One of the Biggest Mistakes

By Jennifer A. Mason, LCSW LMFT LISW-S

One of the biggest mistakes anyone makes when they are 'on a diet' is to focus solely on the weight that is lost. Yes, everyone wants to lose weight but that is where the winners and losers become separated.
 
We all know someone or are that someone ourselves that has lost weight only to regain the weight and then some. Certainly, losing the weight isn’t the easy part. But, as we are reaching our goals, if you are thinking about the favorite food you will return to once you get the weight off, you are preparing to postpone the inevitable.

This is where most people go wrong. They see a diet as a moment in time to eat less and exercise more. Their mindset hasn’t changed. In a time of crisis or stress, food will still be used as self-medication. The diet was a project that was time limited. Instead of being a process of growth, self reflection, and internalization which would promote a change in weight along with giving direction to a new lifestyle.
 
We need to reevaluate the manner in which we think about goals. Our goal weight is really just the short term objective. The maintenance of that weight loss requires using newly learned skills of self reflection and internalization. Maintenance of weight loss then becomes the long term goal that helps us realize this is a forever thing.

So one of the biggest mistakes is to focus on just the amount of time it takes to reach a desired weight. Leave this thinking behind and focus instead on maintaining your healthy habits on your new journey… a lifestyle change that will become you so you achieve long term success.