Weight loss: Change your attitude, change your outcome

By Mayo Clinic Health System staff

Feeling discouraged about losing weight?

Setbacks and struggles can make your weight loss journey that much harder. Allowing those to change your attitude about the journey can be detrimental to your health. Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle is important to improve your health.

According to a Journal of the American Medical Association article, which includes data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more people are giving up on managing their weight than ever before.

If you're feeling discouraged about losing weight, try these simple ideas:

Eliminate negative words.

Negative words create negative emotions, which further affect your self-esteem and can cause feelings of guilt.

Use positive affirmations.

Promoting positive self-talk is more powerful than you think. Try using a phrase such as: Be patient. Success takes time.

Resist the snowball effect.

If you approach a setback, change the way you handle it. Don’t let one day ruin your entire week. Each new day creates a fresh start. Focus on each new baby step of improvement you make, such as fitting in exercise that day or trying a new low-calorie recipe.

Surround yourself with positive people.

There will always be people with negative feedback in your life. Instead of feeding into their negativity, choose to surround yourself with positive people who only lift you up, and support you and your goals.

Wanting to lose weight or have a healthier lifestyle is a positive action to take. Don’t let negativity get in your way of creating a better version of yourself. Stay positive and realistic to reach your goals, and be happy with the progress you have made.

Learn more about resources, videos and recipes to help you with your weight loss efforts.