The saying “you never regret a Pilates class” is true on many levels. When you get to class, you pat yourself on the back for making it. When you’re in class, the endorphins kick in and you feel great. Lastly, nothing beats that post workout feeling of accomplishment.
So this post is going to talk about “weight loss tips” but the plot twist is that they are achievable and sustainable long-term habit changes. Not only does this result in losing weight but it avoids yo-yo dieting where your weight will go up and down.
Most importantly, it’s less about the weight loss and more about the mental shifts of perception that encourage a happier and healthier life.
It’s true that most of weight loss in a mental process and what is holding you back are your belief systems and bad habits that are caused due to limitations you are putting on yourself. Don’t expect any extreme dieting tips in here, if you don’t already know my stance then check out my article about why diets suck and are bad for your health.
Evaluate Your Attitude Towards Exercise
Why are you working out? Is it for the right reasons? A negative motivation to exercise would be because you think you are fat and want to look as skinny as the Instagram model you follow. A good attitude would be because you love your body and want to continue making it stronger and healthier. The intentions you have towards your workout impact your results because everything is energy and positive energy reaps more benefits than negative. That’s a complicated concept to grasp but something I have learned is that the intent behind the things you do is just as important as the actions itself. If you dread your workouts then you need to stop and find something that you love doing but gives you the same benefits. That’s why Pilates and Yoga are so popular! It’s basically like a meditation that works out your body at the same time. It’s all about being connected with your breath and doing each action with strength and intention.
It’s not about slogging it out at the gym on a treadmill or doing 100 sit ups while thinking about how much you hate sit ups. You might find boxing helps with your mental focus and as such, it’s enjoyable because you reap the psychological and physical benefits. I personally go to Pilates and Yoga for the mental clarity and the improved strength and toning my body is just an added benefit. You can take care of your health with ease and grace – without all the drama and negativity.
Change Your Relationship With Food
Do you shovel down a salad with disgust wishing it was a burger all while thinking of how fat you are and how you wish you had a fast metabolism and could eat crap all day? If you are eating out of fear and not love, that’s the first step to identifying the problem.
You need to be able to understand your relationship with food. You have to see food as a source of energy to fuel your body and increase your strength. If you are looking at food as the enemy or as a “weakness” then you’re doing it all wrong. Let’s circle back to the “everything is energy” statement from above. Your mindset and your thoughts are energy that manifest physically (I’m not talking magic, I’m talking psychology 101).
It’s a known fact that mental illness (depression, anxiety, stress) manifest into physical symptoms such as rashes, swollen lymph nodes and in serious cases….tumours and other abnormalities. Then with this logic…wouldn’t constant negative thoughts and guilt about food give you a warped sense of nutrition? This is how you find yourself with an eating disorder and it can take form in many subtle different ways. Some examples are most evident in restriction which is why I hate diets, especially ones that cut out all fat or all carbs! Side effects include cutting out certain foods and then binging on them later, eating very little calories one day then 5000 the next, binging then feeling guilty and purging. These behaviours are all out of fear of gaining weight and not due to love for the body.
Boost Your Self Esteem
What can often be a vicious cycle is hating on your body because you aren’t taking care of it and not taking care of your body because you hate it.
Anyone remember the quote in Mean Girls “I’m sorry I called you fat. I don’t hate you because you’re fat. You’re fat because I hate you”.
It’s a comedic take on it all but definitely has some truth to it. Let’s go back to the absolute beginning of this article – the mental and the physical are so closely intertwined and your mental blocks can affect you physically. It’s all about having the right attitude and loving yourself – I know right *vomit* SO CLICHÉ! But it’s said to death for a reason… it’s true and something I have had to learn for myself also (I’m a fan of learning the hard way rather than listening to other people’s gems of advice).
So what needs to be done? Work on your self love and boost your self-esteem, these two work hand in hand. Remember, it starts with your mindset. Swap negative thoughts for positive ones, even if it doesn’t come naturally at first you can work on it with time.
Change Your Inner Monologue
Change the way you talk to yourself from “ugh I should workout. My thighs are getting sooo fat. I can’t be bothered to get off the couch though. I’d have to put on workout clothes…and get in the car….and drive to class. I don’t have enough time…plus I’m hungry. This sucks. Why do I even bother, I’m still going to be fat. I’ve had such a long day too. I’m just going to order in some food and watch Netflix, I’ll just get a healthier takeaway and workout tomorrow”.
To… “I know that I don’t really feel like working out right now but I know that once I get to class I will feel so much better about myself. I acknowledge I’m in a negative mood so those endorphins will seriously help. I love my body and it deserves to be taken care of today. It’s the only vessel I have to get me through life and I want to make sure it’s strong and healthy so that I’m not help back physically. Remember how good my butt looked after that last class? Come on, it’s so worth it”.
You can be your own best friend or your own worst enemy. The decision is up to you.
Remember, you are the result of your actions. What you do today defines who you become tomorrow. Constantly be striving to become the best version of yourself and be in competition with you, becoming better every day.
Aristotle once said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act but a habit”.
Quite possibly my favourite quote of all time and definitely my favourite nugget of wisdom from Aristotle. Many philosophers have touched on this theory that we are by products of our decisions and actions every single day.
The past is now irrelevant and it is what you choose to do right now, today, that will impact who you are becoming. Most important, you are becoming that person right now so it is in present.
Hey, I said I had 3 weight loss hacks..I didn't say they were easy. Use your self determination and drive to succeed to make you better in this moment.
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