Mind Over Weight Loss

A very famous author indeed, whose name I really should remember, once said that he attributed his great literary success to the fact that he only ever wrote when he was in the mood and yet he had been so prolific and acclaimed. What a lucky man; such great talent, so effortless. Asked how he achieved the right mind set for writing, he replied "every morning at 9am I make sure I'm in the mood". Hard work and discipline did it for him. It seems the harder he worked, the luckier he got.

Now the obvious lesson if you want to learn it is that if you really want to lose weight, you have to get yourself motivated to do it, whether you feel like it or not.

Success is a pinch of desire mixed with a double handful of determination and persistence. Motivation is not a tap that you can just turn on. It's a bit more like a rusty old well pump that needs a lot of attention to get it functioning. To help you get the motivation flowing, work out the answer these 2 simple questions. Write your answers down. Leave them where you can see them. Often.

1. Why do you want to lose weight? Dig deep till you find the real reason, not what you've been told to believe. The motivation for your weight loss has to be dear to your heart and vitally important for you - even if it seems a silly girly reason like not wanting your high school friends from 20 years ago to freak when your unexpectedly massive frame bears down on them at the reunion.

If you don't have a rock solid personal reason to lose weight, you are not going to do it. You have to put weight loss as one of the very top priorities in your life. You can't do that if you don't sincerely believe in its importance to you. So identify your reason and acknowledge it, grab a pen and get writing: "I want to lose weight because..."

2. How are you going to go about losing weight? Do you have the determination to go for broke with a low carb or meal replacement option or is that too much too soon? Are you going to join a "boot camp" type of fitness class or take regular brisk walks on your own?

Remember whether you opt for fast or slow weight loss, sooner or later you have to take up the weight control diet and regular exercise program that is going to keep your weight low and steady for the rest of your life.

Plan ahead with your short, medium and long term goals. The more detailed your plan, the better your chance of long term success. So, I'd be writing something like: "My plan to lose weight is to eat....my exercise routine will be..."

Once you have identified your reason to lose weight and worked out a plan, don't hesitate. Get into it. Review your plan at regular intervals and be tough but fair on yourself.

Train your brain and your body will follow.

Rosie Peters gives common sense advice, encouragement and tips for weight loss, sensible diet and lifelong fitness. Sometimes it's not what you want to hear, but what you need to know. Visit Rosie at weight-control-diet-advice.com.

Rosie's e-Book Weight Loss is Simple may be what you're after. Check it out & get a FREE copy of her popular e-Book Fat No More, while you're there.