When it comes to the weight loss battle, your biggest enemy is usually yourself. There is a mental battle that rages in all of us daily that can be like a swift kick to the stomach! Over the years, one thing I’ve learned from working with new clients is almost all of their weight issues start between their ears. In fact, many of them had great exercise/nutrition programs but weren’t able to implement it due to their terrible mindset. They eventually came to realize that they are constantly berating or degrading themselves – everyday. Do these thoughts sound familiar?
“I can’t lose weight – it’s too hard! I’m destined to be overweight. This is my life!”
This basically leads to the “you are what you think you are” truth. Although easier said than done, it’s time to drop this terrible mental baggage that has been weighing you down. Here are 7 negative weight loss mindsets that you need to overcome!
1. Right Here, Right Now
“I really want to lose 15 pounds…. in less than 2 weeks!”
“Who has time to do it the right way? I want this weight gone now!”
The bottom line: In all seriousness: how do you expect to lose the weight that has taken you months or years to gain in a matter of days? It’s going to take time! It usually takes at least four weeks for you to notice small changes in your body and even up to eight weeks for your friends and family to notice these changes! Trust me, four weeks can fly by. Take your weight loss plan four weeks at a time!
2. I Need the Magic Pill
“Exercise or take a pill? Hmmm seems like an easy choice?”
“I cure my colds with a pill, surely there has to be an easy solution for losing all of this weight!”
The bottom line: Yes, with the fad diets out there you may be able to lose weight quickly, but at what cost? What’s the point of losing 10 pounds in a few days only to regain it and more in 2 weeks? This is the weight yo-yo that occurs when sustainable practices aren’t used. We need to lose weight the sustainable way by teaching ourselves how to live a healthy, gentle lifestyle.
3. I Can’t Do It
“I’ve tried twice before and failed – it’s no use!”
“I simply can’t do it. It’s way too hard for someone like me to do. I’ve always failed!
The bottom line: There isn’t another excuse out there that will annoy your trainer more than this nonsense. Simply put, you can honestly do anything you put your mind to! You see the people that lose weight and you wish you could be like them. Well guess what? They were exactly like you at one point – they simply took action and made changes in their lives. Stand up, take action, make health changes, and take your life back!
4. I’ll Start Next Week
“Since it’s already Wednesday I’ll splurge all week and then start on Monday!
“Just 3 more cookies – it doesn’t matter anyways, I’m starting to watch my diet next week!”
The bottom line: We’ve all used this one at one time or another – it’s an easy to make excuse. But seriously, you need to start making changes today! Not even massive changes, just small changes that add up to healthy habits and big results. Drop those terrible excuses today. Today you can start learning, failing, overcoming, changing, and making a huge change in your life!
5. I Don’t Know What to Do
“Nutrition and calorie deficits are hard. I have no idea what to do!”
“What’s “HIIT session” for that matter? I’ll just stick to the treadmill!”
The bottom line: In the grand scheme of things, this excuse at face-value looks pretty valid. Maybe so before the explosion of the internet, but today there are literally hundreds of thousands of workouts you can view for free online – for instance here! Find one that you think would be great for you, mimic the moves, and learn as you go – the same goes for nutrition. There is so much great information out there that can help you get started today!
6. I Must Always Be Hunger to Be Losing Weight
“The diet isn’t working if I’m not starving!”
“I lost a few pounds on my 1750 calorie diet. If I drop it below 1000 calories a day, I’ll lose even more!”
The bottom line: This is a pretty dangerous mentality that you must overcome. In reality, a small daily calorie deficit is all that you need to start losing weight sustainable. Meaning you need to slightly burn more calories than you take in. Get this: a small 100 daily calorie deficit can lead to 36,500 fewer calories a year. This adds up to over 10 pounds worth of calories a year! Not only that, when you are on a severe calories restriction your body works against you in order to actually slow your weight loss down.
7. Go Hard or Go Home
“They basically workout until they puke on the Biggest Loser – I should do the same!”
“You aren’t doing it right if you aren’t in pain!”
The bottom line: This common negative weight loss mentality occurs to most beginners – they try to mimic what they see on TV. The danger for beginners is that you have a relatively low exercise capacity, so pushing yourself so hard so early can potentially result in injury or quitting the program. Who in their right mind would want to stay on a program that not only made you so sore you couldn’t move for 3 days but also required you to puke each time? I’m definitely out on that program! Instead start slow and slowly increase your intensity as you increase your exercise capacity!
Wrap-Up
Seriously guys, the stuff we tell ourselves everyday is mind-boggling. We tell ourselves crap that we would never even tell anyone else to their face! What’s worse, as a trainer I see the amazing things everyone is capable of doing but the only thing holding them back is their mindset! It’s not your job, it’s not your friends, it’s not even your finances – it’s your mind!
The potential that you have is staggering – just stand up, take action, and start moving forward. Not next month, not next week, not tomorrow, but today! So let’s stop telling ourselves that we aren’t good enough. Let’s break free from this crappy mental baggage and see how far we really can go!
Featured photo credit: Gerd Altmann via pixabay.com
