When it comes to weight loss or making changes in your lifestyle such as eating better and exercising more, your mindset is very important since it can make or break you. People often do not make changes when they fall into the mind trap of all or nothing thinking. For example thinking “I’m either on a diet or off a diet” or “I’m either exercising every day for an hour or I don’t exercise at all” are examples of this black and white thinking which often sets a person up for failure since it doesn’t allow for any mistakes. Change isn’t about being perfect all the time. It’s about slowly making adjustments in your daily choices that lead to a positive outcome. When we learn from our mistakes, we can truly make changes. When we set ourselves to a standard of perfection, we cannot make changes or we procrastinate trying since we don’t want to fail. Instead of beating yourself up when you backslide, try asking yourself these questions:
What led me to make these choices? And what can I do differently next time I’m in this situation to have a better outcome? This will be much more productive in helping you to make better choices the next time.
Allow yourself to be human. We all make mistakes. Striving to do well is a good goal as long as you don’t expect yourself to be perfect. It’s a process not a destination. Going at making changes with this mindset can lead to a better understanding of yourself and can do more in the long run for making improvements.
For more help on making changes in your lifestyle or to schedule a nutrition consultation, contact Michele McAlister at (325)829-2606 to make an appointment.
