Losing Weight Should Never Mean You Have to Starve

There are numerous weight loss myths but one thing that's proving to be undeniably true is that your brain hates fad diets. A study published in eLife discovered the key brain cells that actively prevent the body from burning stored fat when food is scarce. If you want to look like you did 20 years ago, choose a photo that you can look at when you are struggling with staying on track or need a quick boost of weight-loss motivation.

Motivation to lose weight often spikes when the first signs of summer appear and people begin to picture their body in a bathing suit. While there is no getting around eating right and staying active, experts say that having the right attitude can help you think yourself thin. Make your health and well-being a priority by creating a detailed action plan and ultimately the new eating behaviors will become a routine part of your day. With a detailed plan, results will follow.

• Remind Yourself Why - Set goals that are within reach. Weight watchers who establish short-term milestones to ensure they are making progress tend to stay more motivated.
• Visual What You Want - Creating a good routine with emphasis on health and fitness will keep you on track and make it easier to apply willpower. If you find yourself off track, challenge yourself with something new that you know will inspire you.
• Refuse to Be Discouraged - Low self-esteem can be debilitating for people who struggle with his or her body image. Honing your motivation requires replacing negative thinking with positive thoughts.
• Think Energy Balance - Getting enough sleep is almost like having a magic wand. When you are sleep deprived, it is difficult to pass on junk food or make yourself go to the gym. Everything you do feels more difficult when you feel tired, so get plenty of rest and you'll have the energy you need to make better choices.
• Avoid Stress Eating - Losing weight should never mean that you have to starve yourself. When you think about what you're eating, picture what that food can do for your body and how the nutrients will help how you feel.

Whatever your personal issues are with losing weight, the faulty behavioral patterns need to change for you to be successful. Empower yourself to identify these patterns, deal with the real issues, and succeed at long-term weight loss. Since anxiety absolutely can affect the outcome of your diet, you must address the cause and manage your stress rather than consume second or third helpings of food. Although anxiety manifests differently, you must eliminate stress eating.

Although only a few studies have been published on weight-loss hypnosis, the Mayo Clinic concluded that when you are under hypnosis, your attention is highly focused and you are more responsive to suggestions, including behavior changes that can help you lose weight. Researchers say that the key to limited indulgence may be thinking about eating the food ahead of time versus merely visualizing the food product.