Reviewed by Kimberly Cabe, FNP-BC of Forum Health Rochester Hills
After battling with weight issues for years, attempting several failed diets and giving up on losing weight for good on numerous occasions, optimism is most likely the last thing on your mind. Optimism can play a helpful part in how you work towards your weight loss goals.
Being optimistic involves introducing positive thinking into your everyday life. Optimism is the belief that you can and will achieve your goals. It’s what gives you hope and instills confidence within every fiber of your being. Optimism is the key to sustaining your weight loss success well into the future. Without optimism and a positive attitude towards weight loss, pessimism is sure to hamper the progress you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
So how can you learn to be more optimistic about weight loss? Though some people are born with an inherently optimistic outlook on life, others have to work hard to instill more optimism into their way of thinking. Thankfully, optimism is something you can improve with a little practice.
Here are some optimistic brain training tactics to help shed some light on your weight loss journey.
Smile More
Studies show that facial expressions and the moods that accompany them are contagious. Don’t be afraid to serve up your friends, family and even strangers a friendly smile every once in a while—in fact, they’re more likely to bounce one back at you and continue spreading the infectious feel-good response that you initiated.
Don’t Dwell on the Mishaps
Your weight loss journey may not follow along a straight or level path. You’ll likely encounter setbacks such as not having time to make it to the gym one day or accidentally going over your calorie limit on a weekend after a long week of hard work. Don’t let pessimism take hold of your honest efforts. Push your negative thoughts out of your head by shifting your focus.
Research shows that people who feel they have a better sense of control tend to be the most optimistic. Next time you encounter a negative thought or find yourself dwelling on a simple slip up, take charge of your emotions and actions by shifting your focus towards how you can fix that mistake to stay on track with your weight loss goals.
Don’t Blame Yourself
When it comes to losing weight, it’s easy to always point the blame inward. What am I doing wrong? Why can’t I get up and just go for a walk or run? Why don’t I just put this unhealthy treat down? Every once and a while, you have to give yourself a break. Losing weight is just as much as an emotional journey as it is a physical one. Living the majority of your life overweight is bound to have a psychological effect on how you view yourself and your abilities to achieve your weight loss goals. Learn to let go of the things you blame yourself for and instead focus your energy on having faith and a positive outlook for your weight loss program.
You may not be able to turn into a glass-half-full kind of person overnight, but you can try to foster a more positive way of thinking one day at a time. Next time you feel your inner pessimist trying to take hold of your hard work, use some of these tricks to help you shed some positive light on your weight loss journey.
