5 Best Beliefs For Losing Weight

So you thought it was willpower and diet plans that helped people lose weight faster, better, and for longer. Maybe. But in my experience as both a hypnotist and a successful weight watcher, it�s something else.

If we�re talking about pleasant weight loss.

Permanent weight loss.

Weight loss that leaves you feeling good about yourself.

In my hypnosis practice, the following beliefs go a long way toward an easier and long-lasting weight loss�and the sense of joy and discovery that accompany it.

Try on these beliefs. Start with the ones that feel natural to you. Then add the ones that come harder.

Owning them all is the goal. It will empower everything you�re doing to lose fat and add muscle. Choosing your own best weight-loss and exercise approaches can be a natural outgrowth of these new beliefs.

-Belief 1: �This is not the last cookie (ice cream sundae, piece of cake, etc.) in the world.�

You will always have the chance to sample a goody later. It doesn�t have to be right now. So why not delay it until you really need it or, better yet, desire it?

Delayed gratification with regard to eating is a smart thing to learn. You are no longer a slave to food. You get to choose. You hold the checkbook. You get to decide where and when to spend your calories (or points, carb grams, whatever) and on what.

There will always be another opportunity.

Remember that time you didn�t want to spend so much on that suit, and you found it elsewhere later at half price?

Self-control sets you up for more and better self-control. Impulsive eating sets you up for a belief that you are forever out of control and desperate.

-Belief 2: �If I can lose it, I can also gain it.�

This is about staying on target, always. It�s easier to maintain than to lose.

But often successful dieters get overconfident. They believe that in the process of dieting, they�ve been blessed with magical, effortless slimness forever.

True, their efforts may have adjusted their metabolism so that it is functioning better now.

But vigilance, good food choices, and smart exercise are responsible for their success. Poor choices can move them away again.

This is the mindset that will work for you when you are successfully losing weight and/or keeping it off.

-Belief 3: �If I can gain it, I can also lose it.�

Surprised? Don�t be. This is the flip side of belief #2 and the perfect way of thinking when you�ve fallen off the weight loss wagon.

Don�t assume your slenderizing days are kaput, and the magic is lost. Maybe you�ve slipped in some extra calories (or points) or are getting less exercise than before, unknowingly.

Cold weather, busy schedules, sad or joyous events often play a role. Get back where you were, even if you need help to get there.

Simply be more watchful for a while about counting calories and checking portions. Using a small postage scale may be an eye-opener as portions seem to enlarge when we�re having weight-loss success.

Another real possibility is that having lost weight, you now need fewer calories to move your body around in the world, and actually need to reduce your intake a bit to go with your lighter weight. (Counter-intuitive, but true.)

Or, if you prefer, keep that daily calorie count but upgrade your level or amount of exercise. Or simply change the foods you�re eating to refresh the routine.

If none of this corrects the situation, consult your regular doctor or endocrinologist for insight.

-Belief 4: �Slim feels better than a sundae tastes.�

Kudos to the person who first coined that phrase. A truer word has never been spoken.
Of course, we�re not talking about your thoughts in the moment that you�re scarfing down that chocolate bar.

We�re talking about the moment after.

And the moment after that, and the one after that.

And the moment you�re trying to zip up those pants.

Take on this belief, hold it dear, and life gets a lot easier.

-Belief 5: �Weight loss without exercise is a job half done.�

People do lose weight without exercising. It may take a longer, but that�s not the real problem. Nor will I mention health.

I will say this though.

When you lose weight without toning up, it works just fine for a while. Then, it happens: you start to notice some sag. Fallen buttocks. Loose skin around a belly that used to be rounder.

A flat belly is great.

But a flat, loose belly?

Not ideal. So if you�re doing the work of losing weight, why not add a smidge of exercise?

When that feels good, add more. Adjust the amount and kind of exercise you do. Then check for tighter skin around the midsection, thighs, and rear. And give yourself a high five! �2008 by Wendy Lapidus-Saltz. All rights reserved.