If you’ve tried to lose weight but have fallen off the wagon over and over again, it may be time to take a long, honest look at yourself. You may be full of good intentions, but if you’re not ready to make the changes necessary to reach your weight-loss goals, they’ll always remain elusive, say Kristy Curtis and Dave Nuku, the trainers on The Biggest Loser Asia.
Here, in part one of an article from Shape Malaysia, the trainers show you how to prep your mind for cutting the fat…this time for good!
Build up your mental arsenal
Losing weight and keeping it off takes much more than just making a resolution to exercise and eat right. Your attitude towards food, not to mention your mental resilience, also play big roles in ensuring your success.
Set your goals
First, set your goals – how much do you want to lose, and by when? Be realistic. “If you set a time frame that’s impossible to achieve, you’re only setting yourself up for failure,” says Curtis.
Plan, plan, plan
Take all the factors involved in achieving your goal into consideration. For example, getting sufficient sleep and effective stress management are crucial when it comes to shedding kilos. Letting exhaustion and stress take over your life can undermine your best efforts to work out and eat right, and it will show on the scale, cautions Curtis. “If your body is stressed, it won’t burn calories efficiently, which means that you won’t lose as much weight as you should. The same goes for insufficient sleep,” says Curtis.
Build a support system
Unless you plan to spend most of your days working out, garnering the support of positive, like-minded friends, family or even colleagues who can push you outside the gym is important for weight-loss success, even if you’ve hired a personal trainer, says Nuku. “Get your emotional support from people who know what makes you tick.”
Get real
Weight loss is never guaranteed, even when you stick to a customised workout and eating plan, simply because everyone responds to exercise and food differently. “Being aware of this will help prepare you for it, and also help you work through disappointment,” says Nuku, adding: “What’s important is that you don’t see this hurdle as a permanent setback. You’ve got to get over it and move forward.”
Review what went wrong
If things don’t go according to plan, try retracing your steps to determine what’s out of sync in your lifestyle. “For example, are you getting enough sleep and drinking enough liquids?” asks Curtis. Pin-pointing the culprits and making the necessary changes can make a huge difference on the scale.
Strengthen your mental muscle
Rather than wallow in self-pity and depression when you run into a roadblock, consider it a lesson learned and move on, advises Nuku. “Stop reliving your failures. Doing this only creates fear, paranoia and anxiety,” adds Nuku. His strategy for success: “Continue to fight on, stay the course, keep the faith, and continue to believe in the process.”
Train your mind
Shedding kilos means working out your mind and body. Get started with these strategies from Dave Nuku and Kristy Curtis.
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Think positive
You’re never going to get anywhere if you keep making excuses or self-sabotaging yourself. When in doubt, stay positive by eliminating all negative talk.
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Visualise success
Imagine yourself in that strapless dress you’ve always wanted to wear.
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Celebrate!
Regardless of how much (or little) weight you’ve lost, consider it a victory (because it is!), and keep rewarding yourself whenever you make progress.
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Acknowledge your achievements
Reminding yourself of your past achievements can be a great source of motivation.
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Feed your soul
Allocate at least 10 minutes of ‘me’ time each day to relax and regroup. Use this peace and quiet to reconnect with yourself and strengthen your resolve.
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Journal
Putting your thoughts and the details of your weight-loss journey on paper can help you monitor your progress. You will be able to see when you were doing well and when you were not, and take action accordingly.
Story courtesy of Shape Malaysia.