Fitzy Bitzy: Fitness Blog – Weight Loss Blog – Trainer Blog

Let's face it, you can read up on all the different techniques and tricks to help you lose weight or get in better shape, but if you don't have the willpower to do it, then all the reading and learning in the world is going to mean diddly-squat.

So many people start out with so much hope, but when they run into any bit of frustration, they decide they've had enough.  Who can blame them?  It's human nature.  We are a fast-paced society that expects results now!  We don't remember that our poor level of fitness is a culmination of bad choice after bad choice, and when we start working out, we expect that only one choice will change it all and will change it fast.  But it doesn’t work that way.  Deep down, we all know that weight loss takes time, but we hope that we might be that special case or that special testimonial where it only takes us a month to lose 10 lbs.  By now, you should know that losing 10 lbs. in a month is a very rare occurrence; in fact, the more common occurrence is to lose maybe a pound or two, or possibly even zero pounds, in the first month. 

Make no mistake about it, weight loss is a battle; it's a battle with your body and it's a battle with your mind.  Your workout program is set up to combat that excess body fat that continues to creep up on your waistline, but on top of that, your program also creates a battle that goes on between your ears.  And although the battle inside your body is definitely important, the real battle is the one that takes place in your head. 

Look at any person who has successfully lost body fat, not the ones who seem to yo-yo back and forth from one weight loss pill or fad diet to the next, but the ones who go about it the right way with good, old-fashioned exercise and eating improvements.  These successful people share one thing in common; it's not that they all do cardio or they all lift 15 repetitions for their exercises, it's that they all have a mindset that no matter what happens, they will persevere.  These are the people who are dedicated to what they're doing, and who have made up their mind that they are truly tired of their old self and want to transform into a new person … not literally, of course. 

So how do they do it?  Well, I've said it before, but it's all a state of mind.  They develop a positive mindset, and doing so is a very powerful thing.  In Jack Canfield's (cocreator of Chicken Soup for the Soul) book, The Success Principles, Jack goes into detail about when you start to expect to do something, and you actually talk and live as though you have already done it, your brain can't distinguish the difference, and it actually thinks that you have already accomplished it too.  What does this mean?  It means that your brain starts to kick into overdrive to see to it that it carries you across the finish line. 

One way that I've found is very effective for helping my clients develop this mindset is to get them to think as if they have already accomplished their goal.  It's not, "I want to lose 20 lbs." or, "I will lose 20 lbs."  It's, "I have lost 20 lbs."  There's a big difference between the three, and the latter is the one that will take you to your goal.

To start to think this way takes some time to adjust to, but I've found that using material objects is a great way to move toward this way of thinking.  When I sit down in front of clients, I have them picture one thing that will really motivate them to see their results through to the end, no matter how long it takes.  It could take a month, or it could take several years, whatever it is, it's essential that they stick it out.  One of the most common and most effective ways I've seen clients develop the right mindset is to think of an outfit that they want to wear.  It could be something they used to fit into, or it could be a new outfit.  I tend to like the new outfit idea because the fact that they have to spend money to get that new outfit seems to make them more serious about being able to wear it.  Once they figure out what that outfit is, they hang it up in a place where they'll see it every day.  If it's a new outfit, they go out and buy it.  Yes, they may get some weird looks when they're buying an outfit for themselves that's clearly too small at the present time, but by having the outfit hanging up, it trains their brain to assume that they already fit into it, and it helps them to commit to the goal.

Another method that is effective is to find an old picture of yourself, one that send chills up your spine to see what you used to look like, and hang it up on your fridge or by your computer (some place where you are guaranteed to see it).  It could be one where you were a lot thinner, or it could be one where you were even heavier.  Whichever it is, use it as motivation to continue working toward your goal. If it's one where you are thinner, whenever you don't feel like working out, look at that picture and picture what it's like looking and feeling thinner and healthier.  If it's one that you are heavier in, use that as motivation to never look and feel like that again … ever. 

By using techniques like these, you will develop a mindset that pushes you to the end result.  Start living as though you have already achieved your goal, and use some positive reinforcement, like these two techniques, to help keep you on the right path.  Wake up every morning, look at yourself in the mirror, and say, "Today is _____________ (the month, day, and year your goal has been achieved), I have lost ____ lbs., and I weigh ____ lbs. and fit into size ____ pants!"  (Fill in whatever number goes in the blanks and use whatever article of clothing you want to use.)  Speak your goal into existence, and make sure you're speaking a goal that has a deadline.  By acting as though today is the day you have achieved your goal, you'll also create a sense of urgency to reach your goal.  This will help you from becoming complacent and will really push you to take the necessary steps to accomplish your goal.  I use this type of goal-setting on myself, and I love it because having a deadline really does push me to achieve what I've set out to do.  So much of achieving success has to do with your thoughts more than your actions, and when you win the battle going on in your mind and develop the right mindset to achieve your fitness goals, your weight loss war is almost over!   

Don't just say your goal to yourself, write it out.

Today is _________________, and I, _____________________ (your name), have lost _____ lbs., and I weigh _____ lbs. and fit into size _____ pants (shirt, dress, suit, etc.)!

____________________________        _________________
                Signature                                       Date    

Once you write up this contract with yourself, display it in a place you'll always see it.  (Frame it by the front door, tape it to your steering wheel, tape it to your bathroom mirror, etc.)

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