so you can keep reading them daily.

2) Make lifestyle changes. Don't say you're "on a diet" - say that you're making "healthy lifestyle changes," or "getting healthy". These phrases are more positive and affirming rather than the "D" word, which brings to mind restriction and deprivation.

3) Build yourself up. Never, ever, EVER talk down to yourself or about yourself. Don't berate yourself if you eat something you shouldn't, and don't engage in defeatist thinking like, "I don't know why I bother, I'll never lose this weight." Be your own cheerleader and build yourself up at every possible opportunity. "I can do this. This is easy. I feel good about the changes I'm making. Good for me for caring about my health. I deserve to be healthy." Self-talk like this is much more motivating than trying to whip yourself into shape by sheer force of will.

4) See yourself thin and happy. Spend a few minutes each day tuning into a mental vision of yourself being slender, healthy, and happy. Don't just "see" this mentally, but try to bring the feeling of it into your body right now. What would your body FEEL like if you were slim, fit, and healthy? Keep focusing on that feeling as often as you can; at least once per day. This will make the achievement of your goal seem much more realistic and possible.

5) Love your body. Spend time each day focusing on the things you already like about your body. Do you love your hands, hair, eyes, feet, legs? Pick one thing that you honestly love about your body, and focus on it. List the reasons why you love it, and simply feel appreciation for it. Doing this daily sets you up to keep noticing more and more things you appreciate about your body, rather than constantly nitpicking and complaining about the parts of your body you aren't happy with.

6) You have plenty of time. Trying to "hurry up and lose weight" is one of the worst things you can do, because you're constantly calling attention to the fact that things are moving slower than you'd like them to. All this does is make you feel frustrated, and you'll be much more likely to give up because you aren't getting the results you want. Instead, make time your friend. Keep affirming that you have plenty of time. Remind yourself that time is going to pass no matter what you do, so you may as well spend it taking good care of yourself and working toward your goal. This patient attitude relieves pressure and allows you to focus more on the results you ARE achieving - rather than obsessing about the results you haven't yet achieved.

And last but not least, this is what fitday has to say:

"Positive thinking plays a significant role in your weight loss efforts. Perpetual negative thoughts can lead to self-defeating behaviors such as going off your diet, overeating and skipping your exercise routine. Positive thoughts, on the other hand, can increase your motivation and energy level.

1-Positive Thinking and Weight Loss

Positive thoughts are empowering. A negative attitude can set processes in motion that makes losing weight difficult, if not impossible. Berating yourself every time you eat the wrong foods, constantly focusing on what you cannot eat and approaching your exercise regimen with dread are all ways that negative thought patterns can sabotage your weight loss efforts.

When you hold a negative image of yourself, you rob yourself of much-needed energy. When feeling powerless, depressed or unmotivated, it's easy to skip your daily workout or eat a bag of potato chips to feel better. However, tuning into how you feel, acknowledging those feelings and transforming those thoughts into something more positive can actually help you to achieve your weight loss goals faster.

2-Strategies for Increasing Positive Thinking

A common response to those who tell you to think more positively is often: "I feel what I feel. I can't help how I feel." Positive thinking is only effective if it is in alignment with your true feelings. If you sincerely feel down about your body weight, telling yourself that everything is okay will often create internal discord.

The trick is to tap into those feelings that ring true for you. For example, keep a daily journal in which you write down your negative thoughts and feelings. If you feel you are lacking in willpower or just can't overcome your cravings, write those thoughts down. When you acknowledge the darker emotions, they often tend to have less power over you.

It is important to then make a conscious effort to transform your thoughts. It may be true that you often cannot overcome your food cravings or stick to your diet. However, if there are times when you are able to stand strong, then focus on those moments and celebrate the triumphs. Maybe you put less sugar in your coffee today and said no to a second slice of pizza. Giving attention to the positive things will help to create greater self esteem and motivation to continue with your weight loss efforts.

3-Positive Thinking and Setting Manageable Goals

One of the ways that a negative attitude can prevail during dieting is if you have set unreasonable goals for yourself. Trying to exist on an extremely low-calorie diet or setting your weekly weight loss goal at an unattainable number often sets you up for failure.

To increase weight loss success, set achievable goals. Losing one or two pounds per week is a reasonable goal and can generally be achieved without extreme measures. Weigh yourself weekly; every week that you reach your goal, acknowledge your success. This will perpetuate positive thinking. Before long, you'll find that your motivation and energy have increased, and the pounds are coming off."

Now that you have learned how to achieve the right attitude and understood why you should have it, you're ready to move on to the next step, Setting Your Goal.