4 Things to Accept for Mentally Healthy Weight Loss

Love your body even if you are over-weight, they say. Body positivity, they call it. Not acknowledging it is empowerment they write. You have been brain-washed, they said repeatedly.

One side of the world admonishes you for thinking about weight loss. The other side shames you into it. It is no surprise that the process, as a result, is all the more psychologically damning than it is by itself.

The psychological acceptance of it is if not more, as important as every physical change you make to your food and work-out habits.

Here is a set of 5 unchanging and unmoving rules that mentally helped me accept the process. The psychological acceptance of it is if not more, as important as every physical change you make to your food and work-out habits. It is the cornerstone to keep you on your long and tiring track without flinching.

It did not happen overnight, it won’t unhappen overnight

You are not going to be thin by morning, or the morning next week or the week after. Your body gave you a good amount of time to get where it is, and it is going to take its own sweet time to go back. No, it is not being a d*ick, it is doing everything in its strength to keep you alive. Give it a cheer and keep at your workout even when it doesn’t seem to work at all.

Whenever you feel like nothing is changing, remember, It did not happen overnight, it won’t unhappen overnight.

Whenever you feel like nothing is changing, remember, it did not happen overnight, it won’t unhappen overnight. Give it at least as long as it took to go one way. Accept it and repeat it to yourself.

This is going to cost you time. Probably a lot

There is really only one major investment in losing weight. Time. Yes, you have to cut down your time on your non-active hobbies. Yes, it takes longer to walk than to bike. Yes, it takes up your precious summer evening to go to the gym. Yes it takes time to see results.

Yes it takes time to see results. But that is all! That is the only real investment in this game.

But that is all! That is the only real investment in this game. Accept this fact and invest in it. Accept that there is a reason why you have less time for other things. Understand that if all your hobbies are inactive, You might have to let go of one in the long run. Acceptance is the key.

If you don’t have it, you can’t eat it

You possibly crave sugars or other food-groups on which you depend more than you should. Remember to not walk these aisles in the supermarket. If you are tempted to pick up just one candy bar, pick something sweet in the produce section instead.

This however is only going to be a problem at the beginning. You will find yourself avoiding the sweet section automatically very soon. Remind yourself every time you go shopping, ALL your eating decisions are made in the supermarket.

Your body is not the only thing you manage

You probably have a job, a school to go to, a child, or another responsibility or goal. You are the CEO of your life — a boss, one of whose departments includes body. A body that you have decided currently needs special care.

You are the CEO of your life — a boss, one of whose departments includes body.

There is no logical reason to identify yourself wholly with your physical appearance. It is no doubt an important aspect of you but learn to derive your self-esteem from everything you do. This will improve not only your body but also everything else. It is YOUR project and yours only. But it is also not your only project.

Acceptance and willingness are the key resources to keep your mental state intact through tumultuous endeavors. Especially those whose returns show only after considerable investment. It is as important to develop and maintain the mental resources needed on this journey as it is physical.