Creating Weight Loss Success

How do you measure success in your weight loss program? If you don’t see the numbers on the scale decreasing, does that mean you aren’t succeeding? If you have deviated from your eating plan by just a little bit, do you consider that day (or week, or month) a failure and figure you might as well pig out and start your diet again tomorrow (or Monday, or …)? If you miss a workout, are you more likely to skip the next few, figuring you’ll start your exercise program over, at a later time? Have you lost weight in the past, only to gain it (and a few more pounds) back, leaving you heavier than ever?

If this sounds all too familiar, you are in good company. Most of us take an all or nothing approach to weight loss. Our definition of success or failure directly correlates to the numbers on the scale and whether we have been “good” or “bad.” As a result, we spend a great deal of time criticizing ourselves for what we consider to be our failures, which leaves us frustrated, upset and discouraged. Most of us then turn to food for comfort which, of course, only makes the problem worse. Unfortunately, by following this pattern we have not only set ourselves up to fail, but pretty much guaranteed that we will continue to fail.

Science is finally beginning to recognize just how powerful our minds and our thoughts are. Studies have shown that the mind cannot distinguish between a vividly imagined event and an actual event. This means that anything you put your focus on is going to increase in your life. In fact, when we continue to repeat our thoughts and they become part of our belief systems, that information is actually stored in the cells of our bodies.

How much time do you spend thinking about how unhappy you are with your weight? Do you tell yourself that you have no willpower and you’ll never be thin? Most of the thoughts running through our heads at any given time are not new but the same ones repeated over and over, day after day. Can you see how you might be programming yourself to fail? The good news is that you can reprogram your mind for success. You can start changing your thoughts into messages that work for you not against you. By creating a winning mind-set, you will create a successful outcome to your weight loss efforts.

First, you must clearly define your goals. Picture yourself with the thin, healthy body you want. If it helps, find a picture of yourself at that weight or a picture from a magazine that you can paste a picture of your head onto. Write down your weight loss and fitness goals, with as much detail as possible. Write down why you want to lose the weight, how you will feel (physically and emotionally) when you get to your goal, how you will look in your clothes… whatever makes that successful future as real as possible for you. If you have a picture, glue it to the page as well. Allow plenty of room for writing because you will add to this later. A small notebook or diary works well for this.

Use visualization to create your success scenario. At least twice a day, find a place where you can relax and where you won’t be disturbed (doing this as you are falling asleep at night is one possibility). Sit or lie comfortably and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and progressively relax your body, starting with your toes and working your way up to the top of your head. When you are completely relaxed, picture yourself at the weight and fitness level you want to achieve. Include scenes of yourself eating, and enjoying, the proper foods in the proper amounts. See yourself performing some type of enjoyable exercise. Make it as vivid as possible, using as many of your senses as you can. Notice how you look, what you can hear, smell, feel and taste. Notice your surroundings, if there are other people there, and anything else that is a part of your visualization. Notice how good it feels to have reached your goal and allow those feelings to get stronger and more intense. Whenever possible, spend ½ - 1 hour each time you do this exercise. If your mind has a tendency to wander, try making a tape to listen to each time you do your visualization. Record your own voice or someone else guiding the process; telling each part of your body to relax, telling yourself to notice how you look and feel, what you smell, taste, etc. The more real and vivid you can make this in your mind, the more successful you will be.

Each time you do this exercise, write down details from your visualization. Write it all in the present tense, as if you are already at your goal, as you are in your visualization. For example, “I am playing with my children and I have plenty of energy. It’s easy for me to keep up with them and we’re laughing and having a great time. I feel like I’m 10 years younger…” Use your written goal and your visualization exercises to strengthen and build on each other. Also, start noticing when you are saying negative things to yourself throughout the day and work on changing those messages. Each time you notice a negative thought, gently tell yourself that the message is incorrect and replace it with a positive message. For example, let’s say you go out to dinner and eat foods that aren’t part of your program. If you notice that you are berating yourself for this, stop and say something like, “No, that’s not correct. The truth is that each day my eating habits get better and better and I love eating healthy foods.”

To sum up, creating weight loss success in your life is achieved by reprogramming your mind and your thoughts. It won’t happen overnight but, as with every other area in our lives, persistence and practice does pay off. You will succeed!

About the Author

Kym Haze is a Hypno-Coach, with certifications as Master Hypnotist in Alchemical Hypnotherapy and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist in the medical field. She is an award-winning, national speaker/trainer and the owner of the New Dimensions Center for Wellness & Weight Control, an online weight loss center dedicated to helping people succeed at weight loss. Sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.weight-control.org