Weight loss psychology: 7 psychological tricks, 15 Tips. Friends, in this article we will tell you how you can lose those extra pounds using “healthy” methods without mindless radical diets. Some of the tips in this article are unique and not found anywhere else. Consider both the “traditional” methods to lose weight, and “non-traditional” – the psychology of losing weight.
If slimness is your goal, then by following our simple tips, directing your thoughts, feelings, and actions in the right direction, you will certainly achieve success!
Psychology: how to lose weight? Go!
Of course, since we do not know your weight and your other data, it is impossible to build a specific plan that will allow you to lose X kg in Y weeks.
But we will give you the best advice, the effect of which has been scientifically proven more than once. We will not load you with terms, numbers, and other boring things. Let us briefly go over nutrition and physical activity and dwell in more detail on the psychological aspects of losing weight.
So, below you will learn:
1. 4 ways to lose weight.
2. 13 tips on how to lose weight without torturing yourself.
3. 7 psychological tricks for weight loss. They will surprise you.
How much can you lose weight in 1 week?
On the Internet, you will find a lot of articles and sites in which you will be promised to achieve results in a short time. Unfortunately, much of the information in them does not apply to real life. Don’t believe in fairy tales. Check everything first.
To lose weight, you need to take into account many factors, there is no one magic pill. These factors include your age, height, body fat percentage, current diet, exercise, etc.
But still, there is a general rule of how much weight can be lost in a week. Nutritionists believe that you can lose up to 1.5 kilograms without harm to your health. Therefore, do not get fooled by the promises of the ignorant, check and ponder their advice before applying.
Excess weight is fat! Of course, you always want to lose fat, but you can also lose water or glycogen (sugar in your body). The latter often occurs when you start a carbohydrate diet.
4 ways to lose weight
There are 4 types of weight loss. If you look at any diet, it will somehow refer to one of these four ways:
- Food;
- Movement;
- Stress management;
- Thinking.
In order not to burden you with information, we have divided the 15 tips given in the article into these 4 categories. Therefore, everyone will find something of their own 😉
But first, let’s compare weight loss with diets and exercise.
Diet or movement
If you look at studies that lasted more than 15 weeks, you can see the following results (number of pounds lost after 15 weeks):
- Diet without exercise group: 10.7 kg weight loss.
- Movement without diet group: 2.9 kg.
- Exercise diet group: 12.0 kg.
It is easy to understand that nutrition is much more important than exercise.
1. Diet
8 of the 13 tips in this article are about diet. Almost all of them affect the quantity and quality of food consumed. With the help of them, you can lose weight even without playing sports.
Tip 1: Eat slower. This may sound like a joke, but you will be surprised by how effective this trick is.
People who eat fast are 115% more likely to be overweight compared to people who eat slowly.
Here are some explanations:
1. On average, a person’s meal takes 10 – 15 minutes. If you eat slowly, then during this time you eat less, consume fewer calories. This is logical.
2. You chew intensively, which also reduces the number of calories.
3. The blood sugar level is less pronounced, which makes it easier to burn fat.
“A healthy lifestyle will rob you of ill health, lethargy and fat.”
Jill Johnson
Tip 2: Start your day with protein like cottage cheese!
Many people start their day with carbohydrates. Here are the cons of this diet:
- Carbohydrates have a high “nutritional factor” that makes you eat more and more.
- Carbohydrates cause an increase in insulin, which leads to the accumulation of fat in the tissues.
Instead of carbs, you should eat protein for breakfast. Research has shown that eating protein for breakfast leads to:
- People think 60% less about food;
- People have 50% less appetite for snacks in the evening;
- People eat 400 fewer calories per day.
This is a great way to reduce calories and thus lose weight quickly.
Tip 3: Drink half a liter of water before every meal.
This will speed up weight loss by 40%! Studies in adults and the elderly have shown that drinking half a liter of water 15-30 minutes before meals accelerates weight loss by 44% over a 12-week period compared to people who do not drink before meals.
There is an explanation for this: by drinking half a liter of water before a meal, the feeling of hunger decreases, which ultimately leads to a decrease in the amount of food consumed.
Also, people often confuse feelings of thirst and hunger. Drink a glass of water to make sure you are really hungry.
Tip 4: Avoid sodas and sweetened fruit juices.
The problem for many people is that they don’t read the composition. You need to know that soda and fruit juices are your biggest enemy because they are loaded with sugar.
But there is one nuance here. This does not apply to freshly squeezed natural juices, because they contain fruit fibers. This slows down the absorption of sugar. If these fibers are removed from fruit juice, then they will become poorly absorbed by the body.
Replace high-calorie drinks with water, you can lose weight.
Here are some facts about carbonated drinks:
- The likelihood of developing diabetes increases dramatically with the use of carbonated drinks (compared to water and even juices).
- The risk of diabetes increased by 33% with a daily glass of “soda”.
- The daily consumption of soda is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 67%.
- Artificial sweeteners are addictive, so soda is hard to give up.
- In a study on animals – rats consuming artificial sweeteners, the following happened: they ate more, while their metabolism slowed down. The same thing happens with a person.
Tip 5: Avoid “hidden” sugar.
About 80% of everything sold in the supermarket contains sugar. Even if it is not directly written about it. The fact is that manufacturers often “code” sugar using words that customers do not understand. Most of these aliases end with “ose” or contain terms such as “syrup” or “molasses”.
“If you do not give your body the best, then you are simply robbing yourself.”
Gilius Irving
Thus, we are being showered with dust. Indeed, if we do not recognize the code word, then we will assume that the product does not contain sugar.
There is also another trick. Often, manufacturers of substances containing sugar are indicated at the end of the composition. Many people simply do not read the composition to the end, thereby allowing themselves to be misled.
People eat too many carbs. If we compare our current eating habits with those that people living in nature have, then we can understand that we, the townspeople, have deviated quite a lot from the right path.
In a study conducted in 2000, scientists determined how much carbohydrates are consumed by people living in harmony with nature. If we compare this with the average diet of a modern person, we come to the following conclusion:
- Man of nature: Proteins 19-35% Fats: 28-47% Carbohydrates: 22-40%;
- Urban man: Proteins: 15% Fats: 30% Carbohydrates: 55%.
Therefore, you must remove some carbohydrates and replace them with healthy fats and proteins.
Tip 7: Eat more fiber.
Adding fiber to your diet lowers blood insulin. Fiber is found in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, cereals, and legumes.
Dietary fiber also makes you feel fuller faster, which means you automatically eat less. The reason for this is that fiber takes a long time to digest.
Therefore, it is recommended that you add one of these foods to every meal.
Tip 8: Consume carbohydrates and proteins after exercise.
If you eat carbs right after exercise, your body will continue to burn fat.
Carbohydrates also help regenerate your muscles by activating the growth hormone HGH. Protein is needed to build muscle.
2. Movement
The next 2 tips are related to the topic of physical activity.
Tip 9: Short but intense workouts.
When it comes to sports, people usually start with cardio workouts. But cardio has some drawbacks.
So with short, intense workouts, you can burn 7 times more fat than cardio. Because in them you train in short sets, alternating them with breaks. For example, 30 seconds of very intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest.
5 sets of high-intensity exercise for 20 minutes will be far more beneficial than the same 20 minutes of cardio workout.
Tip 9: Exercise before meals.
This is a unique tip, if you find it elsewhere, drop us a link.
Losing weight is due to the fact that less insulin is released because it becomes simply unnecessary. Excessive release of insulin is your enemy because it causes the formation and storage of fat, especially around the belly.
Exercising right before a meal will provide your muscle cells with energy.
“A man who can eat everything without getting fat should not do this in the presence of a woman.”
Rita Rudner
Of course, you won’t be able to exercise intensely before every meal, but you can just do some short exercises like squatting, beating an imaginary pear, etc.
3. Stress management
Stress is an underrated topic when it comes to weight loss. If you have recently suffered a lot of stress, then you will lose weight more slowly as you lose weight.
Let’s continue our line of tips 😉
Tip 10: Avoid Chronic Stress.
Stress releases the anti-stress hormone cortisol.
If cortisol levels are high, it leads to fatty deposits in the belly. In addition, blood sugar levels rise, making weight loss very difficult.
If you are on a radical diet, you may be subject to high levels of stress. It will also lead to an increase in the amount of cortisol.
By the way! Cortisol is not your enemy. It is a hormone designed to reduce the harmful effects of stress. Cortisol itself is not bad, it shows you how stressed you are. In this respect, it is similar to cholesterol.
Here are some ways to significantly reduce your stress levels:
- Meditate;
- Move more at home or work;
- Listen to your favorite music;
- Do not follow a radical diet;
- To be in nature more often.
Tip 11: Get enough sleep.
Sleep has a big impact on the weight loss process. Here are some facts:
- Lack of sleep increases the likelihood of obesity by up to 50%;
- Lack of sleep leads to fluctuations in the hormones leptin and ghrelin, as a result of which the appetite is poorly regulated;
- People who miss 15 hours of sleep per week from their normal levels of cortisol increase by 50-80%.
A person needs at least 6-7 hours of sleep. For some, more, but no more than 9 hours. Here are some tips for getting the best sleep:
- Don’t use your gadgets after 20:00. And don’t watch TV. Better, of course, not to watch at all, but at least after 20:00;
- Do not drink caffeinated drinks in the evening, such as coffee, cola, tea;
- Go to bed at the same time;
- Do not look at your watch while lying in bed.
“The only way to lose weight is to reconsider your goals in life.”
Cyril Connolly
4. Thinking
Thinking is also an underrated topic when it comes to losing weight. Meanwhile, this is extremely important. This is not about losing weight by the power of thought, but about the inner core and motivation.
With the wrong thinking, of course, you can lose weight. But the effect will be short-lived. Rollback in this case is a matter of time.
Internal or external motivation? How to find the motivation to lose weight?
Often people say, “I HAVE to lose weight.” The word “must” implies that desire comes from outside. Such people do not want to lose weight for themselves, their desires are imposed, they want to do it for others.
There are two reasons for this:
- Lose weight on a partner or loved ones.
- Lose weight to meet certain social norms.
But for losing weight, there must be an intrinsic motivation, it is she who should move you forward. The only person for whom you want to lose weight is yourself!
Therefore, you need to transform “I have to lose weight” into “I WANT to lose weight”, and also honestly admit to yourself why you want it. It is best to write these reasons down on paper, then you are more likely to see the big picture.
Separately, it should be noted that women need more motivation to lose weight than men. Women are more impressionable, so they are more likely to go astray and therefore need more motivation.
Tip 12: Food should not be viewed as a stomach filler.
Many people view food as simply filling the stomach. It’s a shame because we need food for more than that.
There are two main goals:
- Getting energy to maintain the psyche;
- Getting nutrients to support the body.
If you focus your mind on these two goals, you will automatically eat healthier foods. Hunger will no longer be a signal to fill your stomach quickly. You will select cleaner, natural, and fresher foods.
In addition to the result in the form of weight loss, health and joy will come to you as a bonus. Agree, not bad?
Tip 13: Get help.
To increase your chances of losing weight, seeking support is a good idea. You don’t have to go through all the steps yourself.
There are several possibilities:
- Look for a boyfriend or girlfriend to play sports together;
- Share your weight loss plan with family and friends who can help or simply support you;
- Join a group of people who are losing weight just like you.
All of these can give you the extra motivation you need. Losing weight is a difficult and slow process, the support of other people is very important here because situations will inevitably arise that will throw you back. To overcome them, a friend’s shoulder will come in handy.
Tip 14: Set realistic goals.
People overestimate what they can achieve in the short term and underestimate what they can achieve in the long term.
Many people who lose weight like to believe in extremely rapid weight loss. They have very high short-term expectations, which, of course, do not come true. Thus, people lose motivation and belief in success.
Long-term prospects are not only underestimated when losing weight. This often happens with aspiring entrepreneurs: they want to become millionaires right after starting a business and do not think about how big their company will become if they work for 5 or 10 years.
I have been on a diet for 14 days and have already lost … 14 days!
Tommy Cooper
Important! Set realistic weight loss goals. Divide each goal into small sub-goals and gradually achieve them. Every little victory will give you confidence.
As a result, you will have the strength to solve your main task, and the process of losing weight will not be hell for you.
Tip 15: Don’t force yourself into radical diets.
Diet is often not so good because it prohibits a person from meeting their needs. Yes, throwing pies for the night is a so-so need, but you also need to work with it carefully and smoothly.
Very often, the diet makes a person think even more about the food they want to eat. He has to suppress unwanted thoughts. As a result, a person is constantly in a tense state, and desire, meanwhile, only increases, this will not lead to anything good.
If you artificially suppress your desires, sooner or later the mind will not withstand the pressure and will explode. This principle applies to all areas of life, not just weight loss.
Therefore, one should not constantly think: “I want this, but I cannot”, on the contrary: “I can, but I do not want this”.
Psychological tricks for losing weight
So, we come to the most interesting part. How to make yourself lose weight?
Psychological tricks – read and memorize 😉
Tip # 1. Use small plates.
A whole series of studies show that you automatically eat less if you use small plates. People always fill their plates the same, no matter how big they are.
If the plate is large and there is little food on it, you will get the impression that you have eaten very little. If the plate is small, but it is full, it will seem to you that you have eaten a lot. Check it out.
“My wife went to see a nutritionist and lost three hundred dollars in two months.”
Robert Order
Tip # 2. Use tall, narrow glasses.
According to scientists, you can drink up to 50% less when using tall, narrow glasses. This is due to the fact that it seems to you that the glass is large, although, in reality, it is not so… When you drink from it, your psyche sends to the brain the same signals as if you actually drank from a large glasses.
Therefore, use tall glasses when consuming alcohol or high-calorie drinks.
Use low and wide glasses when drinking water and herbal teas.
Recommendation # 3: Use red plates for greasy foods.
Another trick: eating high-calorie foods from red plates will occur in much smaller quantities than from all others.
We associate red with “stopping”, so subconsciously we will shorten the time of the meal.
Everyone knows that there are moments at the table when he seems to have already eaten, but there is still food on the plate. Often we eat up on the machine, not realizing that the body is already full. So, red plates will not allow you to do this, at the first signs of saturation we will stop, we will not overeat.
Recommendation No. 4. Eat-in company.
People eat almost 40% less when there are guests or strangers at the table.
Their presence creates additional pressure and does not allow a person to forget and overeat …
Recommendation No. 5. Don’t watch food ads.
People who regularly see food on TV eat 30% more than those who don’t watch TV.
“The fewer substances, the better the metabolism”
Alexander Kulich
Therefore, be careful when watching TV.
Recommendation # 6. Hang a mirror in the kitchen.
Many studies show that having a mirror in the kitchen can help you lose weight.
This is due to the fact that it is often unpleasant for a person to watch him eat. In addition, he can look from the outside at his inappropriate behavior in relation to food. This can be thought-provoking.
Tip # 7. Make junk food more difficult to find.
The likelihood of taking snacks that are more difficult to obtain is significantly reduced.
For example, if you store candy in a transparent container, you will open it more often and consume more calories per day than if the container is opaque.
Better to keep all sorts of mischievous things away from the kitchen. This is the psychology of nutrition for weight loss.
Conclusion
It is impossible to grasp immensity. Even this article contains too much information to digest and start applying it all at once. Even if you try, nothing good will come of it.
It is better to move gradually, choose 2-3 methods for yourself, study them, and gradually, day after day, introduce them into your life. This will help you achieve results much faster. This is the whole psychology of losing weight.
Finally, a strong motivation for losing weight and not only:
