{"id":53671,"date":"2016-11-02T11:15:51","date_gmt":"2016-11-02T15:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=53671"},"modified":"2021-05-06T08:22:18","modified_gmt":"2021-05-06T12:22:18","slug":"diet-weight-loss-language-traps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/diet-weight-loss-language-traps\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Language Traps That Are Derailing Your Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"5
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You know that success in shedding weight is all about personal motivation and commitment<\/a>. So it\u2019s probably no surprise that declaring \u201cI\u2019m trying to lose weight<\/a>\u201d sounds like a floppy half-cooked strand of fettuccine rather than a backbone of intention. \u201cThe attitude we have when we approach this process really matters,\u201d explains Robyn Spurr<\/a>, a certified health coach with the American Council on Exercise who\u2019s based near Littleton, Colorado.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want my clients to have a feeling of curiosity and excitement. And the way we feel comes from our thinking. So if we can reframe our thoughts, it make everything easier,\u201d Spurr says.<\/p>\n

Master your own messaging, and the rest will follow. Here\u2019s how to harness the power of psychology to help you make progress towards your health goals.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>12 Things Nobody Told Me About Losing Weight<\/a><\/p>\n

5 Ways You\u2019re Talking Yourself Out of Success<\/h2>\n

1. Not describing your bigger mission.<\/h3>\n

The simplest way to shift your thoughts is by celebrating your long-term goals<\/a>, rather than obsessing about dropping pounds. \u201cInstead of focusing on weight, which can feel discouraging if the pounds aren\u2019t coming off the way you want, you should focus on health<\/a>,\u201d explains New York City Psychologist Alexis Conanson<\/a>, Psy.D, who teaches mindful eating<\/a> workshops. \u201cMaking changes to how we\u2019re eating and increasing physical activity are beneficial, no matter which direction the scale is moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

So rather than saying, \u201cI should lose weight,\u201d try using these phrases instead: \u201cI\u2019m working on nurturing my mind and body.\u201d Or, \u201cI\u2019m working to take better care of myself<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Big Benefits of Losing Just a Little Bit of Weight<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Dissing yourself.
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When you\u2019re trying to psych yourself up to prep a week\u2019s worth of chopped veggies, it\u2019s easy to slip into negative self-talk, such as \u201cI have to do something about my weight\u201d or \u201cI can\u2019t stand the way I look.\u201d The problem is that all those punishing vibes don\u2019t help your cause. \u201cWhatever emotion we\u2019re experiencing is going to impact our actions,\u201d says Spurr. \u201cIf I\u2019m experiencing shame or self-doubt<\/a>, then it will be difficult to make healthy decisions.\u201d Her favorite comeback: \u201cI\u2019m creating a more delicious life.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Telling others too much.
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is a tricky one. On the one hand, you\u2019re dying to tell your friends about your new health goals because you could use some social support<\/a>. On the other hand, you might not always welcome what they have to say, even if it\u2019s a well-meaning \u201cYou don\u2019t need to lose weight. You look great!\u201d Declaring that you\u2019re going to pass on another round of drinks might be met with unnecessary drama, adds Spurr. \u201cOther people will project their issues onto you,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019ll want you to join them.\u201d In that sense, less can be more when justifying your healthy habits<\/a>. You can simply say, \u2018No thanks.\u2019<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>17 Positive Affirmations That Will Change the Way You Think<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Talking about \u201closing.\u201d
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The term \u201cweight loss\u201d is such a part of our lexicon that we even joke about successful pound-droppers as \u201cBiggest Losers.\u201d But if you think about it, \u201closs\u201d is a word best used in relation to poker, baseball and, well, death. \u201cWhen talking about losing weight, it implies that you\u2019re taking something away, rather than adding something to or enhancing your life,\u201d says Conason. So what\u2019s a better term? \u201cBringing your body weight into balance\u201d is more empowering<\/a>, even if it\u2019s not exactly a catchy name for a TV show.<\/p>\n

5. Using the word \u201cdiet.\u201d
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

No matter how you spin it, the word \u201cdiet<\/a>\u201d is associated with restriction and deprivation, and that\u2019s not a formula for long-term success. \u201cPeople can stick with a diet for a short period of time, but then they usually go off it and end up regaining their weight and then some,\u201d says Conason. \u201cIt\u2019s better to mindfully eat<\/a> what you crave. Taste it. Smell it. Savor it. Eat enough slowly to feel satisfied. Get as much pleasure and satisfaction as you can. That\u2019s called working with your body\u2019s own wisdom.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The words we use to discuss our weight goals have a big impact on whether we achieve them. Here\u2019s how to get more constructive with your body-talk. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11,18],"tags":[41,341,352,285],"class_list":["post-53671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","category-weight-loss","tag-diets","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2weight-loss","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53671\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}