Ya know, this is kind of a loaded question. Yes, I could say in the kitchen or in the gym because quite literally that is where you are making some choices that lead to weight loss (or, better yet, fat loss). However, I think I have a better answer for you – and here’s why. Eating your fruits and veggies, including protein, drinking water, and moving your body all sound like simple approaches to help with weight loss (because they are). So, why do we struggle so much when we actually go to implement those steps? 

Because we’re approaching weight loss from the wrong mindset.

Mindset and Weight Loss 

Weight loss begins in your head. Before we feel confident in making those choices in the kitchen or at the gym, we gotta get our minds right. Otherwise, we’ll be gritting our teeth and relying on willpower the entire way. And I think we both know how that turns out. 

Figure Out Your Why

Seems silly, right? Obviously, your reason for joining your next diet program or changing your habits is because you just want to lose weight – right? Wrong. There’s always more to it than that, and I know this because your life is a whole lot more than the number on the scale. So, if you want to lose weight, ask yourself why you want to lose the weight or why you want to change your habits. Then, ask your “why” three more times. 

Here’s an example. 

• I want to lose weight. 
• Why? I want to feel better. 
• Why? I want to be able to have more energy at the end of the day. 
• Why? I feel like I am missing out on life with my kids, family, and friends. 

When you start asking yourself why, you will be able to dig deeper to find your true motivator for this change. Losing weight is not good enough. But you know what sounds amazing? Never feeling like you don’t have the energy to enjoy life with your friends and family. When you find your “root motivator,” you’re going to be more committed to these changes, even when you have roadblocks pop up. 

→ A task for you: add a picture to your phone or computer home screen that represents your why. You’ll see it every day and be reminded of why you decided it was time for something to change.

Flip the Script. 

Stop. Obsessing. Over. Everything. That. Is. Wrong. Read that again. 

We have to stop tearing ourselves down and running to the quickest fix to our problem. Will it work? Sure. Will it be a lasting solution? Probably not, unless you’re a unicorn. If you are someone who is looking for weight loss solutions because you’re focused on a muffin top, feeling fat, or comparing yourself to another person – flip it. As in, flip that script on yourself. 

“I have a muffin top.” -> “I’m feeling uncomfortable in my clothes today, but I’m going to pick out a few new outfits so I can feel good while I’m making these positive changes.”

“I can’t believe I gained a pound today.” -> “The scale is meaningless. It fluctuates based on where I am in my cycle, how much water I’m retaining, and whether or not I’ve gone to the bathroom yet today. Over the last 3 months, I’ve lost 5 pounds and that’s still progress.”

I want you to erase this notion that weight loss is a quick fix. I know it’s been hammered into your head over the years, but it’s simply not true if you want it to be something that is sustainable and long-term.

There will be roadblocks…and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. If you want to truly lose the weight and sustain it, it’s going to take time. But along the way, you’ll find increased energy, improved moods, being present with your family, having better sleep, improved digestion, your clothes fitting better, clearer skin, sustained fat loss, and so many other gains that go beyond the number on the scale. 

→ A task for you – Go throw away your scale 🙂 You have better things in life to look at. 

Let’s also agree that we’re going to stop with the restrictions. I’d be willing to bet that every diet you’ve tried has had rules of what you can and can’t have. You’re an adult, you don’t need someone telling you aren’t allowed to eat Oreos. You can choose the Oreos – or not – based on how you want to feel. 

Deprivation just doesn’t work, and it’s not because of your lack of willpower. In fact, willpower is b.s. Let’s start thinking of what we can add to our lives that would help fat loss…

• Protein, healthy fat, and fiber at every meal?
• Strength training?
• More steps in your day?
• Water? 
• Stress relief? 
• Quality sleep?

Whatever it may be, start adding value to your life instead of going into weight loss as “what do I need to stop doing?”

Prepare to Put in the Work. 

I just told you that we are talking about sustainable habits to reach LONG TERM goals. Hard truth: it may not be a walk in the park all day every day. Discovering your why makes it so much more likely that you’ll commit to putting in the work it’s going to take. Weight loss can be a complex process with several factors affecting progress, and it’s inevitable that you’ll face challenges, which is why having the right mindset is so key.

Part of putting in the work is deciding where you are at so you can implement changes at a rate that is not too overwhelming. You don’t have to be 100% all the time! That’s exhausting! Life happens! Instead, start with little changes and continue to move forward as you become confident in those changes. 

For example: If you are not a vegetable eater, you skip breakfast, you’re not working out consistently, and you know you’re not drinking enough water, don’t do a 180 and expect to perfect all your goals on day 1  or even 3. Instead, pick 2 things you know you can truly do tomorrow. Ex: drink a cup of water right after waking up and add a vegetable to dinner. Work on those changes for a few days, then add a new habit once you’re feeling good! Celebrate your new habits and then build upon what you’ve already mastered.

Fat loss can feel like hard work, but living in a body that hinders you from living the life you want is a hell of a lot harder. 

Commit to Yourself

You know why most diet programs fail? That’s how they make their money. While their shakes, calorie counting, or magic pills may have “worked,” in the end, they aren’t providing realistic, sustainable habits for the long term. You’re going through the program. You lose weight. You stop the program. You revert to old habits. The weight comes back. You start another diet. Does this sound familiar? 

You were set up to fail so that you could come running back. But what if you never had to get back on that diet train again and all it took was a commitment to yourself? 

Motivation comes and goes, but you can make a promise to yourself to be consistent in working toward your weight loss goals. 

When you commit to yourself, your nightly wine may become more like a weekly wine, your midnight snack may become time for self-care, or maybe your hour of scrolling Instagram becomes an hour of getting outside or moving your body. Whatever adjustments you make, this is because you are committing to your health. 

Give Yourself Some Grace

You’re not the failure in this equation – your diet is. So it’s time to stop talking to yourself like an asshole and take a new approach. 

Know that you’re going to have less-than-perfect days but that you can make a u-turn instead of continuing down the “I’m a failure” road. Simply ask yourself, “what is the next choice I can make today to put me back on track?”  

This way, one less nutritious meal doesn’t turn into a week, then a month, then several months of meals that are inhibiting your weight loss goals. Life doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing. 

And with that, I also want you to know that there are NO BAD FOODS! Foods are just different – they are not inherently good or bad. 

Giving food a “bad” label leads to guilt and shame. Different foods are going to serve more purposes than just simply being good or bad. Think about the fuel you’re providing your body with and how you feel physically and emotionally. 

All in all, before we put in the work in our kitchens and gym, we have to put in the work within ourselves. Weight loss is about more than the calories on our plates and the calories we burn at the gym. Weight loss begins in the mind. 

Once you have walked through these steps and you’ve decided you’re ready to unlearn what diet culture has taught you about weight loss, join us in myDietitian, and be prepared to build a healthy relationship with food, learn to trust your body, and absorb scientific evidence to sustain fat loss. 

Baylee Reller
@nucrewnutrition