You Still Don't Get It? Weight Loss is Driven by Your State of Mind

A national survey revealed that at least 90% of Americans think the biggest barrier to weight loss is diet and exercise. Perhaps this is also why 90% of Americans who are "successful" at weight loss regain the weight within the next three years. Only about 10% of those surveyed believed the biggest barrier to weight loss is mindset, which, of course, is the most fundamental. Odd coincidence that less than 10% of adults attempting weight loss are successful long term. Or is it? The numbers are similar because they represent the exact same thing.

​In the same day, trainers and coaches hear two different clients use the same event as a pretext for completely different behaviors. One client says, "since it was Thanksgiving, I was being hosted and wasn't going to have control over the food, I brought my own food." Great. Nailed it. Another client says, "since it was Thanksgiving and I was hosting, I couldn't control the food and had to eat what I was making for everybody else." Come again? You were responsible for the food and couldn't control yourself? Meanwhile, the other gal was being hosted and still knocked it out of the park. 

Didn't you say the barrier was diet and exercise? The fact that you think this is why you fail. The same people say things like, "I just had to have that bread, cheese, wine, beer, cake, candy, pasta, pizza, etc." Add to that, "I just couldn't make it into the gym because of achy leg, achy back, flu, work, kid's recital, travel, vacation, holiday, car in the shop, etc." In none of these proposed excuses are the special event an excuse to bolster why "diet and exercise" is a barrier to progress. It's still the mindset. It's the acceptance of a special event. Nothing is an excuse event. That only exists in your mind. There is no "had to" or "couldn't" for the driven person hellbent on success.

There are plenty of people with balanced lives who are social, successful, attend holiday gatherings and the like but who don't use special event to preclude doing what needs to be done. Change your mind. If you believe that "diet and exercise" is the barrier and you tally up the special events through the year, you don't have any chance at sustainable progress. Think about the special events. Weekends? Subtract 104 to 208 days out of your progress calendar for the year. Holidays, graduations, birthdays, sick days, vacation days, travel days, heavy work days, family visits, work lunches, stress, etc.? Well, subtract the rest of the calendar out. There aren't any days left. When you learn that changing the body's metabolism is a product of unbroken consecutive days of adherence, you see how faulty this idea is that "diet and exercise" is the barrier. 

It's not the diet. It's not the exercise. It's how fulfilled you are. It's how you derive enjoyment. It's how dominant you feel. It's how efficacious you are. It's how restored you are. First, examine these. Remedy them. Come to understand that you are capable. Rest. Recover. Be driven for a reason. Or else you will be in the impossible battle of "diet and exercise." Movement, pushing yourself and healthily fueling your brain and body must be part of your identity.
To learn how to change your mind and make healthy living part of your identity, click here.