When you think of losing weight
you probably think of the physical aspects: lifting weights, cardio, and eating. However, a huge portion of weight loss
is mental. Talking with a wide
array of people daily, I’ve noticed one thing is common in each one no matter
how different they are: it’s
mental! We often play mind games,
sabotaging ourselves or preventing further accomplishments. Here are a few tips to think about to
help you stay on track:
- Don’t be afraid to say NO. It is ok to say no to food when it’s
offered. Living in southern
Louisiana, every event or accomplishment is somehow turn into a
celebration centered around food.
It’s ok to say no thank you!
If you feel bad turning it away, you can take the food and discard
it once you get home.
- Positive Self talk. Flip your negative thoughts into
positive ones. Respect
yourself and replace negative thoughts with positive self talk. Everyone needs a support system,
why not believe in yourself and be your own!
- It’s OK to Waste. One big “no-no” is to make a child
finish all the food on their plate before getting up from the dinner
table. Most of us were raised
with this concept, and it has become second nature to always feel the need
to finish eating everything on our plate. Teaching a child this at a young age replaces that “I’m
full” feeling with the idea “I’m not finished eating till my plate is
empty”. Think of it this way,
its better to trash extra food than your body. If this still bothers you, reduce recipes to make portions
appropriate, or save the extras as leftovers.
- Reduce Mental Stress. This may be the hardest one of
all! Find a way to reduce
mental stress, whether it is playing with your kids, yoga, exercise,
etc. Overeating is often
associated with stress and this is a bad habit that should be broken!
- Activities can be fun without food. You don’t have to have popcorn
every time you go to the movies, or you don’t have to eat at every party
you go to, etc Learn how to stop associating fun
times with food and enjoy the moment, visit with friends, etc.
Source:
livestrong.com
Estelle L. Benoit, RD, LDN