How to mentally prepare to diet?

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most powerful tools to prevent the development of various types of diseases, including those related to the heart. However, this is not always easy to achieve.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is normal for those who want to lose weight to want to do it quickly. However, he ensures that scientific evidence shows that people who lose weight gradually and steadily, between one and two pounds per week, achieve better results, since it is more difficult for them to regain it.

“Losing weight in a healthy way is not just regarding following a diet or program. It is a lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular physical activity”, specifies this institution, which also affirms that if a person has lost weight, the most important thing is to take care of what they eat to avoid recovering it.

It is key, for example, to restrict the intake of carbohydrates, which are present in a large amount of food. One way to consume the right type and amount is to use glycemic index (GI) tables that make food choices easier. Similarly, fats should be reduced, particularly saturated and trans.

But beyond any alternative that is adopted to lose a few extra kilos, one of the best ways to achieve it is through the brain.

An article published by The New York Times He quotes Traci Mann, who directs the Food and Health Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. The expert points out that “in addition to the disappointment of not maintaining weight, diets affect the body in several negative ways. Among other things, restrictive eating can impair memory and executive function, trigger obsessive thoughts regarding food, and trigger an increase in cortisol, a stress hormone.”

That is why it is easier to work on this topic from the brain. According to information from the newspaper The confidential, de España, in its health section, poorly managed emotions or recurring thoughts linked to situations of stress or anxiety can interfere with eating habits, making attempts to lose weight not work.

According to the portal Top Doctors, diets can cause both physical and mental changes that are reflected in irritability, tiredness, sadness, apathy, headaches and sleep difficulties. That is why it is very important to work from the mental point of view.

In any case, it all depends on the person and the specific case. “In conclusion, it is necessary to warn that the physical changes that are expected with the diet can be accompanied by psychological changes that were not expected at the beginning. Being aware of this and finding the midpoint of balance, keeping the focus on the final objective, will allow us to get closer to it ”, specifies the aforementioned website.

identify emotions

To train the brain around proper nutrition, one of the first steps that must be taken is to identify emotions. If a person feels bad and therefore eats compulsively or eats unhealthy products, it is vital to find other healthier alternative behaviors that help them feel good. One option is to seek support from loved ones or play sports.

Likewise, according to information from the wellness and beauty portal Mujer Hoy, it is important for the brain to get rid of the bad, but tools must be provided to focus on the good.

An alternative, for example, is to have the fridge tidy and, above all, full of healthy products. This will prevent the brain from leading to “sin” with the intake of foods that are not nutritious. The idea is to force the consumption of foods considered healthy.

According to the portal Body and mindOne way to achieve the ideal state using the brain is to eat as if the person were thin, as if they had already achieved their ideal weight, as this makes them aware of what they are really eating. It is important to generate a very close and natural relationship with food and, in this way, only what the body really requires and not what is desired will be consumed.

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