Get Right in the Head

Let me say from the outset that if you don’t have all 3 of these things in place, you could find it very difficult to achieve safe and permanent weight loss.

What we’re talking about is this…

Losing weight effectively is NOT just about diet OR exercise. It’s about diet AND exercise.

But, if you want maximum effectiveness in achieving long-term weight loss, you have to have a more holistic approach.

What this means is that yes, you must eat the right foods, and yes, you must spend time exercising. But there is one more component that isn’t stressed enough. This is the one thing that could derail your weight loss efforts even if you are trying to eat right and exercise.

You see, countless people have tried losing weight with diet and exercise and failed. This could be because of a number of factors, but often times what’s neglected or not talked enough about is the mental or psychological aspects of weight loss.

In other words, if you’re not “right in the head”, your weight loss program could be headed for failure, as you may have already found out.

So, in addition to focusing on diet and exercise, you must focus on your mental state just as much or even more so.

If your mental approach is not right, then you may not be able to sustain your weight loss program. Don’t get me wrong, goals are necessary, and when used and followed through on, they can yield amazing results.

But you’ve probably tried that and what can happen is you can rationalize away why that goal isn’t so important.

Understand that the problem is not necessarily with goals. Goals are great especially if they’re written properly. I believe the problem, which is in your head, is something much deeper inside you that could be working against you. 

Let’s explore the mental approach a little deeper.

First, take a look at this statistic.

Studies have shown that dieters lose 5-10% of their starting weight in the first 6 months, but then it inevitably tapers. In addition, a study showed that about 66% of dieters regained all the weight they had lost within a year, and 97% gained it all back within 5 years.

I’m sure that all of those that “failed” gave it a valiant effort. And of course, there could be a number of reasons for why they couldn’t keep the weight off.

But by and large, I can say with a high degree of certainty that when you don’t approach weight loss the right way, you end up with unsustainable results like the statistics shows.

In obtaining the right mental approach, I think using the word “diet” itself is a problem. The word “diet” seems to promote a temporary solution. In other words, if your goal is long term, then you’re doomed before you start.

So I would suggest you stop using the word “diet” for your weight loss program.

Another thing about “going on a diet” is that conjures up the notion of this big change in your life. Understand that while it’s great to make new healthy lifestyle choices, you have to be careful about how you make the change.

You see, human beings are very much creatures of habit and we’re not always fond of change, especially change that’s very dramatic or change that we feel may have been just thrust upon us.

Think about this for a moment…

What if you could very easily and naturally incorporate a reasonably healthy diet and an effective exercise program into your lifestyle?

I think you would agree that given that situation, it would put you in a position for long-term or permanent weight loss. Right?

So the question is how exactly can we actually make a healthy diet and exercise program a NATURAL part of our everyday life that we look forward to with the right mental state?

Here’s the answer so listen carefully.

You make doing the things that it takes to achieve permanent weight loss a HABIT. Yes, you strive to achieve what I call “The Habit of Weight Loss”.

Now, the real question is how exactly do you accomplish that?

As I mentioned before, we are such creatures of habit and conditioning that, for most of us, if we make changes too fast and/or too drastic, in good time, our old habits will more than likely come back stronger than ever.

So you need to take a more gradual approach. In other words, if you can’t beat them, then join them. What I mean is that if we already have strong habits, why not slowly, easily, simply, and naturally make changes. Don’t make wholesale changes in the blink of an eye.

Another way of approaching it is don’t give your mind and body a reason to fight you, a reason to resist change, because we tend to accept change MUCH easier when it’s gradual. In this way, it is so much easier to “win your mind and body over”.

Trust me, I know the “gradual approach” may not work for every body. But if you’re searching for something different or something that might work, then I would strongly suggest giving it a try.

A final word here about diets. When you go on a diet, you’re usually following a plan that someone else created…probably for money, as we discussed in Tip #1.

But who better to know what works for you than you. The best weight loss program that will work for you in the long run is the one you create for yourself. That’s because no one knows more about what will and won’t work for you than you.

And with that in mind, you can create the perfect permanent weight loss program for you.

Why Tip#2 can help you lose weight fast:

The success (or failure) of any weight loss plan or program you begin will depend on your attitude and mental approach.

For example, you shouldn’t see what you’re embarking on as a “diet” or even a “weight loss program”, for that matter. Instead, why not see and acknowledge it simply as a change in your lifestyle choices. Meaning, it’s no different than any other important choices that you make and incorporate into your life.

You see, the sooner you come to this understanding, the more you will be prepared to stick with your choice and move forward with it more determined and more vigorously. And thus, in the process, doing what you need to to lose weight fast.