THINK yourself slim & fit in 2012!…

In my last blog I wrote about basic weight loss results coming from a need to change your eating and exercise habits…and this is true, but it actually goes deeper than this for many people – it’s more about changing your lifestyle and keeping it that way. People often say they have tried different ‘diets’ which may have shown initial results but they ended up putting all, or in some cases more, weight back on. Diet is a misused word – it is not a temporary situation, but a lifetime one – we are ALL on ‘diets’…for life! All a diet really is …is what you eat, when and how much.

It is said that up to 80% of people who specifically ‘diet’, will lose around 10% of their body weight, but then put in on again in 5 or so years. We can see from programs such as ‘The Biggest Loser’ how much weight can be lost by making the changes I have talked about, it has also been documented how many of these people have not kept off their weight. One of the main reasons here would be the mindset of the person. You may have the knowledge of what you need to do, but without being in the right state of mind it will be hard to achieve your goals.

A major problem people face is that of ‘compulsive eating’ (or continual unhealthy snacking) – where you are not eating because you are hungry or your body actually needs food, this comes from a mindset. Unfortunately we do not normally crave carrots or broccoli in these situations but we reach for the unhealthy, fatty foods..comfort food…which ultimately -  it isn’t. It may be boredom, or frustration or just feeling ‘low’ which makes us want to eat, so try to distract yourself, do something different, get out.

There are usually psychological reasons why this occurs, which are many and varied, but if this is a problem it would be worthwhile to find out what they are and how best to overcome them… and never be afraid to ask for help.

The key here is to make sustainable changes to your nutrition & lifestyle, if they are too unrealistic, you will fall off the wagon… and find it hard to get back on. So don’t make your goals ‘all or nothing’. 

Of course having the right mindset isn’t just important for diet, but just as much so for exercise. Again this shouldn’t be just for a short term 3 month period, or just for a wedding or a planned holiday – to be fit and healthy you need to keep moving….for LIFE (literally!)

Don’t give yourself (or your mind) the excuse that you don’t enjoy exercise either or you have not got time..it’s all in your head!! No, seriously, often it is just your ego trying to stop you achieving. You think you don’t like exercise…the body physically releases ‘feel good’ endorphins when you exercise…so you need to think positively, ok?! 

It is sometimes difficult to get into the right mindset by yourself and if this is you it may be worthwhile seeking help, as I’ve said before, get a gym buddy, a friend or partner or hire (even temporarily) a PT. A good PT now will actually be working on your state of mind as well as instructing your moves. Exercise needs to be enjoyable, challenging and varied. No scare tactics, these are really outdated I believe, but motivation, encouragement, positive ‘self-talk’, goal setting and monitoring your progress. THIS can change your mind about fitness. Put your goals in writing, make them positive, achievable (AND specific!) and in the present tense…if you write in the future tense, that’s where the universe will leave them…in the future! Make your exercise become routine (approx 3 weeks of continual working out), this again will set your mindset and make it part of your new lifestyle. If ever you feel negativity coming into your thoughts, look at your list of goals and think about WHY they are there, or even rewrite them..

..think about all areas of motivation, this may include your immediate family members or it may be about the avoidance of certain medical conditions, like diabetes or high blood pressure. If it helps, make a ‘vision board’ to change your mindset – post up a picture of how slim you used to be (and want to be again), a picture of you now to remind yourself of why you want to change – again, all these ‘reminders’ will alter how you think  and ultimately how you will achieve your results.

At the end of the day however, it is your responsibility, it is up to YOU, and only YOU can do it…

…(with a little help from your friends, of course!)