The Psychology of Weight Loss

The Psychology of Weight Loss

There are so many diet programs out there and the success rate of losing weight and keeping it off is discouraging. Around 90% of people who lose weight put it back on again.

My story is very similar, and like a lot of people I have lost weight only to put it back on again, plus an extra few pounds each time. During my studies in psychology and psychotherapy I have discovered that International research shows that the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to make healthy food choices, exercise and work on your mind, which in turn will help you sustain a healthy lifestyle. Taking this approach has helped me lose 6 stone, and from my own experience the MIND OVER BODY WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMME was developed which is based on International Clinical Guidelines on the most effective way of losing weight. The program incorporates a healthy food plan, exercise and behaviour coaching, which consists of 7 steps that will change how you look at diets and stop the never-ending dieting loop.

Have you ever wondered why it is so difficult to lose weight and keep it off? You have read numerous diet books and you have tried many different food plans, but you are still struggling to lose weight?

The issue really isn’t the “what to do” to lose weight, as most people understand the physiology. However, eating less and moving more is not the full answer to permanent weight loss. The real issue is the “how to” lose weight.

The reason why various diet and exercise programs do not show positive long-term results in weight loss is, they do not address underlying issues of why you overeat and how your mind is key to changing your relationship with food. They focus only on how to change your behaviour. Most diet programs focus on what to eat more of and what to eat less of, on fat content, protein, carbohydrates and portion sizes. Those are important issues around weight loss, however what most diet programs forget about is your mind. Your mind is the most important factor in permanent weight loss as the way you think about food and your body, affects your behaviour and therefore your weight. Losing weight and improving your fitness is a physical as well as a psychological process. It requires learning new mental skills and identifying thinking patterns which have hindered your weight loss in the past. Learning those new mental skills will rewire your brain and it will make you change from the inside out.

After you have been on a ‘diet’ for a few weeks, do you find yourself thinking:

I worked hard all week. I deserve a treat/reward.

I am too tired for exercise.

I had one biscuit, my plan is ruined I might as well have another 5!

I am stressed! I need some chocolate.

Those thoughts are unhelpful or sabotaging thoughts. One of the reasons we self-sabotage is that your conscious mind wants to lose weight, but your subconscious is fighting it. As your subconscious is much stronger than your conscious mind, it tends to win most of the time. This goes back to our pre-historic ancestors, where change and weight loss meant danger. Your body is primal. It thinks you live in a cave with limited amount of food available. This way of thinking was very useful in pre-historic times, as it helped the human species to survive. In this day and age however, we are surrounded by an abundance of food and our pre-historic brain does not serve us well in terms of weight loss. The good news is we can reprogram our subconscious and turn sabotaging thoughts into helpful thoughts.

Identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and learning new mental skills takes time and practice. For most people, it is a new skill that has to be learned. It is no different from learning a new sport or a new instrument. For example, if you want to learn how to play the piano, you need to learn a new set of skills. At the beginning, you will find it difficult and you may get frustrated, but the more you practice, the better you will get at it. Once you see the result of your effort, you start to enjoy the experience.

On the MIND OVER BODY WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMME you will get the tools to lose weight the smart way!

www.mindoverbodyweightloss.com

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
WhatsApp

Leave a Reply

Other News

Follow me on my Socials

× How can I help you?