Think positively

Introduction

When you think about losing weight, what first comes to mind?  Is it self-doubt and deprivation, or self-belief and achieving your goals?  If it¬ís the former your progress is doomed.  If it¬ís the latter then you¬íre well on your way to success. That¬ís because how you think, affects how you feel, and in turn the actions you take. We¬íve listed some of the common slimming saboteurs with ideas for ways to think positive, combat them and achieve what is important to you.

Common slimming saboteurs - and how to cope with them

The Diet - Binge Cycle

Yo-yo dieting with quick-fix diets can get you stuck on the diet-binge cycle. As you will see from the diagram below, this self-destructive cycle does nothing for your self-esteem and belief in your abilities). If it looks familiar to you, keep reading for ways to help you break free. 


Read more: Common slimming saboteurs - and how to cope with them

Are you your harshest critic?

If you were to have a bad day, are you likely to criticise yourself, or feel fine as you recognise the progress you have already made?  Automatic statements we make to ourselves are known as ¬ëself-talk¬í and have a real influence on how we feel and act. Like the first example, self-talk can be negative and destructive or as in the second example, positive and helpful. Try to stay on top of your self-talk. Your diary will help. When you find it getting negative, turn it around to the positive - and positive actions, like believing you can control your weight, will follow.

It was all going well until...

If that big bag of crisps or packet of chocolate biscuits is too hard to resist don’t feel guilty or tell yourself off. If you do, you’re likely to think ‘I’ve blown it now’ and really start bingeing, or worse still give up altogether. Instead follow these steps to keep you on track:

Read more: It was all going well until...

Tips to keep going

Learning new habits takes time. Think back to when you learned to ride a bike. No-one expected you to do it first time. You no doubt fell off a lot and needed picking up, with help along the way. Step by step you took control of that bike and learned how to keep it on course. Just like you will with your weight.

Read more: Tips to keep going