Getting Over Your Mental Block About Weight Loss

Losing weight can be an intimidating task, especially if you’re substantially overweight, if you’ve failed in the past at losing weight, or if you’ve never tried a weight loss program before.  The truth about losing weight is that the hardest part is getting started with your new lifestyle.  Many people simply cannot find the motivation to begin a weight loss program, and continue being overweight and unhappy.  But if you can just remove the mental block that’s keeping you from losing weight, you can stop procrastinating and get started today.

Realize that it’s possible

If you’ve been overweight for a long time, you may not believe that it’s really possible to lose weight at all.  You see ads on TV all the time featuring people who have lost a ton of weight, but they’re all trying to sell you something.  What about real life?  The fact is that people can and do lose significant amounts of weight all the time in real life.  They just know how to set realistic goals and stick to them.

Have patience

It’s certain that you’re eager to lose as much weight as possible right away, but it’s important to temper your expectations to make sure that you will stick to your weight loss plan in the long term.  The normal rate of successful weight loss for most people is 1 to 2 pounds per week.  That may seem slow, but it’s highly preferable to lose weight at such a slow rate, since that’s the most likely way to keep the weight off in the long term.  People who go on crash diets and lose a ton of weight quickly tend to also gain it back quickly.

Be positive

Many people struggle with weight loss because they associate eating and being overweight with feelings of guilt.  You may feel bad about yourself because you are overweight and turn to overeating to make yourself feel better.  You may even feel that you do not deserve to be thin.  The truth is that being overweight or not is simply a matter of deciding to do something to change your situation.  It’s not a matter of morals or judgment or who deserves what.  Rather, it’s a simple scientific equation that has nothing to do with morals.

So simply decide that you are going to work to be thin until you have results, and you will have successfully overcome your mental block enough to get started on your new life.

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