Have you ever tried a new weight loss program but couldn’t get it to stick? Or maybe you’ve tried to create a new healthy fitness habit, and it’s proving challenging to follow through with. In pursuing weight loss, we often forget about the power of mindset in helping us stick to our goals.
Our mental attitude can influence our journey toward weight loss tremendously. It isn’t just a superficial boost. A positive mindset can pave the way for resiliency as we meet the inevitable bumps in the road. When we understand the impact mindset has on our health and wellness journey, we can reshape our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors to foster lasting change.
Read on to learn more about the connection between mindset and weight loss and how to approach change for lasting wellness.
The Power of Mindset in Weight Loss
Your mindset is the belief that orients how we handle situations and the environment around us. It can play a transformative role in your weight loss journey.
Some people truly believe they cannot change. Other people change but then retreat to old habits because they face identity challenges. There are endless ways that mindset can support or sabotage your attempts to change a habit.
At Fresh Tri, we have formulated a revolutionary method of habit formation called the Iterative Mindset Method™.
The Iterative Mindset Method is founded on principles in brain science, specifically around a part of the brain called the habenula. When you fail (and, let’s face it, that’s what diet culture is all about), the habenula tries to protect you from that awful feeling by reducing motivation. In other words: you tried that, it felt bad, so your brain is going to keep you from trying it again.
But the good news is that diet culture’s doom loop isn’t an inevitability. You can, in fact, change habits in your life simply by trying on what fits. And, when something doesn’t work, you don’t have to “lose” or “fail,” you simply try again. We call it iterating.
You approach your well-being pursuits as a curious learner: what will work for me? You believe that something will work, you just have to find it. And you keep trying, with sustained motivation, until you incrementally change what you want.
This mindset will keep you in effort and highly motivated to develop healthy habits along your weight loss journey.
Identifying Limiting Beliefs and Negative Thought Patterns
Negative thought patterns and limiting beliefs can stop you from losing weight. The negative narrative we hold in our minds can sabotage our weight loss efforts – we need to identify it to overcome it.
Sometimes when we feel as though we’ve failed, we start to talk poorly to ourselves. We sit in self-doubt or put ourselves down if we don’t hit the unrealistic expectations we’ve created. Because of that, we return to a yo-yo diet and indulge in negative thought patterns.
Rather than letting these negative thoughts dictate our journey, we must address them directly. To kick these negative thought patterns to the curb, we first must challenge them. When negative thoughts arise, we must counter them with positive affirmations of self-worth.
We should remind ourselves of the progress we’ve made. Then, we can replace these negative thoughts with self-compassion and an appreciation for the effort we’ve put into our journey.
Embracing the Right Mindset for Lasting Change
Developing the right mindset requires an active investment in self-awareness. Both resiliency and persistence are natural byproducts of a strong, positive mindset and can pave the way for lasting success.
When you are an iterator, you see setbacks as opportunities to create positive change. Iteration opens the door for a winning cycle, enabling us to be persistent in our efforts to create sustainable, lasting habits at every stage of our weight loss journey.
We must cultivate awareness and harness it for positive change. To do this, focus inward on your internal narrative and pinpoint when negative self-talk rears its ugly head. Try using positive affirmations, visualize your success, and offer yourself compassion during setbacks. This approach can reinforce the cycle of positive thinking that will empower you to overcome any challenge.
Building Healthy Habits and Sustainable Behavior Change
Healthy habits and sustainable behavior change are the foundation for lasting weight loss. Establishing motivation and dedication can be challenging without a positive mindset.
A positive mindset sets the stage for crafting practical and realistic goals. It helps to create an environment supportive of healthy choices. It can also help us identify situations, emotions, or circumstances that lead us to make unhealthy choices. This awareness allows us to develop alternative strategies to align with our goals.
Mindset alone won’t provide all of the answers, however. It must be paired with actionable goals and appropriate coping mechanisms to achieve lasting weight loss. One of the best ways to iterate toward lasting change is through a practice-and-tweak approach, also known as the Iterative Mindset Method™. This holistic approach supports weight loss by nurturing a lifestyle shift that becomes our daily routine.
Overcoming Emotional Eating and Stress-Related Challenges
It’s pretty apparent that we think the mindset has a hand in designing sustainable healthy habits for weight loss, but it goes so much further than that. Mindset can help you take hold of your emotions and stressors to reduce the likelihood of them derailing your weight loss efforts.
When you’re stressed, or your emotions are running high, it’s not uncommon to reach for foods that may take you away from your wellness goals. Practicing mindful eating with a positive mindset can help you become more aware of your choices. Mindfulness encourages you to make choices that will satisfy and nourish your body. This way, you can avoid fueling the negative feedback loop by making a choice that negatively impacts your weight loss progress.
Leveraging a positive mindset can empower you to regulate your emotions in a way that can reduce reliance on food as a coping mechanism. When you replace emotional eating with mindfulness, you’ll discover healthier ways to respond to stressors.
Connecting Mind and Body with Fresh Tri
Understanding the connection between mindset and weight loss can positively influence our ability to achieve and maintain our weight loss goals. This journey goes beyond dieting and exercising – we must reshape our mental landscape.
Approaching life with a positive mindset can help keep us on track with our weight loss goals. Part of that puzzle requires that we challenge ourselves to break free from the limiting beliefs holding us back and adopt a fresh perspective.
There is no shame in trying and iterating every day until we find what works for us. Prioritizing a mindset shift paves the way for lasting change and a healthier, happier life.
Are you ready to practice and improve your health and wellness? Download the Fresh Tri app today and iterate your way to a fulfilling life.
