Tip of the Week

The Most Important Positive Weight-Loss Strategy: Your Mind!

How many people do you know that looked at themselves and didn't like what they saw. Their instant response may be "I need to lose weight, now!" Then they jump into a diet that makes big promises with "little effort" and they soon get discouraged and quit.
For many, this is a cycle that feeds into the mentality that they don't have what it takes. Let's face it: People are critical. And not just to others, their outward cynicism is a reflection of how they communicate with themselves. The problem is, the more someone fails or doens't achieve a goal (that was probably set too high to begin with) they criticize themselves and add the failure to an evergrowing list of past failures. After awhile of the cycle, it gets harder as a trainer to convince them they have what it takes to succeed.

Step 1: Start everyday with a few minutes of positive mental reflection. Either meditate on the positive qualities or look in the mirror. As you look at yourself, for every negative comment you make about a feature, counter it with a positive. You may feel this to be hard at first. And that's okay. You have downgraded yourself for a long time (honestly- probably years) and it'll be hard at first to treat yourself differently. Practice makes perfect and this will help lay a positive foundation to build on when you start your lifestyle changes.

Step 2: Regular exercise is proven to increase endorphin levels thus increasing mood and self image.
Once you've started loving yourself more and criticizing less, exercise will be more beneficial. Anyone will tell you that exercising makes them feel better about themself. And I know this to be ABSOLUTELY the #1 benefit as a result of my weight loss. Health is great, weight loss is great, but it isn't the end all solve all problems. It is the positive mental growth you gain from it that affects all other aspects of your life.

Step 3: READ CAREFULLY: FALLING OFF OF THE BOAT IS NOT THE SIGN OF FAILURE- IT'S THE SIGN OF BEING HUMAN! So many times we get caught up in the details of our goals. We want weight loss. We need to work out 5 times a week (or wherever you stand on your lifestyle changes) and if we don't we failed and that's it- time for ice cream and Wheel of Fortune! NOT TRUE. Any one with significant weight loss can't count the amount of times they fell off of the boat. What makes them a success is their MENTALITY! Get back on it! The benefits haven't left you; they're still there and always will be!

Whether it's a week or a month- it's never the wrong time to workout. The gym doesn't care that you haven't been there and your body only cares that you don't give up. This is where your positive internal dialogue will help you the most. Love yourself enough not to give up. Remember- either you make the change or you don't. There is no kind of when it comes to a positive healthy lifestle. START TODAY!