Losing weight is a journey that many people desire, but not everyone finds it easy to start and maintain long-term. Some people start with enthusiasm, but quickly give up when results do not come immediately. Others try one diet after another, but their weight still fluctuates.
What is the real foundation for successful weight loss?
It is in the mindset. The way you think about yourself, your body, and your lifestyle directly determines your weight loss journey. When you have the right mindset, you will no longer feel forced, but instead be proactive, gentle, and sustainable.
Here are 5 mindset tips that can help you start and maintain your weight loss journey:
1. Start with self-love
Many people start losing weight from a feeling of hating their own body. For example: I’m so ugly, I’m so fat, I’m not like anyone else. But this mindset often leads to harsh treatment, forcing yourself into extreme methods (for example, fasting, over-exercising, or blaming yourself for accidentally eating a favorite food).
In fact, your body needs love and encouragement, not criticism. Think about teaching a child to ride a bike. If you only yell at him when he falls, he will definitely get discouraged. But if you encourage and motivate him, he will gradually gain confidence and continue to try. The same goes for your body.
Loving yourself means accepting yourself as you are, and believing that you deserve better health. When you start from a place of love, healthy choices become a way of caring, not a punishment. For example, instead of starving yourself after a party as a “punishment”, choose a lighter meal the next day and go for a relaxing walk. The difference is that you feel like you’re doing it for your own good, not because you hate yourself.
2. Know yourself
Losing weight is not a one-size-fits-all formula. What works for one person may not work for another. Some people love running and feel energized, while others feel tired just thinking about it. Some people find a vegetarian diet reasonable, while others find it nutritionally deficient.
Being self-aware helps you avoid being constrained by things that don’t work for you. If forcing yourself to wake up at 5am to do yoga is just adding to your stress, you can do yoga in the evening instead, when your body feels relaxed and ready.
Knowing yourself also helps you identify your eating habits. For example, you may find that you tend to snack when you’re stressed, or that you tend to eat a lot at night. Once you know your “weak points,” you can make adjustments. Instead of forbidding, you can find alternatives: replace sweets with fruit, replace snacks with a cup of herbal tea.
3. Don’t compare yourself to others
Many people often get caught up in comparing themselves to others. For example: My friend lost 10kg after 3 months of working out at the gym, why can’t I lose weight? “Others eat low-carb effectively, why am I tired? But the truth is that each body is a separate individual.
Physiology, hormones, lifestyle habits, and even genes all affect weight. Comparing will only make you disappointed and give up easily. Instead of looking at other people’s results, look back at your progress. Are you sleeping better? Do you feel more energetic? Are your clothes starting to feel a little looser? These small changes are also sign of progress.
Think of your weight loss journey as a trip. Everyone has a different starting point, means of transportation, and speed. The important thing is that you are on the right track and enjoying your journey, instead of trying to imitate someone else’s journey.
4. Create habits that suit you
People who live a healthy lifestyle don’t necessarily have a stronger will than you. They It’s as simple as knowing how to arrange your environment and habits to make them more conducive. For example, someone who wants to eat more vegetables will always have a salad in the fridge. Someone who wants to drink more water will keep a bottle of water on their desk. Someone who wants to walk more will park a little further away to force themselves to walk a few more minutes.
Instead of trying to rely on “willpower,” design your life so that healthy habits are the easiest option. And most importantly, choose activities that make you happy. If you hate running, try dancing, walking outdoors, or biking with friends. When an activity is associated with joy, it becomes a natural habit rather than an obligation.
5. Change your lifestyle instead of dieting
Short-term dieting often gives quick results, but it can also make you gain weight again. This is called the “yo-yo effect”, losing weight and then gaining it back, even more than before.
The long-term solution is to change your lifestyle. You don’t have to change everything at once, just start small:
- Replace a can of soda with a glass of water.
- Add a serving of green vegetables to your meals.
- Take a 15-minute walk after dinner.
These changes may be small, but when maintained daily, they accumulate into big results. And importantly, you don’t feel “forced”, so the possibility of maintaining it is much higher.
Think of weight loss as a long-term journey, not a short-term project. When you change your lifestyle, you not only lose weight but also improve your health, energy and spirit.
In short, losing weight doesn’t start with the scale, it starts with your mind. The five mindsets above will be the foundation that will help you step firmly on your weight loss journey. Remember, losing weight is not a race. You don’t need to be faster than anyone else, you just need to be more persistent than you were yesterday. When you change the way you think, your actions will change, and the end result will come naturally, much more easily than you ever worried about.
