You can’t run a marathon unless you train for it. So, why do you think you can lose weight without preparing for it? A big part of the weight loss journey is the mental preparation that you need to do to prepare for the upcoming changes. Call it a diet if you like, but you need to think of it as a dry-run for the rest of your life.
The change in your diet is your new way of living. Before you start changing your diet, you have to consider how you will maintain your motivation, avoid the emotional pitfalls or how you’ll manage them when they crop up. You need to think about your strategies to ensure your success.
1. Establish Realistic Expectations.
You’re about to embark on a potentially life-changing journey. It’s incredibly important that you understand it isn’t going to happen overnight. There are a lot of steps to take, a long road to walk, and many hoops to jump through. You will experience frustration, you may get angry at yourself for slipping up, but to manage that you can establish realistic expectations.
You want to lose 50 pounds, but you won’t see the change in your body that you want for a while. Understand that this is a process. Experts suggest that a weight loss of one pound a week is the healthy way to do it, and you are more likely to keep the weight off that way. That means it will take you just over a year to achieve the 50 pound weight loss.
2. Create a Support System.
You will run into a wall at various points in your weight loss journey. This has to be expected. When this does occur, you need a strong support system around you to help you continue on your journey. You have a plan in place, but support is still important.
It’s easier to tackle a big challenge in your life when you think about the people in your life who will be there to support you as you walk through it. Before you start your weight loss, think about the people you can turn to for support. Just knowing that there are people to lean on is enough to put the wind in your sails.
3. Build a Positive Attitude.
If you feel positive about your journey, then you are more likely to be successful. Take the time now to build a positive attitude. Before you even start your weight loss journey, you can start a gratitude journal that will help you groom that positive mindset that you will need to succeed.
Just think about how much you struggle to continue on when you lose motivation and feel negative about your chances. Now, think about how much different that could look if you have a positive attitude?
4. Know Your Goals.
What do you want to achieve from your weight loss journey? In addition to losing x amount of pounds, what else do you expect to experience? You expect to feel better about yourself, physically and emotionally.
Think really long and hard about what you want to get out of this journey and use that to psych yourself up for the upcoming adventure. It will be easier to push yourself to exercise, eat the right foods, and stick to your plan when you have a clear goal in mind.
Once you have mentally prepared for weight loss, you can begin your journey. This preparation will stand you in good stead for the path you are about to walk. With your plan in place, your motivation high, and your mind prepared, you can only lose weight, of course.
