Weight loss is about staying committed to diet and exercise. But, in order to do that successfully, you must have your head in the right place. As a weight-loss coach, I have seen women both thrive and fail on the same plan. The only difference between the two extremes is the mental edge that one has over the other. Do you have a goal so big that it feels overwhelming and unattainable? Grab your opportunity to create a mind-shift here, and learn ideas that will transition you from feeling overpowered by the weight, into a state of strategic mental planning.
Jaylene Welch, a client with a 105 pound weight loss success story, shares her top five tips for success. In addition, she discusses how she has become quite a fitness enthusiast. She's completed five half marathons, five 10Ks, and four triathlons; Jaylene's mind-set has shifted from a diet mind-set to simply living fit.
Each of the tips shared have been tested and used with great success, and continue as a lifestyle habit.
1-Small Achievable Goals
It's important that you put more focus on 'How you plan to lose it', rather than 'How much you have to go'. So often people say "I have so much to lose, I don't know where to get started." The overall poundage is much too overwhelming for your mind to identify as a goal. You need to break it down so that your mind can grab hold of objectives that can be broken down into easy daily tasks. In other words, set small goals; big enough to matter but small enough to achieve.When Jaylene started out, she had over 100 pounds to lose. The mere thought of that was very overwhelming for her. So, she focused on only achievable increments; not even concerning herself with anything more than 5 pounds at a time.
Once you've reached your 5-pound goal, celebrate it as if you lost 20. Never demean your hard work by saying, "I've only lost 5 pounds." That is a self defeating way of thinking. Instead, treat it as a big deal. Buy yourself a new workout video as a reward, or treat yourself to a spa appointment. Do something that makes you feel like you won a prize. Jaylene celebrated by posting a victory song on her Facebook wall. She liked 'Another One Bites the Dust' by Queen. It was her way of staying accountable with her friends and celebrating with them. After your celebration, reset your mind and start over; working towards the next 5 pound goal.
2-The Scale Fibs
Putting too much emphasis on the scale can be a negative mental strategy. Your body fluids are always fluctuating, and often the number on the scale is inaccurate. Jaylene remained disciplined throughout her journey, yet many times, she would get up on a Monday morning and the scale had jumped 3, 4 or even 5 pounds. In order for her to have actually gained that amount of weight, she would have had to ingest 10 to 17 thousand calories more than her allotted daily intake. Because she knew she hadn't gone on a binge that week, she quickly learned that not all pounds on the scale are truthful.- 1
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