When beginning a weight loss journey, most people focus on caloric intake and exercise. But one aspect is often overlooked: how we feel and think when we are going through the process. The way we view ourselves, the way the world impacts us, and our goals all have the ability to affect us. Thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes about food, exercise, and body image can either support the weight loss process or interfere with our goals.
Mental Perception
Our mind is like a river. When water flows freely, it can provide nourishment, promoting health and well-being. When we remain positive, our mind can care for our body. But blockages, such as past negative behaviors, stressors, or barriers preventing you from reaching your goal, can build up, leading to weight gain, frustration, imbalance of hormones, or even actions that do not resemble who you are.
When removing the emotional blockages and barriers during our weight loss journey, we are acknowledging the cause of the weight gain and health issues. For example, work was very stressful, which caused you to gain weight. The positive result is learning how stress can affect your body. To take care of yourself, develop mindful strategies to help balance stress. If you allow yourself to come first, everything else falls into place. Having a positive mental perception helps everything run smoothly, benefiting your goals and overall emotional health.
Metaphysical Thoughts
Imagine your excess weight as a brick wall you are carrying around. This wall has been built by your subconscious. The purpose is to separate you from other people and from life itself.
Looking closely, you see every brick has something written on it, such as stress, anger, fear, judgment, embarrassment… The weight you are seeking to let go was added to your consciousness before it was added to your body. Your body is like a screen your thoughts are projected onto, including unprocessed feelings, negative ideas, or fear-based attitudes.
We all have negative emotions, but when not processed properly, they get stuck in our minds and then our bodies. Painful experiences are not meant to linger but to teach us what we need to learn and dissolve into memories.
When we ignore or suppress our feelings and memories that cause us pain, our subconscious may try to cope through eating. If we surrender to the pain our subconscious holds, it begins the process of releasing it from our physical bodies. And through bioenergetics, positive thoughts rewire our brains, helping improve our weight and overall health.
Mindset Shifts
To help create a positive mindset toward your weight loss journey, celebrate the little things. Making a healthy food choice or finding an exercise you enjoy and adding it to your weekly routine are moments that prove your mind is welcoming this change. Enjoy nature by taking deep breaths of the fresh air, and meditate, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. Keeping a journal of your decisions that made you feel good can help remind you of the positive changes you are making.
One of the most powerful mental tools during the journey of weight loss is self-compassion.
Be kind to yourself. You already got over the speed bump of deciding a change needed to occur, and now you’re implementing change.
Jane Grant, RDN, CD-N, has been a Registered Dietitian since 2005 and is trained in Integrative and Functional Nutrition to address the root cause of disease and help promote optimal health. Jane is the founder of Grant’s Nutrition and Wellness in Berlin, CT. She can be reached at 860.357.2282 or [email protected]. Visit: www.grantsnutrition.com to learn more.
Maura Stewart, MS, RDN, CD-N, graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2022 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nutritional Sciences. She continued her education and graduated from the University of Saint Joseph with a Masters of Nutrition with a concentration in sports nutrition in 2023. Maura has been a Dietitian with Grant’s Nutrition and Wellness since August of 2024. Bookings with Maura are available at 860.357.2282 or visit: www.grantsnutrition.com.
COMMENTS