Why an Optimistic Attitude Might Be Your Best Weight Loss Tool
Why an Optimistic Attitude Might Be Your Best Weight Loss Tool
May 18, 2016 at 2:07 PM
If you’re reading this, chances are you know as well as anyone how difficult losing weight can be. The consistent need for mindfulness, discipline, and hard work can be stressful enough without the modern pressures of easy junk food, sedentary jobs, bias against overweight people, and constant media depictions of unrealistic body types. Put it all together, and it’s an easy recipe for pessimism and a general attitude of defeat.
As understandable as this might be, a positive attitude is more than just a necessity for successful weight loss, it’s one of the most powerful tools you can have at your disposal.
Why Optimism Helps with Losing Weight
Losing weight is a long-term exercise in the principles of mind over matter. It’s about regularly making the right decisions for you and your body, from eating well to exercising regularly, starting right now and for the rest of your life. There are an infinite number of attitudes you can take toward this reality, but they can reasonably be said to fall into either one of two categories:
- Glass Half Full: “I’m going to look better, feel better, and live a longer, healthier life! I’m excited to learn what I’ve been missing out on.”
- Glass Half Empty: “I’m going to be hungry all the time, I’m never going to have fun ever again, and I’m probably just going to gain all the weight back anyway. What’s the point?”
Which attitude do you think is more likely to result in positive results?
When you adopt an optimistic, Glass Half Full attitude toward fitness and weight loss, you give yourself the self-confidence that’s needed not only to succeed in losing weight, but to actually enjoy your new healthy lifestyle. A negative, Glass Half Empty attitude is nothing more than its own self-fulfilling prophecy.
An optimistic attitude is also useful in moving beyond slip-ups and relapses into old, unhealthy behaviors. If a person with a pessimistic attitude caves in to getting a greasy fast-food dinner after a stressful day, they might think afterwards, “Well there goes my diet!” before giving up and abandoning their healthy lifestyle altogether. A person with an optimistic attitude in the same situation might thing instead, “That was a bad decision, but it’s not a big deal as long as I make more good decision moving forward. Besides, now I know one of my triggers and how to be smarter in the future.”
Tips for Maintaining an Optimistic Attitude During Weight Loss
Focus on Why You Want to Lose Weight
As we’ve written about before, weight loss is as much about “why” as it is about “how.” That means focusing on what it is that’s motivating you, beyond guilt or shame. Maybe it’s your health, maybe it’s so you can see your grandchildren grow up, or maybe it’s so you can wear your favorite styles. In any case, by focusing on something you love rather than what you dislike about dieting, you can help yourself to maintain a positive, optimistic attitude.
Celebrate Small Victories
Losing weight is more than just a before and after photo, and if you’re too fixated on the latter you’re going to be discouraged for much of the time in between. Weight loss is achieved one step at a time, and there’s no reason not to pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Find a regular milestone that’s meaningful for you, whether it’s five pounds lost, a new notch in your belt, or wearing a dress that you haven’t been able to since college, and use it as an excuse to celebrate. Buy yourself a present, take a trip to the movies, or reward yourself with a low-calorie dessert. You’ll have earned it, and it will help keep your attitude positive.
Get Help from a Friend
Sometimes a pep talk from a close friend or family member is all you need to turn a bad mood into a good one. If you’re feeling pessimistic, or like your weight loss efforts aren’t worth the trouble, reach out to someone you can trust, maybe even someone else facing similar struggles with their own weight. Odds are they’ll be more than happy to help make you feel better.
If you’re looking for extra help in your weight loss efforts, Medical Weight Loss Solutions in Wallingford, Connecticut offers medically-supervised weight loss programs that will help you slim down and give you the tools you need for long-term maintenance. From diet and nutrition to personal training and counseling, Medical Weight Loss Solutions does it all. Get in touch to learn more.