How to Mentally Prepare for Weight Loss: The Importance of Mental Preparation When Dieting
Starting a diet or new lifestyle plan takes some preparation. Not only do you have to prepare to exercise and have healthy foods on hand, but you also need to m
entally prepare for weight loss. Consider how different things are when you are on a diet and how different your life can be once you’ve reached your weight loss goals.
Weight loss success comes from willpower and being able to follow a diet plan. Willpower comes from how you think about weight loss and dieting. Ask yourself why you want to lose weight. Visualize yourself at your goal weight. Believe that you can reach your goals and commit to making it happen.
How to Mentally Prepare for Weight Loss
Write in a journal about your thoughts regarding weight loss. Describe how you look and feel now, and then describe how you want look and feel. Look at the differences and make a plan on how you can achieve your weight loss goals.
Choose a diet that is compatible with your food preferences, behaviors and lifestyle. Drastic changes, unrealistic expectations and starvation diets only cause setbacks in your weight loss goals. Instead, find a plan that meets your needs and provides a healthy diet plan.
Pick out an outfit in a smaller size than what you currently fit into. Hang the smaller outfit somewhere you can see it everyday for extra motivation.
Line up your weight loss support team. Enlist friends, relatives and co-workers to ether join in your diet and exercise plan or to support your efforts in doing it.
Design an exercise plan. Schedule a few light workouts to start out. Gradually add time and intensity to your sessions over time. Decide if you will join a gym, walk outdoors or play a sport to get more active and burn calories.
Map out your weight loss success. Set both short and long-term goals.
Weigh in weekly and keep track of your progress. Set up a chart before you begin your diet plan.
Mentally prepare for failure. Along with your successes, you are bound to experience the occasional failure too. We all have weak moments, bad days and plateaus. Have a plan for how to deal with these setbacks and how to get yourself back on track.
Regardless of the diet plan you choose to follow or how you plan to lose weight it is important to put as much emphasis on your mental well-being as your physical health. Reward yourself as you reach weight loss goals you set for yourself to stay motivated.