An Exercise to Disprove Negative Thoughts That Derail Your Weight Loss Efforts

Published:  03/16/2017

Negative thoughts can derail your weight loss efforts and suck you into a downward spiral that will keep you from being successful. 

Try going through this exercise the next time you catch yourself thinking a thought that you will only prevent you from taking positive steps forward.

Negative thought: "I only have 3 weeks until my Palm Springs vacation. It's not enough time to lose weight or get into shape so I might as well not even try."

What evidence do I have to disprove that thought?

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For instance, in that time "I could lose 5 to 10 pounds. It may not be the 45 that I eventually want to lose but 5-10 would be great. I've been able to lose that much in 3 weeks in the past. I can do it! In 21 days' time, I could realistically do 17 days of 30 minutes of walking. That's 510 minutes of walking! That's really something. I'd burn over 1700 calories. I noticed that in the past when I planned my meals ahead of time, packed my lunch and reduced how often I went out to eat, I was able to stick to my calorie goal."

What would be the benefits of trying?

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For instance, "I'd feel so much better being 5-10 pounds lighter, feel more confident in shorts, after all the cardio I do in 3 weeks, I'd feel like I could walk more easily, I'd feel proud of myself."

In what ways am I critical of myself? ­­­­­­­­­­­­­

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For instance, "I view myself as a failure, lazy, unmotivated."

If my best friend told me she had that thought, what would I tell her?

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For instance, "I could tell her that if she puts in some effort every day, she will see some progress. I will tell her that she can do this and I would be there to help her and support her."

What am I going to do now?______________________________________________________________________________________________

For instance, "I will plan out simple meals, chicken or fish and vegetables for the next 3 weeks and walk 30 minutes 5-6 days a week. I will schedule my exercise and write out a grocery list. I'll tell my husband that I'd prefer us eat at home the next 3 weeks instead of going out to eat. I will log all my food on My Fitness Pal."

Try this exercise the next time you feel negative thoughts derailing your efforts and see if it helps you get focused.


Categories:   Weight Management 

Tags:   #healthyhabits #weightloss

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