Are you frustrated with the progress of your health and fitness goals? Are you losing weight slower than you had hoped? Before you start blaming your program or your trainer, let’s give some thought to your attitude.
It has been long suspected that a client’s attitude and belief system can make or break any serious attempt to lose unwanted pounds. A recent study on overweight adults, published in the March 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, gives more weight to the power of positive thinking.
With the goal of determining whether personal beliefs would predict weight change, researchers observed 48 obese men and women on an 8-week, low-calorie diet. Changes in body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure were significantly different among the subjects. “Less weight reduction was associated with poor self-efficacy…and the beliefs that obesity has a physical origin…and is not under behavioral control,” the researcher wrote.
So what does this mean for your weight loss goal? The study and authors had this to say. “These results suggest that the outcome of dietary interventions may be improved when adjusting beliefs, especially self-efficacy. A better outcome could possibly be accomplished if unfavorable beliefs…are recognized, discussed, and adjusted to realistic beliefs, preferably before the actual start of a diet intervention” (excerpt from IDEA Fitness Journal, 10/2005).
In a nutshell, what the researchers are saying is that if you’re confident that you can follow through with your new diet or exercise regimen, than you have a better chance at success than someone who thinks they may fail. So what can you do to improve your odds of success?
Try a few of the following tips and advice.
• Exercise is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun
• Find an activity your passionate about; if you don’t like what you’re doing, you won’t do it.
• Set a realistic goal within a realistic time frame
• Make an appointment with yourself to exercise and don’t let anything get in the way.
• Train for an event
• Hire a trainer or coach. He or she will hold you accountable and ensure you’re progressing
• Follow a well rounded program and include resistance training, aerobic exercise and flexibility.
• Eat healthfully 80% of the time and have fun 20% of the time.
“When you start thinking and saying what you really want then your mind automatically shifts and pulls you in that direction.”
“It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.”
Zig Ziglar
