In short answer: they are everything.
If you believe that you can lose weight then that is a huge part of your journey towards losing the weight but fighting against a belief that you can’t lose weight will make it extremely difficult to make that happen. Did you know that science agrees that your beliefs, thoughts, feelings and actions greatly affect your general health and wellness? This leads to the logical conclusion that you can help yourself meet your weight loss goals by building a positive mindset.
The truth is, when you constantly feel depressed and sad about the way you look, it’s no big surprise that you cannot lose weight. Negative thinking will actually lead to sugar cravings and overeating. As master weight loss coach, Brooke Castillo says: ”You can’t hate yourself thin.”
On the contrary, positive thinking can help you boost your motivation and energy levels and as a consequence, you are far more likely to feel empowered to stick to your weight loss plan.
Let’s take a closer look at how positive thinking can lead to weight loss success:
Stress and Weight Loss
I’m sure you can relate to the fact that when you are feeling stressed it is very difficult to have a positive attitude. Unfortunately, stress can make losing weight challenging, if not impossible.
Having said that, by practising positive thinking you will reduce your stress levels. And, as a consequence, you will immediately be more likely to lose weight. Adding a stress reduction practice to your daily routine will help you to reach your weight loss goals quicker. Studies have found that practices such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga and Tai Chi can lower the stress hormone, Cortisol in your body.
Setting Realistic Weight Loss Goals
It is quite easy and common to start thinking in a negative way when you don’t reach your goals. However, this is usually as a result of setting highly unreasonable and unrealistic goals and expectations. Imagine you want to lose 5 kilograms and you only give yourself 2 days. That is an impossible goal!
So, if you want to increase your chances of reaching your weight loss goals then it’s important to set realistic goals. You can also divide those goals into smaller targets and take a step-by-step approach. For example, aim to lose half to one kilogram a week and then set your monthly goals accordingly.
5 Strategies for Cultivating a Positive Mindset
It’s not sufficient to merely claim that you practice positive thinking, what matters is that you truly believe your positive thoughts. Practising some of the following strategies may help you to embrace a positive mindset.
- Keep inspiring images, affirmations, quotes and goals somewhere you can see them every day to remind you to adopt a positive mindset or you can even set a reminder on your phone with regular pop-ups.
- Be mindful and appreciate even the smallest positive things and joys. Don’t just wait for something huge to happen. Instead, celebrate small joys and wins and give yourself the credit you deserve.
- Make notes of at least three good things that happen to you every day. Even better, choose the things that you had an active role in controlling. By doing so, you will teach your brain to focus on all the little things you usually ignore.
- Oppose negative thoughts and self-criticism. Whenever you realise you are being hard on yourself, try to change the thoughts in your head to something more positive.
- Visualise the best possible version of yourself in one, five or 10 years time. Such mental imagery will help you determine what’s most important in your life and will inspire you to reach your goals.
Affirmations for Weight Loss
Affirmations are one of the most powerful tools for embracing and initiating change. Therefore, you can use affirmations daily to help you think positively and aim towards your weight loss goals. Here are three effective weight loss affirmations:
- I am enjoying optimal physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health.
- I am learning how to love my body.
- I love and approve of myself.
Best Positive Thinking Quotes for Weight Loss Success
Last but not least, you can find motivation and inspiration to meet your weight loss goals by reading some quotes by famous people on the power of positive thinking.
- The mind is everything. What you think you become. –Buddha
- Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. –Alice Walker
- If you can dream it, you can achieve it. –Zig Ziglar
- The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude. –Oprah Winfrey
Now that you know all about the power of positive thinking and weight loss success, it’s the perfect time to start believing that you can change and can reach your weight loss goals.
Go out there and achieve your goals!
Medical Disclaimer: All information contained in this blog is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent health problems. For all serious health issues, please contact a medical or nutrition practitioner. The information provided in this blog is based on the best knowledge of the author at the time of writing and we do not assume liability for the information within this blog, be it direct or indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages.