Top 5 Psychological Barriers Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Journey
ABSTRACT
Discover the top 5 psychological barriers that hinder sustainable weight loss. Learn how to overcome cognitive distortions and adopt a positive mindset for lasting success.
Keywords
Cognitive distortions in weight loss
Common weight loss mistakes
Sustainable weight loss strategies
Overcoming weight loss barriers
Weight loss mindset tips
Black-and-white thinking weight loss
Overgeneralization in dieting
Mental filtering and weight loss
Disqualifying the positive in weight loss
Jumping to conclusions weight loss
Personal trainer advice
Emotional barriers to weight loss
Self-sabotage in dieting
Psychological barriers to weight loss
Positive thinking in weight loss
Diet Mistakes / Photo: Pham Ngoc Anh
Introduction
Although most of my personal training clients look past this type of article, it provides the honest answer to sustainable weight loss. If you’ve been jumping from diet to diet or struggling with losing weight, maybe it’s time to open yourself to the real reasons why. I’ve carved out the top 5 reasons from the MSN article “10 Mistakes You're Making Every Time You Think About Starting A Diet.”
List of Mistakes
1. BLACK-AND-WHITE THINKING
Black-and-white thinking is probably the most common mistake I see among people who struggle with their weight. This mindset creates an all-or-nothing cycle that pushes you toward failure as soon as something goes wrong. After a particularly austere week of sticking to your plan, you step on the scale and discover you didn't lose an ounce—"That's it, I just can't lose any weight." But you can.
Black-and-white thinking is the mindset of habitual dieters because they constantly see themselves as being either on a diet—restricting themselves from foods they love—or off the diet—eating "forbidden foods" with relish. When you think in black and white, you get angry and tell yourself you screwed up royally (again). You're deflated and beating yourself up. You see losing weight as an impossible task and may even abandon your plan immediately. You end up wallowing away the rest of the day with your head in the refrigerator and worrying about what you'll see when you find the nerve to step on the scale.
People who live in black-and-white thinking fail to consider that there are choices between all or nothing. They have a difficult time getting back on track when deviation happens. They view their day as ruined instead of accepting that one decision was just one mistake, and it's time to forget about it and move forward. When repeated over time, this thinking creates a consistent barrier to success.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: My all-or-nothing personal training clients consistently achieve the highest weight loss success in the shortest amount of time….and eventually gain the weight back every time. Unfortunately, black-and-white thinking overlooks what’s emotionally, mentally, and physically best for you. That said, a non-adaptable drastic change will only lead to short-term results.
2. OVERGENERALIZATION
People with this mindset see a single adverse event as a never-ending pattern of defeat. It's the continuation of black-and-white thinking—a slight misstep is turned into a blown-out-of-proportion event.
"Not only did I order the wrong thing," you tell yourself, "but it happens every time I go out for breakfast. What's wrong with me? Eating out is not possible for me." You work yourself into such a tizzy over it that you question your self-worth: "I'll never get to where I want to be." You abandon your diet, thinking, "What's the point?" until the next time you muster up the courage to start dieting again. Overgeneralization is a sure way to talk yourself into failure mentally.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Quit being so dramatic! It isn’t entirely your fault, though. You’re surrounded by negativity in the news, film, and family parties, which rubs off on you. No wonder every little thing that goes wrong seems to compound on itself! If you break down the stream of life (and your thoughts), you’ll see that more things end up better than worse (we tend to overlook these little successes). Accept life's imperfections and be mindful of your emotional reaction to the small challenges along the way. All of us make mistakes. Accept that and continue to identify these patterns before they become more destructive.
3. MENTAL FILTERING
You've lost 15 pounds, and people are noticing. Your officemates are smothering you with compliments: "You look great!" "That new outfit shows off your slimmer figure." Then you meet your mother for lunch, and she says, "You're looking tired. I thought you were working on losing weight and improving your health. How's that going?"
Forget the 20 compliments you heard that morning. All you can think about is that your mother has not noticed what the people in your office are seeing. This is mental filtering. You pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively, to the point where it darkens your vision of reality. You mope through lunch, all the while feeling self-conscious about the way you look. Your mind is off the compliments or your lunch. It's on your weight as you mindlessly eat your through the breadbasket.
In reality, perhaps your mother thought you looked tired because she worried that you were working too hard and not getting enough sleep. Maybe she didn't notice your weight loss because she was concerned about the strained look on your face. On the outside chance she ignored your improved figure out of a little jealousy, one left-out compliment should not negate the multitude of encouragements you heard all morning.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: It’s easy to obsess over any criticism in your efforts (or obsession) to be perfect. If you find yourself emotionally reacting to a comment, ask the person to clarify (to understand his or her intent) and personally write a list of reasons why the statement is untrue.
4. DISQUALIFYING THE POSITIVE
Let's get back to those compliments from your coworkers. When you disqualify the positive, it means you're just not buying it. You think what your coworkers tell you is not true—they are just saying it to be nice. You think, "I'm still overweight, and they know it."
Some people who are overweight have such a poor self-image that they can't see themselves in anything but the negative. This cognitive distortion could contribute to your negative thinking pattern if you struggle with your self-worth. You may have trouble viewing yourself in anything but a pessimistic vision, so when someone does pay you a compliment, you immediately dismiss it as untrue. You discount positive experiences by telling yourself that they "don't count." You put yourself in a mind rut so deep that you live in a negative shadow contradictory to your everyday experiences. When people feel bad about themselves, they make bad food choices.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: My personal training clients and I have been guilty of these disqualifying reactions. I flipped the switch by celebrating every positive response with genuine appreciation. I wouldn’t be truthful if I said it was easy at first. Ultimately, it would be best if you reinforced positive messages within you before you accepted positive messages outside of you. Surround yourself with brainwashing quotes on your mirror, phone, and wall to reinforce a new, open mindset.
5. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
An attractively dressed woman stares at you at the grocery store, and you think, "Why is she looking at me that way? I must look horrible." That's jumping to a conclusion. This mindset constantly interprets every experience as unfavorable despite the lack of evidence. There are no facts, no fact-checking. You continuously make assumptions about yourself: "She's staring at me. She thinks I'm a slob," even if it's more likely that she's staring at you because she thinks she recognizes you from somewhere and can't put her finger on it.
People who jump to conclusions don't see themselves as others see them. They think others see them as they see themselves, and this is not flattering for those lacking confidence about their appearance.
When you're in this mindset, you can jump to conclusions about anything without evidence—"Why is he staring at my double chin while he's talking to me?" when he's looking you in the eye. Worse yet, you tend to play fortune teller, anticipating that something or an event will turn out badly, thereby helping to make it a foregone conclusion: "I just know I'm going to overeat and all the wrong stuff at the party tonight."
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Be aware of your mindset and the underlying influences on your behavior and perspective. Are you looking for the worst or negative in people and your environment? What negative filter are you using when viewing the world? Is it self-imposed? Although personal trainers will sell the physical side, the real change for sustainable weight loss results from your emotional and mental rewiring efforts. It’s time to change your mind and redefine your interaction with the world and how you perceive yourself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOODY, PERSONAL TRAINER
As an author, a personal trainer in Denver, and podcast host, Michael Moody has helped personal training clients achieve new fitness heights and incredible weight loss transformations since 2005. He also produces the wellness podcast "The Elements of Being" and has been featured on NBC, WGN Radio, and PBS.
Michael offers personal training to Denver residents who want to meet at the 2460 W 26th Ave studio….or in their homes throughout LoHi (80206), LoDo (80202), RiNo (80216), Washington Park (80209), Cherry Creek (80206, 80209, 80243, 80246, 80231), and Highlands (80202, 80211, 80212). Michael also offers experiences with a personal trainer in Jefferson Park (80211) and Sloan's Lake (80204, 80212).
If you’re looking for a personal trainer who can curate a sustainable (and adaptable) routine based on your needs and wants, Michael is the experienced practitioner you’ve been looking for. Try personal training for a month…your body will thank you!
