Weight loss is as much a psychological game as it is a physical one. You may know what it takes to achieve your goals, but if you don’t pay attention to the inner workings of your mind, you may not stick to these objectives.
Most people achieve short-term weight loss but fail to keep it off because they did not consider these factors.
The environment in which we live is inundated with unhealthy messages. Family and friends often undermine our efforts by doing the exact opposite thing we need to do.
In other situations, the environment is to blame. High sugar and highly processed foods are more convenient than normal ones. We may also self-sabotage by reverting back to old habits.
Psychological Weight Loss Tricks
1. Eat in solitude
Mindfulness is fast becoming a staple in weight loss management. In this school of thought, being conscious of what you are doing and staying in the present moment makes you less likely to indulge in bad habits.
Therefore, if you eat by yourself, you will probably be mindful. You would concentrate on the characteristics of the food and what it does to you rather than other external circumstances.
Conversely, eating in groups makes you eat more as you would be focusing on making conversations rather than watching the quantity and quality of food you’re eating.
Sometimes, peer pressure can make you get off your diet plan if everyone is eating unhealthily.
2. Go to restaurants sparingly
Eating out can expose you to many faltering opportunities. For instance, most cooking methods in restaurants are not healthy.
In fact, you rarely know all the ingredients present in a meal unless you ask the chef. The serving sizes and food courses make it easier to cheat and overeat.
Finally, you will be tempted to get your money’s worth by eating everything on the plate. Health requires sacrifice. If this means compromising a bit of your social life, then do so.
3. Plan and prepare your meals in advance
When you wake up in the morning, make sure you think about and plan your meals. This will ascertain that you don’t resort to unhealthy, commercially-prepared alternatives later in the day.
It will also give you control over what you put in your mouth. Planning your meals reduces the likelihood of skipping meals.
Most people compensate for skipped meals with high carb or sugary foods. In this study, it was shown that skipping meals increases overeating.
4. Weigh yourself weekly
How can you achieve something you don’t see? Most people delude themselves into thinking that they don’t need to measure their progress. They think that they will do the right thing and the rest will take care of itself.
The problem with this mentality is that sometimes our bodies don’t respond as expected. You may be eating fewer carbs and more vegetables but not losing weight.
In such circumstances, it could be insulin resistance or problems with your metabolism. If you don’t measure yourself, you will never know whether the interventions you are making are working.
This is one of those easy psychological weight loss tricks anyone can use, therefore, take advantage of it.
5. Celebrate the little wins
If you want to go from a size 12 to a size 6, you may need to wait a long time to see the final outcome.
A lot of evidence, reveals that people feel more encouraged to continue when they acknowledge and reward visible milestones. The same thing applies to weight loss.
If your goal is too far in the future, you may lose motivation to keep going. If you are a quarter way there, do something to acknowledge it. Buy a ticket to an event you enjoy or do something that isn’t food-related.
6. Set goals
You need to know what to work towards so that you can adjust your efforts appropriately.
First, take note of your current weight and determine your ideal weight. Calculate how much you need to lose and then determine how much time you will require. Follow a proven workout plan and diet plan.
It is critical to make your goals realistic, specific, actionable, measurable, and time-bound.
7. Journal daily
Start a food and exercise diary. Take note of what you eat and how you exercise. After a week, analyze your performance.
Take note of instances where you veered off and establish why you did. Then set up processes that will cushion against those mistakes.
Don’t be hard on yourself when you falter. Simply ask yourself why you did it and then remove those obstacles or triggers.
8. Make exercise fun
There are numerous exercise options you could try. In this digital era, a new training routine is simply a click away.
Make your workout as enjoyable as possible to increase adherence. In this research, it was shown that people did not make positive lifestyle habits because they perceived them to be hard.
If you like swimming, then do that. If you prefer to dance, then sign up for a class. Experiment with boxing, taekwondo, tennis and other forms of exercise. Then pick what you find most interesting.
It also helps to belong to a community of trainees who would motivate and hold you accountable.
9. Choose a diet plan that works for you
There is no shortage of diets that claim to deliver results. Intermittent fasting, the Atkins diet, the raw food diet, The Paleo diet, the vegan diet, and the Mediterranean diet are some of the options available.
You might need to seek professional assistance to know the pros and cons of these choices. When making the decision, select the one with foods that you enjoy and that you can easily access. Keep in mind how much it will cost. It goes without saying that you should stay away from short-term or fad diets.
10. Buy smaller dishes and drink water first
Sometimes you can trick your brain into eating less by using smaller plates or bowls. That way, you feel as though you cleared your plate even when that container is bite-sized.
Alternatively, you could buy partitioned plates that guide you on how much of each food type you need to eat. Vegetables ought to account for 50% of your meals.
Drinking water ensures that you are not eating for hydration but for hunger. It increases the feeling of fullness and improves digestion, metabolism, and well as overall outcomes.
Using these two psychological weight loss tricks can help you lose weight faster than someone skipping meals.
11. Reverse the order of eating
Brussels sprouts and broccoli are not the most enjoyable things to eat. Consider starting your meals with vegetables or fruit desserts before eating protein and starch.
This increases the likelihood of staying full after the meal. It also makes it possible for you to stop eating after consuming your daily supply of fiber.
12. Modify your thoughts
Food is closely associated with emotions. When you overeat or you select unhealthy food, it could be to alleviate stress, boredom, and sadness. Sometimes you may have a nutritional deficiency that is causing those specific cravings. Alternatively, one mistake may trigger a host of others.
It is important to examine the negative feelings surrounding those moments. Ask yourself whether you have an all or nothing attitude to food and change it.
The Bottom Line
The above psychological weight loss tricks revolve around the need to change your environment to support your new lifestyle.
They are also premised on the need to add structure and to make simple choices. Finally, think about the mental modes that make you behave as you do.
One of the common characteristics among those who lose weight and keep it off is that they’re action-takers. They don’t wait for tomorrow or Monday or next week to get started. They start today!
You can become an action-taker today by doing this 15-minute fat-blasting workout today.
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