Weighing in: The scales and what your mind has to say about it

Let me ask you something. What is the best way to lose weight? Most people reading this would say, “DIET!” What diet is best for weight loss? What diet should I be on? What diet is best for me? Oftentimes the answers to those questions are not easy to find. I mean, how many times have we heard someone say, “I’m trying a new diet right now.” It takes trial and error to find one that fits. AND find one that you can stick to.

So, what if I told you that there’s something even more important than just the diet?

No, it’s not counting calories.

And no, I don’t just mean exercise either.

As important as eating right and exercising are for weight management, you also need to consider your own mindset. That’s right, you have to think about this. Some days you turn up and give 100% towards your goal. Some days 60%. Other days, you just want to curl up on the couch with some popcorn, a movie, and chill. But why? We know we want to manage our weight, but we keep getting in our own way.

What is the biggest barrier to weight loss then?

It’s you.

More specifically, your mind.

We think A LOT. What a stressful day. And then that fight with my girlfriend? You know what, I’m hungry… What’s for dinner? All these little things affect our mindset. The mind is a tricky beast and it’s hard to tame it. It can fool us into doing (or not doing) most things. It makes us procrastinate the simplest of tasks even though it will weigh on our mind constantly. And it’s also great at coming up with excuses why we shouldn’t do something. Or worse, making it SEEM like we’re putting in an effort.

Put these together and they have a greater impact than we think. Our thoughts drive our motivations. Our motivations drive our actions. Without motivations and self-discipline, we’re left with an untouched salad and an empty bag of chips.

Approach your weight management with balance. Nutrition, exercise, health education and the right mindset. This is a reminder to you as much as it is a reminder to me. We must accept that sometimes we’ll fail. We’re only human. We don’t have to be perfect, but we can work towards perfection. Being consistent will get us there.

YOUR MIND is the biggest thing that is weighing you down. Tame your mind and you’ll find your way to achieving a Slimmer, Fitter, Younger You.