Nutritionists told how to program your psyche for weight loss in 8 steps

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While some people think they are losing weight without any effort, others try to lose every gram. According to experts, one of the reasons for this may be the way of thinking. What is behind this and how can you train your psyche to be “slim”?

The body and psyche go hand in hand, as they say: crisis situations “hit us in the stomach”, grief “breaks our heart”, and when we are scared, “words get stuck in our throats”. Everything is going well. But what is the point of losing weight?

“Our brains are pre-programmed with our past behaviors and beliefs. The key to success in losing weight is working on your own attitude towards the topic of losing weight,” says a dietitian.

Losing weight is a goal for many people. Many people want to eat healthier foods.

However, only 20-30 percent of those who want to lose weight manage to permanently reduce their body weight. So why are some people doomed to a lifelong diet, while others seem to stay slim without much effort?

In addition to genetic aspects such as metabolism, individual mental state also influences individual success in losing weight.

“Psychological factors, such as self-control, motivation, or the ability to cope with emotional stress, have a significant impact,” says the dietitian.

“A self-fulfilling prophecy”

As the doctor explains, our internal attitude towards losing weight and ourselves is influenced by what, what and how much we eat, and even determines our behavior during sports. Success in losing weight is largely related to our self-image.

It is based on the following basic principles:

• A person's body weight depends on their self-image.
• If you consider yourself sporty, active and fit, you behave like a person who loves movement.
• If you consider yourself fat, unsportsmanlike and lazy, you act the opposite way. The motto is true: “Playing sports and sports are not for me, I have come to terms with it.”

These factors create a kind of “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Since people tend to have patterns and habits that seem to them to be the “only truth,” they tend to identify with them.

For example, many people are convinced that they are fat, unathletic, and lazy, and according to their beliefs, they adhere to their behavior in order to steadily restore their familiar state.

The result: a constant vicious circle. If your own weight loss plan fails over and over again, each failure will be punished with anger and further self-depreciation. You give up on yourself again and go back to old behaviors.

Losing weight puts pressure on you

Another problem: most people consider weight loss stressful.

The fear of failing and thus “exposing” your supposed lack of discipline puts pressure on you and usually ends in one of two scenarios:

• You no longer feel the pressure and give up right from the start.
• Cortisol levels rise due to constant stress in the body and make it almost impossible to lower them.

Cortisol is also known as the “stress hormone” and, together with other messenger substances, regulates carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism.

“If its concentration is too high, the hormone causes the breakdown of protein in the blood and the release of glucose. As a result, the body is on alert – ready to act at any moment to quickly respond to perceived danger.”

Eight steps to your dream figure

To avoid a constant cycle of self-sabotage, the doctor recommends eight steps that will help you lose weight.

1. Let go of the idea that others think you're fat

Don't always think about what others might think of you.

“Most people don't care what you look like. Don't let anyone influence your self-esteem – you are your own biggest critic, and you can also be your own biggest motivator.”

2. Let the past stay in the past

Stop blaming yourself and look to the future with optimism. Let go of what was.

“You didn’t intentionally sabotage yourself. If you could do it better, you would. What matters is what you can and want to do today.”

3. Be kind to yourself

Feel yourself: how do you talk to yourself? How does your inner critic express itself? Become aware of your negative thoughts and reprogram yourself. Try to look at your body neutrally and appreciate it for what it is – a miracle of nature. What do you value about yourself?

4. How does a healthy lifestyle fit into your daily life?

Try to combine your current daily routine with new positive activities. Examples of this include:

• Walk 10,000 steps every day for 30 days.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Work out twice a week.
• Eat a large portion of vegetables with every meal.
• Drink plenty of water every day.

5. Take it one step at a time.

Gradually introduce more and more exercise into your daily life. Take the stairs, get off the train one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way, take a walk every evening. Turn it into a game, finding more and more ways to incorporate more exercise into your daily life.

6. Have fun

A simple but even more valuable tip: enjoy what you do. Don't force yourself to do something you don't want to do. Combine unfamiliar new activities with existing positive habits. Instead of reading on the couch, you can listen to a book as a radio show while walking.

7. Find a partner for weight loss or exercise

“It's easier in a community, it's more interesting and fun. You don't have to be a lone warrior.”

Whether in a club or just as a couple: motivate each other and stay true to your activity. This unites you and binds you to your activity.

8. Stay with us

Finally, the most important keyword: routine. Set certain days or times when you do your things.