Despite being a 40 billion dollar industry, the ‘what’ of weight loss is actually pretty clearly defined – you remove extra calories from your diet, exercise and the results will show in a matter of days. Many people set out to achieve this feat but fall off the diet plan eventually gaining every ounce they lost and even more. It seems that the problem lies in the ‘how’.
This is where cognitive behavioral principles come into play. As the name suggests, these ideas aim to change thought patterns to bring about lasting behavioral habits. The goal is to get rid of counterproductive thoughts and create a proper plan of action to help you stay on course.
Here are 5 cognitive behavioral techniques that can help you lose weight:
Set Goals
Here are three things that you should keep in mind when setting goals:
- When setting goals, be specific. This means that you should clearly define your goal and how you are actually going to achieve it.
- Being ambitious is good but make sure that you keep your goals realistic. Unrealistic goals will lead to disappointments and you may lose focus.
- Regularly check your progress.
Practice Self-Monitoring
Being good at self-monitoring may take time. The idea is to pay close attention to eating habits and physical cues of the body and see if your efforts are producing results. The more aware you are of your experience, the greater will be your chances of success. On the other hand, being too hard on yourself may backfire and you may lose motivation.
Get Feedback
Getting quick and honest feedback from a reliable source, such as your health care professional can prove very beneficial for weight loss. The practitioner’s feedback will help you accurately assess progress and provide better ways to keep you on track.
Consistently Believing That You Can Lose Weight
Weight loss is not some miracle that only a selected few can perform. With appropriate diet plans and consistent exercising, almost anybody can achieve it. The belief that you can do it can make all the difference.
Provide Yourself with Incentives
Losing weight is a process that takes both time and effort. People who reward themselves as they go along achieving small feats have a greater chance of success than people who do not. It also reminds you that you are actually taking steps (no matter how small) towards your goal.
With expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, Rena Greenberg is a professional weight loss hypnotherapist. Her quick and easy weight loss program has helped thousands of people lose weight.