by P. Smythe
I have said it before and I will say it again. Losing weight is not easy. It takes hard work and discipline. There is no magic pill that will melt the weight right off you. How long have you spent looking for a quick and easy way to lose weight? How did that work out for you? I would bet that your quick and easy weight loss endeavor probably didn't turn out all that successful. If you took all the wasted time you spent on a quick fix and applied it to a solid diet plan you probably would already have the body of your dreams.
Part of the problem that dieters tend to have stems from how dieting is perceived. No one likes to diet. Diets are painful, you eat food you do not really like and you exercise more than you want to. There is nothing good about it; it is something you just want to get through.
And that is the problem. We have conditioned our minds to have instantaneous negative reactions to the idea of dieting. We get so caught up in all the negative imagery associated with dieting we lose sight of everything else.
What I am going to suggest is not a new diet plan. It is not a super secret exercise program. It is a way of thinking that can be applied to everything you do in life. Remember what the end goal of your diet is? To lose the weight and get a great body right? Let me ask you this question, what is really more painful? Not losing the weight and being stuck in a body you do not really want, or going through the minor inconveniences that dieting may cause you? The diet just causes you short term discomfort. Failing at the diet will leave you with long term pain.
So in your mind you need to make yourself realize this simple reality. The pain of not dieting is far greater than the pain of dieting. As humans we are always inclined to choose the path that will bring us the least amount of discomfort. From this perspective the only logical choice is to successfully complete your diet and get into shape. Any other choice will lead you to greater pain.
Most of our successes and failures begin and end in our minds. Being successful at your next diet is as simple as making yourself realize that failure is simply not an option. But it takes more than just understanding this intellectually. You have to believe it.
Every time you feel a hunger pang that makes you want to peek into the refrigerator and see what you can snack on I want you to think positively about those hunger pangs. Tell yourself that they are sign of success. That the hunger pang is the feeling of your diet working, really make some positive associations with it. To help you out with this find yourself a low or zero calorie drink that you like, for me tea always works, and make this drink your new 'snack.' This will help with the hunger, put something pleasing in your mouth, and have the added benefit of giving you some good hydration.