A lifestyle diet has everything yet nothing to do with food. Here’s why…

This last week I have been thinking about the impact our mindset can have on our weight loss and fitness. How’s this for an oxymoron….

 
The typical diet dilemma has everything to with food AND yet a true diet’s focus really has nothing to do with food.

….It’s a focused adjustment of our MINDSET so that healthy choices feel right—and don’t feel like deprivation, hard work or punishment.

 
Losing body fat requires more than a change in your diet, you also need a change in your MINDSET. You need to WANT to eat healthy rather than unhealthy food, to exercise rather than skip it. Know the benefits and desire these things.
A lot of people may do an 8 week challenge or a 30 day healthy eating plan, etc and lose a good amount of weight and increase their fitness. Now, It’s not just because they are on that ‘particular’ diet that made them lose the weight, but rather because they are in the right mindset. They made a decision to do what they needed to do and implemented a right mindset of what they were wanting to achieve.
Good news! You too can see the results you are looking for if you utilise some strategies to help you get in the right MINDSET to achieve your goals.

 
Success comes in your health and fitness journey when you have the right mindset about 1) food, 2) exercise, 3) your body and 4) your goals.

1) FOOD - is not your enemy! We need to have a healthy relationship with food. One where food is seen as an energy source that we can enjoy rather than something to fill a void or make us feel good. Food has the ability to make us feel energetic or sluggish, satisfied or craving more, therefore our food choices can determine how we feel both physically and emotionally. Food is ultimately the fuel our bodies need to nourish and grow strong, healthy bodies.

2) EXERCISE - is your best friend! Exercise makes an amazing difference in our lives. It not only burns fat and improves strength, but also improves mobility & flexibility, helps with stress and sleep, reduces the risk of heart disease, increases bone density, gives us energy, is a good antidepressant, allows us to be more active, helps with memory, boosts self confidence, and increases length and quality of life. I don’t know about you but that’s enough incentive to keep me active! I believe exercise is not a phase or added extra in life, but is key to a happy and healthy lifestyle.

3) YOUR BODY - Learn to appreciate your body, no matter what current state it’s in. Hating your body is only going to affect your mindset, your self esteem and your weight loss. In order to break through the plateau and release stubborn excess weight, first you need to accept your current body reality and be OK with it. This doesn’t mean that you want to stay the way you are forever, but you need to accept the current reality of “This is what I did to my body and this is how I currently look. No matter what, I still love and appreciate my body”.
I know this is a hard thing for some, but this mindset shift will impact your weight loss journey. Only then will you be free to relieve the internal tension, feel at ease and focus on achieving positive changes.

4) YOUR GOALS - As I have said before, your goals are thing that will keep you “going” when you don’t feel like it and your ‘WHY’ will give you the motivation and dedication to commit to your goals. What are your GOALS? Write them down and make them clear, measurable and achievable. What is your ‘why’? Why are you wanting to achieve these goals? So you can run around with your kids, so you can be confident and feel good, so you can wear a bikini again, so you can participate in Tuff Mudder? Find out your ‘why’ and write them down.

 
Visualise what you want, have purpose, commit, stay focussed, and have a plan of action.
Setting goals and working towards them ensures success.

Here are some strategies to implement that will help you have the right mindset and achieve your goals:

1) Keep your end goal in mind. Does the choice fit with your goal or take you in a different direction? Be results-focused.
2) Apply mental filters. If you concentrate on a negative comment or thought and filter out all the positive ones, you will nearly always be disappointed with your performance, even when you ought to be proud of it.
3) Stop the negative talk in your mind. Don’t allow negativity to rule your mind, or it will hold you back in life and everything you want to achieve. Practice positive self talk. The last thoughts we have are what stay in our mind. Let them be positive and constructive, not negative and destructive.
4) Know your strengths and weaknesses. We all have these. Recognise your strengths and use them. Know your limitations and your weaknesses so that you don’t put yourself in a place of vulnerability.
5) Don’t be afraid to make a course correction when necessary. Learn how to “correct yourself” when you find yourself going too far or not keeping in line with your goal. We all have “blow outs” when it comes to food, drink or exercise. Don’t be down on yourself about it and concede to continuing on that path. Rather accept the “blow out” happened, then refocus and move on towards your goals. When you experience a setback, don’t dwell on it.
6) Develop core competencies that will help you reach your goal.
7) Stick with your decisions in most cases; constant course correction makes the road 10 times as long. At times will need to do course correction, but ultimately you will get results much quicker if you stay on course in the first place.
8) Decision-making is a huge key to success. We make many decisions each day, and they either take us closer or farther away from our goals. Do you know what effects your decisions are having on your goals? Spend a few minutes thinking about the last few decisions you’ve made and decide whether they are in line with your goals or taking you farther away from them. The question I personally ask myself when making a decision is: “Is this going to help me achieve my goals?”

 
Remember that learning new habits and ways of thinking about things 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. Step by step, and with the right support, you took control of that bike and learned how to keep it on course. Just like you can with your mind and your body.

Which mindset for success tricks can you put in practice today? Share your best success habits with us in the comments below.

When You Master Your Mindset, You Free Yourself To Achieve The Level Of Success You Desire.

Always here to help!
Julie xx
Full Body Fitness