How to Lose Weight With Gratitude

According to a University of California researcher, gratitude is key to attaining a stress-free and happy life, both of which are essential to weight loss. Those individuals displaying gratitude tend to make healthier food and lifestyle choices, which can lead to a drop on the scale. Feeling thankful means being appreciative when you lose weight and being kind to yourself even when you don’t. Most importantly, feeling gratitude helps you remember that the number on the scale does not define your personal worth.

Tips For You

1. Set a healthy and realistic weight-loss goal. It can be discouraging not to reach that dream number in the time you've decided you should. Of course, when you are adamant that those last 10 pounds have to come off in one week or less, you are really just setting yourself up for failure. Meet with a dietitian if you can, decide how much weight realistically needs to come off, and then be patient. The key word in weight loss is perseverance, and perseverance helps propagate thankfulness.
2. Track your progress. Find an online calorie-counting tool that can help you track your exercise, food intake and progress. It’s good to see your weight loss on paper – or in this case on screen. Seeing your progress in front of you can make you feel proud and thankful when weight loss is achieved. Tracking your progress can also help to identify the things you might need to do a bit better.
3. Exercise regularly. In addition to aiding weight loss or weight maintenance, exercise can make you feel happier, more comfortable and more relaxed. When you feel good about yourself, you develop a sense of gratitude for what you have and can avoid feeling despondent about the things you might be lacking.
4. Join a support group or talk to a friend. Having someone to talk to about your feelings is very helpful in maintaining a sense of gratitude. If you remind yourself that making a commitment to being healthier and not just thinner is what is important, you will be thankful for every pound you lose and even for those you don’t.
5. Use positive affirmations on a daily basis. Affirmations are the thoughts and words you say every day. A good way to change negative self-talk is to create a positive inner dialogue. Start by writing a few simple sentences that pertain to you, such as, "I will be happy whatever my weight is," "‘I am beautiful," and "the scale doesn't define me." Create whatever affirmations work best for you.