Use Your Mind to Lose Weight

Courtesy of amazon.com
Courtesy of amazon.com

By April Daniels Hussar,SELF magazine


As bikini season approaches, you know that if you want to tone up and trim down, you have to follow a pretty simple formula -- eat better and exercise more. It's not brain surgery, so why is it often so hard to accomplish? According to the authors of a new book, Coach Yourself Thin, it's because weight loss, literally, is all in your head.


Authors Greg Hottinger, MPH, registered dietitian, and Michael Scholtz, MA, both professional weight-loss coaches, say that when it comes to weight loss, knowledge is simply not enough for most people. "Knowledge teaches you how to eat healthfully and how to exercise, and why both are important for losing weight," they say. "And yet, even if your intentions are good, there will come a day when you simply do not want to make those healthy choices."


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Sounds familiar, right? Hottinger and Scholtz say there's a solution -- you have to "change your mind" in some key areas: looking beyond the scale for indicators of success, changing your reaction to slips in healthy behaviors, discovering your own personal motivators and building confidence in your ability to stick with the changes you've made.


According to Hottinger and Scholtz, "all-or-nothing thinking" is the biggest mistake you can make when embarking on a weight-loss plan. "The hallmark characteristics are being a perfectionist, wanting to stick to the rules 100 percent of the time and feeling major disappointment when you slip," they say.


The "cure" for this, they add, "is to adopt an 80/20 approach that is not only more moderate, but allows for planned and unplanned lapses as part of your successful weight-loss journey."


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When it comes to getting yourself into the right mindset to successfully lose weight, Hottinger and Scholtz say their number one piece of advice is, "Don't try to go it alone."


"Most people feel like they should be able to lose weight on their own and underestimate the value of having a safe place to give and receive support from peers on a similar path," they say.


Here are four more of Hottinger and Scholtz's secrets to coaching yourself thin:


1. Be realistic but expansive in your thinking. Most people expect perfection in their behaviors -- giving up all junk food and exercising every day -- but are not clear on the rewards they will get in return. Their goals are usually rather drab, like "look good" or "feel better." Make your expectations more achievable, and expand your goals into an exciting vision of how you want to live your life.


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2. Avoid the quick-fix mindset. Don't fall prey to popular weight-loss myths. For example, by letting go of the false notion that you can obtain a "perfect body" in 30 days, you free yourself from the gimmicky fads and can focus on what is proven to work.


3. Be unstoppable. Use fun, non-food rewards to celebrate your successes; focus on your non-scale victories; set concrete goals; stay accountable for your choices but be forgiving of your slips; and focus on what you are doing well and what you are grateful for to help you navigate through tough times.


4. Tune in to what works for you. Instead of relying on rigid rules to keep you on track, learn to read the signals from your body and mind. By doing so, you'll avoid self-destructive behaviors such as starving yourself and then overeating and exercising to the point of pain and injury. And you'll begin to savor the delicious flavors of well-prepared foods and notice how your body feels as it moves and becomes stronger. Tuning in is a major key to learning to make changes because of how they make you feel versus making changes because you feel you "have to."



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