9. Think and Talk Positively
People who have positive expectations and feel confident in their ability to achieve their goals tend to lose more weight (15Trusted Source).
Also, people who use “change talk” are more likely to follow through with plans.
Change talk is making statements about commitment to behavioral changes, the reasons behind them and the steps you will take or are taking to reach your goals (16Trusted Source).
Therefore, start talking positively about your weight loss. Also, talk about the steps you are going to take and commit your thoughts out loud.
On the other hand, research shows that people who spend a lot of time only fantasizing about their dream weight are less likely to reach their goal. This is called mentally indulging.
Instead, you should mentally contrast. To mentally contrast, spend a few minutes imagining reaching your goal weight and then spend another few minutes imagining any possible obstacles that may get in the way.
A study in 134 students had them mentally indulge or mentally contrast their dieting goals. Those who mentally contrasted were more likely to take action. They ate fewer calories, exercised more and ate fewer high-calorie foods (15Trusted Source).
As seen in this study, mentally contrasting is more motivating and leads to more action than mentally indulging, which can trick your brain into thinking you have already succeeded and cause you to never take any action to reach your goals.