We all know how to lose
weight. Eat healthier foods, watch your portion sizes, and exercise
more often. It’s a simple formula — so in theory, we should all have no problem
getting to our goal weights and staying there.
But obviously it’s not that easy, or we’d all be at our
ideal weights right now. So if we’re all following the same basic rulebook, why
are some people successful and others need help losing weight?
The difference is mental toughness. Resilience,
determination, willpower — whatever you want to call it, your mindset is what
will ultimately make or break your weight-loss success.
We’re not saying you can simply think yourself thin. The
rules still apply: You need to fine-tune your nutrition and break a sweat regularly. But if you
want to be successful — if you want this time to be different — you need to
have your head in the game. Because your healthiest intentions will be
tested. You’ll have stressful times and comfort-food cravings and days when you
just can’t get motivated to work
out. And that’s when your brain needs to step up to the plate and keep
you on track.
But I have no willpower, and that’s why I need help losing
weight. Should I just give up?
Nope. You just need to change the way you think about willpower.
Willpower isn’t a superhuman trait that only a lucky few
are born with — it’s a skill anyone can build. It comes from knowing what your
weaknesses are, understanding why you haven’t lost weight in the past, and
using that info to build a better game plan this time around.
“Obstacles will happen. It’s our response to them that means
everything,” says Ariane Machin, Ph.D., a sports psychologist in Raleigh, North
Carolina, and co-founder of the Conscious Coaching Collective. “When we can
identify potential obstacles that will get in the way of our goals — and
identify strategies to get through them — the likelihood of success is significantly
higher.”
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