Psychological Keys to Weight Loss

With summer on the way, a lot of my friends and family have been asking me what I did to lose the baby weight and how I maintain my weight now.

When I was doing my undergraduate degree I was getting a bachelors in Psychology and minoring in Nutrition. I cannot count the number of times someone would ask me, “how do those two things relate?” My answer was always, “how do they not??”

Everything we choose to eat we choose for a reason. Whether it’s a comfort food, a health food, something that reminds us of tradition, or any other slew of reasons. There is always a psychological back drop to why we eat what we eat and when we eat it! (Speaking of food, that was a mouthful!)

With that in mind, I compiled five of the most important things to keep in mind when trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Combine these tips with a little nutrition education and you will be well on your way!

1.Do not fall into the all or nothing trap. This is where, for example, you put yourself on a diet that says “no sweets”. You then go to a party, eat a cookie, and feel so guilty about the one cookie that you finish off a cheesecake and swing by McDonalds to pick up a Big Mac on your way home. All or nothing mentality is never helpful. If you eat something you didn’t want to eat, take a deep breath and let it go. Don’t let what you’ve eaten determine what you will eat next.

2.There are no “bad foods”. This thought process of good and bad foods will make you lose your mind. It causes you to be psychologically tempted to eat the “bad foods” because we all want what we can’t have. There is good food and better food, but no bad foods. Nothing is off limits. Everything in moderation.

3.You have to want it. You must want weight loss more than excess food. Note I say EXCESS food. You can still have food, just not in excess.

4.Have patience. You did not get to the weight you are in two weeks and you won’t lose the weight in two weeks either. Aim for a 2 lbs weight loss a week at the most. The slower you lose the weight, the easier it is to keep it off…and trust me, weight loss is a day at the spa compared to weight maintenance.

5.Walk. If you do no other physical exercise, walk. Walking will burn some calories, but more importantly it refreshes you psychologically and gives you energy to take care of yourself. A walk will put you in a better frame of mind to take care of yourself as a whole.

Take it from me. Last summer I looked like this...



and this summer I’ll be rocking a two piece with this physique...
(Okay okay, I had some help in the weight loss department by doing a little something called having a baby.)