Positive Self Talk for Weight Loss. Does Positive Self Talk Work?
Did you know that how you speak to yourself can have a big impact on your weight loss? That’s right, positive self talk is important for weight loss. It’s not just your diet and how much you exercise, self talk is a big part of it. When people are unhappy with their weight, they tend to have a lot of negative self talk:
Am I good enough? I’ll never reach my goal? What happens if I fail? Should I just give up now?
The truth is, a negative mindset can actually set us up for failure. To do our absolute best in life, particularly when it comes to weight loss, we could all do with improving our self talk. Does self talk work? Let’s find out!
What is positive self talk?
Our inner dialog is self talk. Positive self-talk is keeping this dialogue hopeful, positive and constructive even in times that things may not be going well for us.
Does positive self talk really help with our weight loss?
Research does show that people with a positive inner self talk perform better day-to-day, and they also have better overall physical and mental health. Positive self-talk can set up the whole tone for our lives, and help us overcome obstacles, solve problems, and even cope better with life’s challenges.
It can be very difficult to talk on a more positive inner dialog, especially if we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on the negative!
How to adapt a more positive self-talk?
How do we work on having more positive self talk? Like with so many other aspects of losing weight, being mindful is key! We need to learn to observe our thoughts and notice patterns. Try the following:
- Be conscious of when you’re thinking negatively.
- What is causing your current thoughts and mood?
- Are they stemming from something external to you, like a problem at work or your relationship? You must realise that these problems don’t own you and they don’t define who you are.
- When you face an issue, remind yourself that it’s temporary. Will it still be a problem tomorrow? Next week? Generally, the answer is no. So don’t allow it to effect your mindset.
Positive Self Talk and Weight Loss
Any weight loss journey is going to have highs and lows. As I always mention to my members, everyone’s journey is different. Some will drop the pounds quickly while others will struggle. There will be days that you may feel like you are getting nowhere, there will be days when you will do fantastic, and there will be days when the scales show an increase. There is no shame in having bad days. The key is, never let yourself believe that you aren’t good enough because you’ve had a bad day. And don’t let this “bad day” change your entire mindset.
As I always say, instead of falling completely off plan when you mess up, hit the reset button, don’t lose hope!
10 positive affirmations for Weight loss. We can use these to help us with self talk. We can say these to ourselves or out loud. You can even write them before bed:
- I look forward to achieving my ideal weight. I will wear that jacket I want to wear and feel good in it. This is my goal and I have the ability to achieve it.
- I let go of all negativity that rests in my body and mind. I choose to be positive.
- It does not matter what other people say or do. What matters is how I choose to react and what I choose to believe about myself.
- I don’t aim for perfection. I accept mistakes and learn from them.
- When things get hard, I will keep going.
- I accept my body and recognise all that it does for me.
- The number on the scales doesn’t define who I am.
- My body is amazing.
- I am proud of my progress.
- Everyday I take small steps towards my goal.
Why not choose a few that resonate to you, and repeat them a few times daily. See what they do for your self talk!
For some more positive affirmations, check out https://weightmatters.ie/positive-self-talk/
How can WeightMatters help?
What I realised long ago, when I lost over 5 stone and kept it off, is that weight loss is about so much more than what we eat. Although that absolutely plays a big role in our weight and health, there are many other aspects that come into play. As part of the WeightMatters programme, we deal with all aspects, as well as how you can overcome your struggles to finally reach your weight loss goal! Why not join up and I’ll be there with you every step of the way!
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