Which habits do successful weight losers have in common and what can the rest of us learn from their them? In this post, I will teach you how to imitate the habits of successful weight losers.
Your Habits Determine Your Results
You may have asked yourself any of the following questions before, “if losing weight is not rocket science, why does it seem hard? Why is it so easy to add on the kgs and so difficult to lose them? Why is it difficult for some to lose and maintain weight, and easy for others to get results?”
The answer boils down to one single word: habits! Our habits make us who we are. Our daily habits are what shapes our future.
One good thing about habits is the fact that they can be learned and they can also be unlearned. It is, therefore, correct to say, if we can identify and learn the habits that make people successful, then we can also get the results they are getting.
The Seven Habits Researchers Have Identified In Successful Losers
They Are Motivated To Change
People don’t change unless they see the need for change. According to health psychologists, people go through different stages of change before they adopt a new health behaviour (Prochaska and colleagues).
Every successful weight loser had a point where they realised that they needed to change something. For some, the motivation for a change may have come as an order from the doctor, for some it may be to lose weight and look good. And for others being alive and well to take care of their families was the motivation.
Every Successful Loser Had One Or More Reasons They Decided To Lose Weight.
They Believe In The Benefits
Beliefs are powerful driving forces. When we believe in something, we work hard to make it happen. Starting a new lifestyle is not easy unless you believe in the benefits that come with that new way of life.
It is natural for us as humans to cling to the familiar and resist anything that threatens our sense of stability; we don’t usually welcome change with open arms.
Believing in the benefits of a lifestyle is so important, and that is one of the habits of successful losers. If you are familiar with my weight loss story, you would know that my primary motivations were the benefits of exercise. I read a book that convinced me about the health benefits of exercise and proper nutrition, and I decided to practise what I learned in the book.
They Believe They Can
Self-belief is what makes people do the impossible. Successful losers have confidence in their abilities.
Self-confidence is defined as “the belief that you can be successful at something. For example, the belief that you can be successful in sports and physical activities and can improve your physical fitness.” (Corbin and Welk).
You have to believe it before you can do it. You have to believe it before you can do it. Faith is what keeps us from falling apart when the going gets tough.
Successful losers are goal setters. They understand the importance of aiming their efforts at something. They set small manageable goals, and as they reach each goal, they celebrate it and set new goals. The goal can be as small as walking 20 minutes a day, or as big as running a marathon.
Every goal achieved reinforces a successful loser’s success. That is why some people can’t understand why these people keep pushing fitness boundaries. Some people might think they are overdoing it, but in most cases, it is the pure joy of conquering new fitness territories that motivate them to push harder.
They Keep Track
Self-monitoring is one of the habits successful losers have in common because records don’t lie. They keep track of their foods and physical activities because they know that “what can be tracked can be managed.”
They also keep records of weight and different body measurements because seeing the difference between where you are coming from and where you are now, is a big motivating factor.
They Enlist Social Support
Research has shown that those who enlist the support of friends and family are more successful with weight loss than those who do not. As a fitness coach, I have seen people achieve amazing results because they have group support. Whether it is 2-3 people meeting for a walk, whether attending a group fitness class or joining a Facebook group of like-minded people, people lose more weight when they have the support of others.
Successful losers don’t joke with social support, whether it is from family or friends. They keep themselves accountable to their support groups.
They Continue In Those Habits That Make Them Successful
Successful losers can maintain their weight loss in the long-term because they don’t do on and off. They exercise regularly and make healthy eating a daily habit. They are not looking for quick fixes, and weight loss magic. No wonder they can maintain their weight in the long- term.
In the final analysis, we are what we consistently do. Like Aristotle rightly said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
When it comes to losing weight, your gain is going proportional to your effort. No effort, no gain. Small effort, small gain. Big effort, big gains.
If you don’t like the results you’re getting from your weight loss programme, please check your habits.
Our habits determine our results. To fix our weight, we must first fix our habits.