Many fitness professional believe that your chances of losing weight successfully are slim if you do not have the correct mind set. I agree with that. For example, it does not really matter whether or not you know how to lose 10 pounds in 3 days, if you do not believe in yourself, your chances of losing 10 pounds in 2 weeks are not very good. But if you think that mental toughness is the answer, think again.
It does not matter how mentally strong you are. In other words, you can have strong beliefs about what you have to do to lose 20 pounds in 1 month, but without a positive attitude, for example, it is going to be hard for you to lose any weight, let alone 20 pounds, which brings me to the following mental weight loss tips that have been designed by Jillian Michaels to help you overcome a number of rather common mental roadblocks you are likely to encounter while trying to reach your weight-loss goal.
Face your fears To help The Biggest Loser contestants overcome their mental hurdles, Jillian says you should “get used to getting uncomfortable.” The bottom line? Do not be afraid of what it takes to lose weight. “Do something every week that scares you – if you’re afraid of the water, get in the pool. The idea is to stretch your emotional fabric. Trying to face one fear will help you to face others,” says Jillian.
Write it down “Keeping a journal helps begin the process of self-exploration,” says Jillian. But it is not just about trying to understand why you feel a certain way, tracking your feelings or discovering why some people often choose to hide behind the weight. “If you keep a log of your food, you can also see what you’ve been eating and whether you’re creating a calorie deficit,” says Jillian. It goes without saying that to lose weight you have to consume fewer calories than the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight.
Count the steps “Use a heart-rate monitor for motivation so you can see all the calories you’re burning while working out,” says Jillian. You will be inspired to keep doing what you have been doing when you see that your plan really does burn calories. In addition to a heart-rate monitor, it is a good idea to wear a pedometer. Why do you need a pedometer? Because it tracks your steps throughout the day. You need to take at least 10,000 steps each day to lose weight.
Do what the doctor says “You can try any diet in the world, but if you don’t learn to manage your emotions, it’s not going to work,” says clinical psychologist Leslie Seppinni. She agrees that keeping a journal is the best way to track your emotions and understand how they may correlate with your eating habits. She also warns against setting unrealistic goals: “Emotionally, you want to be back to the last time you were thin.” But she says you should focus on what is healthy for you now. [via]