Most people have been on some type of diet in their life, whether it was to lose weight, gain muscle, for health reasons, or just out of curiosity. If this is you, you might also have experienced the obsession that often happens. Obsession with clean ingredients and foods you eat, obsession with weighing and measuring, obsession with numbers, and burning the right amount of calories through workouts.
Is it possible to lose weight without all the obsession? Yes! But you need to have the right mindset going into it, and stop some of those obsessive habits that might occur when you want to lose weight. Use these tips to lose the obsession and lose weight.
Write Down What You Eat, Not How Much You Eat
If you really want to write down what you eat, don’t write down amounts, calories, portions, or any type of number. Just record what you eat each day, and maybe why you chose to eat that food. This is going to help you with your intuitive eating and learning to listen to your body. It also lets you see if your meals were properly balanced.
You can look back on your notes later, just in case you have food sensitivities you weren’t aware of. Plus, you still feel a little bit of that control you got when counting calories, but without numbers to trigger you.
If you feel you have a poor emotional relationship with food, this Intuitive Eating Workbook and Journal can help you identify your feelings about food and repair that relationship.
Stop Weighing Yourself Every Day
What is weighing yourself really offering you? Aside from satisfying your curiosity, stepping on the scale is not going to help you, except possibly risk interrupting your positive mindset during this journey.
People often live or die by their scale when they are on a weight loss journey. But it can be so therapeutic to just ditch the scale entirely. You can still look in the mirror to see if you are losing weight. Your body will change and your clothes will get looser.
Appreciate Your Body on Good and Bad Days
Your body is an amazing vessel that has been there for you each and every day, good or bad days. Honor your body and appreciate it now and during every step of this weight loss journey.
Look at yourself in the mirror every single day, finding things you can appreciate. If you are an able-bodied person, just being able to walk, run, jump, or cycle is an amazing gift. Every time you move a muscle, your body is working for you. Show it appreciation!
Find things to be grateful for! Studies show this will boost your mood and create happiness.
Find a Way to Enjoy Your Healthy Lifestyle
Becoming healthier is not about being perfect, but about making progress. Enjoy each step of the way, from finding fun workouts to enjoying the process of cooking healthy meals.