In many aspects of life, the importance of your mindset cannot be underestimated. This has been demonstrated through various case studies and social experiments and even through our own life experience.
Negative self talk is sometimes thought of as humility, when in reality it is quite often the opposite. Do you ever notice how someone who regularly beats themselves up is often subtly hunting for compliments and praise? Of course we all need to be picked up sometimes, but I’m not talking about that. Those who constantly put themselves down and approach everything with a negative, fearful attitude have a losing mentality – it may sound harsh but it’s also true.
If you constantly have negative, cynical thoughts, these transpire to how you speak, and how you behave. Lets narrow the scope down and apply this theory to exercising, losing weight and getting in shape.
A winning mentality vs a losing mentality – These two polar opposite mentalities. Compare the two sides of the coin below and notice the differences. Which best describes you?
A Losing Mentality
- “I’ve tried everything and I can’t lose weight”
- “I just can’t seem to lose those last few pounds”
- “Why is it harder for me to lose weight?”
- “I’m always going to be fat”
- “I have a slow metabolism”
- “It’s not my fault I’m fat – It’s my genetics”
- “I’ll try”
- “I can’t”
- “I don’t like running”
- “I’ll never see my abs”
- “I’m tired of exercising and having nothing to show for it”
- “I’m sick of my body”
- “I hate being fat”
- “I could never get up early enough to exercise”
- “I just don’t have the will power to lose weight”
- “It won’t work because I love food too much”
- “I can’t shift this belly”
- “I don’t want to be fat anymore”
VS
A Winning Mentality
- “How can I shred fat and enjoy doing it?”
- “What am I doing today to get me closer to my ideal shape?”
- “What can I eat now for a meal that will help me achieve a calorie deficit?”
- “I love working out”
- “I like eating nutritious food”
- “I’m doing whatever it takes”
- “I’m in control of my results”
- “My body is not “me.”
- “I’m going to get leaner everyday”
- “My metabolism is getting faster every day because of my workouts”
- “I’m going to feel amazing after my workout today”
- “I’m doing it”
- “I can”
- “I will”
- “Nothing’s going to stop me”
- “If I make exercise a top priority then I will have time for it”
- “I have the world to myself when I get up early to exercise”
Which One Are You and Which One Do You Want to Become?
Which of these sounds familiar? Do you tell yourself these phrases? Hopefully the “Winning Mentality” section contains the phrases that you tell yourself the most. If not, you can start to change this today.
Try to be more conscious of what you’re thinking and saying. When you find that you’re discouraging yourself, think “SWITCH” and change gears. Instead of saying, “I CAN’T,” say, “I’LL TRY” If you find yourself slowly but surely consuming a whole packet of biscuits, stop and ask, “Will this help me get to my goal or will it make it more difficult?”
When you have a workout planned in your schedule, instead of saying, “I don’t have time,” think about all the time you scrolled through Facebook, watched Game of Thrones or Coronation Street, and be honest with yourself. Do you have 10 minutes? 30 Minutes? An hour?
Guess what, if you convince yourself that you’re tired, you will 100% feel tired – Guaranteed. If you have an,”I’m tired” attitude, you’ll always put off exercising and use it as an excuse to binge eat on crisps and lie on the sofa. I know this because I’ve convinced myself of it before on many occasions.
“Your Body, for good or for bad, is not YOU.”
If you call yourself “fat,” remember this simple fact – Your body is not YOU. It’s yours, but it’s not your identity. You’re a human created with dignity and with great detail. Your body, for good or bad, is not YOU.
Set Goals
Instead of lamenting your excess fat, think about what you can change which is within your control. Make specific goals that you can work towards achieving every single day. It could be as simple as, “I’m going to exercise for 20 minutes, twice a week, for the next 3 months,” to begin with. There’s more help you with goal setting here.
Do What You Enjoy
Find an activity that you enjoy doing. It might be hill walking, running, weight training, football, swimming or whatever. Try different things and try it for a few weeks. If it’s not for you then move on. If you find something you enjoy you’ll be 10 times more likely to stick at it. The weight loss and changes in your body will be a byproduct that will almost take you by surprise.
The fact is mentality matters – even more than we realise. This is the part where I should probably share motivational quotes that you agree with but then quickly forget. The fact is, motivation means absolutely nothing without execution. What are you going to do about it?
Do what you can with what you’ve got. None of us are perfect or have the perfect body. We all have our flaws, aches and pain. But a willing mentality will enable you to work round these and still do something.
Take responsibility for your health. Yes, we may still get sick. But do you want to contribute to your ill health and weight gain or do you want to do what you can to ensure your quality of life is as good as possible; That you’re pain free; That you can play with your kids and grand kids and watch them grow up? If you have a winning mentality then the answer to all the above will be “YES!”