If you’ve read my blog before you know I’m a big believer in mindset. The more I learn the more I know how important mindset is in losing weight, getting healthy, and really in just about any change you want to make. And my mindset has been pretty crappy lately when it comes to healthy eating. So I’ve come up with this list of 8 ways to fix your mindset (my mindset) when it comes to losing weight, eating healthy, and anything else you might need to change.
That inner voice that says, “screw it I’m eating the cookies,” or, “screw it I’m hitting snooze,” or, “screw it I’m not working on that important thing,” is the mindset I’m going after…It’s the screw-it mentality that can undo hard work or keep us from doing the things we KNOW we need to do.
Think about all the knowledge we have, all the things we know we should do. It’s just a matter of doing them. But how does that happen? Mindset. Having the right attitude to implement all the things. The mentality to resist instant gratification in favor of the bigger goal.
If you want to lose weight, you probably know very well how to do it. Unless we’re talking about the last stubborn five pounds which might take a little more finagling, you probably know: you need to eat better and exercise.
You also probably know a good bit about any number of ways to eat better.
You can probably rattle off any number of exercise strategies and name names of people who have had success with them.
So why haven’t you lost weight?
I’ll use myself as an example here for a minute…I have fluffed up quite a bit over the last 2 years or so. I know why I”ve fluffed up, I know how to de-fluff, and I know I can make it happen because I’ve done it before.
So why am I still fluffy? Why am I still making unhealthy food choices? If I know I should eat to fuel my body, not my emotions, why do I continue to feed my emotions?
Mindset. Attitude.
And the tricky thing about having the right attitude is that it takes work. We can’t just flip a switch. We can’t just want something to fix our mindset. It takes work.
I’ve been trying to think about what got me into the mindset I was in when my eating was at its healthiest. I can narrow it down to a few things (following a plan, having accountability and support), but I can’t just recreate it. Because it’s not about what I KNOW, it’s not about what worked before; it’s about putting it into action. Now. And that takes getting my head in the right space. Sometimes the steps that worked before don’t guarantee success; you need the attitude to go with them.
Sometimes I’m just not feeling it. I have moments of downright apathy when it comes to healthy eating. But something has got to give.
What now then?
How do I fix my mindset? I’m going to keep on keeping on…not beating myself up for where I’m at, not focusing on the negative. And I’ll do my best to remember and practice these tips each day…
- Keep on working on it; don’t give up on yourself
- Remember your goal and your why
- Use visualization
- Be open to motivation and inspiration
- Find support
- Put plans in place
- Start with habits and create routines
- Keep plugging away at it with all the stuff you know until the shift comes. The click. The groove.
For example, I’m looking at old meal plans and food journals. I’m reading motivating stuff, making healthy food in hopes I’ll choose that over the cookies my kid brings home.
And one tidbit I want to share with you today is the power of our thoughts. We are in control of our thoughts, even when it doesn’t feel like it. You are in charge; you can redirect your thoughts. Practice that and see changes in any area of your life. I’m really trying to pay more attention to what I’m thinking and feeling when I’m eating junk.
And in the meantime, be kind to yourself.
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