Think Thin to Lose Weight

Your battle with weight might have begun in your childhood, as
you attempted to find out how many cookies you can eat in one
sitting. Or maybe it occurred around the time you step foot on
college campus for the first time. Those late nights of studying
might have led you to late-night binge eating sessions. Or maybe
you gained a good amount of weight after the birth of your first
child, and seemed to be stuck with it ever since. Regardless of
the cause, weight gain is a serious matter. It affects your
energy levels, your stamina, and your overall health. Obesity
has been linked to numerous diseases, including heart disease,
cancer, and diabetes.

Once you determine that you are overweight, the first step to a
thinner you is to make a commitment to bring your weight under
control. This can be a daunting venture. In essence, you have
conditioned your mind to think like a fat person, rather than a
thin person. In order to reverse this mindset, you need to learn
to think like a thin person.

What exactly does this mean? How does a thin person think? To
begin, it means that you must abandon your preconceived ideas
about food and eating. Eating might have become a social event
for you, and as a result you’ll need to learn to become sociable
without food. This is the same struggle that alcoholics face as
they learn to socialize without beer or liquor. This lesson is
tough, and yes it can be difficult, but try it and see the
results for yourself.

Thinking thin or rather thinking like a thin person also means
that you need to develop new coping strategies. You might be
viewing food as your friend, the one you turn to when things
aren’t going well. You might also be eating in secret, because
feelings of shame arise as to the amounts of food you eat. You
need to sync your public persona with your private persona, and
your diet should do so as well.

A significant number of thin people exercise without even
noticing it. Activity is a normal part of their day. The same
thing needs to be true of you. You need to exercise as much as
possible; let it become second nature to you. Don’t allow it to
become a chore, let it be the fun part of your week. Take an
inventory of your preferences. Whether you like tennis, bowling,
badminton, or running, choose the activity that best represents
your style. Then exercise diligently, preferably six times per
week. This will boost your metabolism so that you burn fat at a
faster rate.

Also, if you have any fear of exercising, overcome it! As an
overweight person, you might find exercise to be frustrating,
and you might fear what other people will think of you as they
watch you exercise. You should realize that chances are no one
is paying attention to your exercise routine. Don’t let fear get
in the way of progress.

Thinking thin also means controlling portion sizes. This can be
difficult, especially when eating out. However, the key to
effective weight loss often lies in limiting the amount of food
you intake, and the first step is portion control. Consider
using smaller plates in order to control your food portions, and
to ensure that food portions are not too large. Also realize
that thinking thin does not happen overnight. It can take a long
time to develop your thought patterns and changing them can be a
challenge. The important thing to remember is to take one step
at a time and keep in mind that your weight loss will not happen
instantly. It will sometimes take months of hard work to reach
your ideal weight. However, the good news is that once you get
into the habit of thinking thin, it’s a trait you can benefit
from throughout your life. The difference between a fat person
and a thin person is not just a matter of the body, but of mind
as well. Once you realize that, you will be well on your way to
accomplishing your weight loss goals, short term and long term.

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