Eating Healthy To Lose Weight

Don't Do It For Your Looks

We all know we should be eating healthy to lose weight.  But what is our 'real' motivation to losing weight?  Is it....

“I’m getting married next spring so I’m going to lose 20 pounds!”

“When I get skinny, I’m going to attract the perfect man.”

“I’d feel better about myself if I could lose the weight.”

How many times have we heard these words?  (Or said them to ourselves!)  Yes, we are generally more attractive when we’re thin.  And yes, we generally feel better about ourselves when we like how we look.  But using this type of motivation to lose weight sets us up for failure and does not contribute to womens health wellness.

Losing weight in order to ‘look good’ is emotionally complicated.  Very complicated!  We have thousands of emotionally charged memories stored in our brains that relate to our ‘looks’.  (maybe hundred of thousands)  How we ‘feel’ about our looks is too complicated – so don’t go there!  When we attempt to lose weight by using the motivation of “better looks” we are setting ourselves up for failure.  It might work in the short term, but it’s likely we’ll gain it all back.  (which is why research confirms that dieting does not work)

The key to eating healthy to lose weight is to simplify.

I’m talking about simplifying your MOTIVATION so that you can’t ‘talk yourself out’ of your goal.  Our emotions easily get the best of us and we lose our focus.  Here is the very best and most simple motivation for weight loss:

“Every day, I am constantly improving my health.”

When we are eating healthy to lose weight from this perspective we are setting ourselves up for success.  We are creating a positive feeling of well being.  This positive mindset will lead you to self awareness and understanding your mind body connection. You will appreciate your body and all its little idiosyncrasies whether you have a carbohydrate sensitivity or how the glycemic index affects you.

Tell yourself this simple sentence every day – several times throughout the day.  Let positive feelings become activated every time you say this to yourself.  This simple sentence (supported by positive feelings) will guide your actions throughout the day.

Living well is about our choices.  Every meal or snack we eat is a choice.  It can be an unhealthy choice or a healthful choice to improve our health.  Every opportunity to “take the stairs instead of the elevator” is a choice to improve our health.  Deciding to go for a walk today is a choice to improve our health.  Going to the gym today is an opportunity to improve our health.  I’m sure you’re getting the idea!  We are always in choice concerning our physical fitness and wellness. Our choices and how we think contribute greatly to Womens health wellness.

Don’t skip meals to get into your skinny jeans.  Don’t get caught up in the idea that your life would be so much better if only you could lose the weight.  And most of all – don’t lose weight for ‘him’!

Eating healthy to lose weight from this mind set empowers us to become stronger, healthier and happier!