So, you’ve decided it’s finally time to make some life changes to lead a healthier lifestyle, but you fear the pain of change and denial. Even worse, you hate exercise and any food that’s green. You also love sweets treats, and can’t imagine eating a meal without a dessert to finish. Not only that, but you’ve also grown comfortable with the way you live and the thought of altering that is just too daunting to think about. If you hope to make a change, you need to adapt to a weight loss mindset.
You’re not alone!
Millions of people struggle with the same issues you face; yet, some find a way to make and sustain healthy changes, while others continue to struggle. What’s the difference between these two groups?
Begin at the beginning
The first thing you need to know is that you CAN learn how to get healthy and go easy on yourself while doing it. There are changes that you can make for your busy, healthy family that don’t require massive alterations to your lifestyle. In fact, discovering a healthy lifestyle is about making adjustments to what you’re already doing, while still enjoying life. Once you recognize that you can make SMALL lifestyle changes that lead to BIG results, the process becomes manageable, with less stress and more joy!
Once you change your mindset about the task you’ve set yourself – once you realize there is a simplified, step-by-step process that will allow you to reach your goals – the fear of making changes disappears and frees you to become the healthier, happier person you want to be. In other words, changing your life begins with changing your mind, about who you are and who you hope to become.
Next, you need to accept that there is no One-Size-Fits-All Diet that will make the weight magically disappear – or keep it off. And, since it took years to add the pounds, they won’t come off overnight, either. Yes, it will take work to reach your goals, but you do NOT have to change the world to get there. You just have to change what you accept as “normal”, and move on to the discovery of a new normal, for you.
It’s always helpful to remember that losing weight is actually a pretty simple process; you simply need to burn more calories than you take in. However, you also should remember that there are “good” calories and “bad” calories. Certain types of food fuel your body more efficiently than others, making it easier for your body to process them, and without adding fat. Having said that, there are other types of food you need to lead a better, healthier life – and they do not usually make it to the dinner table.
We will explore those types of foods in succeeding posts but, for now, begin working on the way you think of yourself, your challenges, and your goals of feeling and looking better: begin to develop a weight loss mindset.
