Change always starts in your mind, and with weight loss affirmations, you can put yourself in the right state of mind to start changing your body for the better. Before anything becomes “real”, it exists in your – or someone else’s – thoughts, so if thinking can produce such timeless inventions as the smartphone or the computer you’re reading this on, they can surely affect long-term weight loss!
The word affirmation comes from the Latin “affirmare”, which means “to make steady or strengthen”.1 So, affirmations are positive phrases that gradually rewire your brain and strengthen your mindset. Imagine how much better you would feel if you replaced negative thoughts with phrases like “I’m doing my best” and “I’m the best version of myself”. That’s the power of positive affirmations!2
Implementing affirmations can be as simple as saying them aloud, or finding a peaceful spot every day, lighting some candles, and writing them down. These actions reinforce that you’re doing great and can do amazing. Once you truly believe you can do something, you’ll go to any lengths to achieve it.
How Positivity & Affirmations Help With Weight Loss
Positive affirmations might sound like bogus pseudo-psychology, but there’s MRI evidence that reward and positivity-based neural pathways increase when you work on a self-affirmation task!3 Broadly, positive affirmations can:
Improve confidence – Research has shown that taking a few minutes to think about your best qualities before a nerve-wracking meeting can help ground you and calm you down, boosting your self-confidence and your chances of a good outcome.4
Reduce stress – In a study where chronically stressed participants performed a small affirmation exercise before assessing their problem-solving abilities, the subjects performed at the same level as those who were relaxed and had low stress.5
Boost self-esteem – Mental health professionals use positive affirmations to help patients with low self-esteem, depression, etc., since they stimulate the areas of the brain that make us more susceptible to positive changes.6
According to experts, 80-95% of all dieters who lose weight end up gaining it back, and then some.7 This weight gain prompts them to go back on an unsustainable diet for weight loss, causing weight loss only to gain it back again and ultimately getting stuck in the toxic cycle of yo-yo dieting.
Most people also don’t form healthy habits to go along with their weight loss diets, making it harder and harder to keep up motivation through each weight loss cycle until they stop trying entirely. If you’re finding it hard to give weight loss another shot, positive affirmations might be precisely what you need to make a lifestyle change and figure out manifesting weight loss through positivity.
Affirmations can aid in your weight loss efforts by:
Getting rid of negative thoughts towards weight loss – When you get stuck and stop losing weight, your first instinct might be to wonder, “I wonder why I can’t I do this.” or “I wonder why I am so weak.” However, these thoughts only reinforce a negative mindset instead of fostering positive change.
Replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations about weight loss restores your faith in your abilities and grants you patience, and patience is the mother of virtue! With renewed motivation, you can patiently get through a plateau.
Pushing you towards your weight loss goals – Visualizing your weight loss goals brings you one step closer to achieving them. Try to do this in a way that doesn’t chastise your body for not changing as fast as you’d like it to, though.
Through positive affirmations aimed at weight loss, you can push your mind to take your goals as achievable, and your body will follow.
Promoting self-love & self esteem – The actor Robert Morley said, “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.” The desire to change and lose weight should come from caring for something you love – your body.
Positive affirmations help you appreciate your body and its abilities in the present without comparing it to your goal, too, as any weight loss that comes from self-hatred won’t satisfy you in the long run.
21 Weight Loss Affirmations for Powerful Results
Now that you know how affirmations work, it’s time to try some out! Remember that not all of these may apply to you or your goals for losing weight, so choose what works best and take the rest as inspiration to create your own affirmations in the future.
1. I am getting healthier because I love and nurture my body.
- Self-acceptance is the first step towards self-love. With this affirmation, you tell yourself that you love your body and what it does for you every day, so you’re thanking it by building a stronger and healthier you.
2. Today, I am taking another step towards success.
- This affirmation implies that everything you do today, from your diet and exercise to your sleep, contributes towards reaching your goals, whether that’s becoming strong and toned or achieving a specific goal weight. No effort goes to waste, and everything you do counts towards losing weight.
3. How I see my body is the only thing that matters.
- You don’t care what others think about how you look or their attraction towards you – the only thing that matters is how you look at yourself. This way, you put a halt to the habit of comparing yourself to others and focus solely on becoming the best version of yourself.
4. I enjoy eating healthy, and I savor every bite.
- Eating healthy isn’t a chore – healthy, low-calorie meals can be pretty tasty! You don’t eat healthy just for the sake of it. Instead, you enjoy every bite of every meal, whether it’s home-cooked or take-out, because it tastes good.
5. I am nourishing my body with healthy food.
- Not only do you enjoy the taste of healthy recipes, but you also love how energetic it makes you feel. When you eat food that’s good for your body, you feel unstoppable in your weight loss efforts – like you can conquer the world!
6. I control what I eat, and I choose to eat what’s good for me.
- You don’t feel out of control when you see junk food like you used to before you started your journey – you choose to eat healthy, filling food instead. You have agency over what you eat!
7. I eat till I am content because every bite brings me closer to my goals.
- With this affirmation, you reinforce the idea that you don’t need to starve yourself to lose weight – you just need to make healthier choices. Even on cheat days, whatever you eat brings you closer to your goal weight.
8. I love how I feel when I move.
- Exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel happy and give you energy.8 Plus, you feel a sense of achievement every time you complete a walk, a dance routine, a workout, or any other form of exercise, and you move because you love it!
9. I wake up excited to exercise every day.
- Just like eating healthy, exercise isn’t a chore either, but it’s slowly becoming a habit. You wake up ready to go and eager to start moving for weight loss and because you feel great afterward.
10. I celebrate getting stronger with every workout.
- You don’t work out for weight loss. No, you do it to get stronger and push your body towards success! You celebrate every new feat you achieve and every personal record you set because you’re getting stronger every day.
11. I love the taste of water.
- Many people get bored of drinking plain water during weight loss, but not you! You don’t give in to the urge to drink sugary soft drinks and commercial fruit juices. Instead, you love how the water feels when you’re thirsty and how great being hydrated is.
12. I pay attention to what I eat and drink.
- Instead of eating while distracted by your phone or TV, you practice mindful eating.9 You savor the taste and pay attention to the texture, thoroughly enjoying every meal.
13. I can quickly lose weight and easily keep it off.
- Not only can you lose weight naturally and with ease, but you’re also making lifestyle changes, so you don’t plan on gaining it back. You will be part of the 5% who find success, lose the weight, and keep it off long-term.
14. I am proud of my progress when I look into the mirror.
- You don’t always need to focus on your goals – only if you’re proud of your progress can you maintain the motivation to lose weight, and you’re prouder of your weight loss progress every day.
15. I deserve to feel good and love myself.
- No matter if you’re satisfied with your current weight, you have every right to love yourself and feel good about your body. Only when you love your body can you change it for the better and have fun doing it.
16. I forgive myself and am at peace with my mistakes.
- You don’t let a single cheat meal or missed workout destroy your weight loss efforts. Instead, you carry on and do your best to stick to your weight loss diet or exercise routine the next day without guilt.
17. I heal myself when I sleep.
- You practice good sleep where your body grows and heals itself. Sleep is essential for weight loss, so priming your mind for healthful sleep balances the hunger hormones, helping you control cravings.10
18. I am comfortable in my body shape and skin.
- You don’t seek to shed weight to imitate an unrealistic standard or become someone else entirely. You’re happy with your underlying body shape, bone structure, skin texture, and everything else that’s uniquely you. You drop weight to change it for the better.
19. I am grateful for everything my body does for me.
- It doesn’t matter if you can’t perform high-intensity workouts or lift 20 pounds yet. You’re grateful for how far you can walk, how fast you can run, and how much you can curl right now, and you’re improving every day.
20. I stop eating when I’m full.
- You don’t feel the need to overeat huge restaurant portions or until you’re ready to burst. You’re happy to eat healthy food until you feel full and satiated and store the rest for later.
21. I am creating healthy habits that I’ll carry with me forever.
- You won’t stop eating healthy, moving more, and getting enough sleep once you finish your weight loss – you’ll carry them with you till you’re old! You’re determined to live a happy, healthy, active life at your ideal weight.
Tips To Make Losing Weight Easier With Weight Loss Affirmations
If you’ve been practicing these affirmations but don’t feel any change in your mindset, try these tips to make them more effective. Remember, mental change takes time just like physical change does, so be patient with yourself and practice positivity every day!
- Combine Affirmation with Action
An affirmation like “I can stay calm in stressful situations” might not be enough to calm your nerves if you’re highly anxious. Let affirmations guide you to healthy habits like mindfulness, breathing exercises, organizing, journaling, and meditation.
Affirmations only push you towards your goal, after all – it’s you who has to take steps to make weight loss happen!
- Focus on the Present
The affirmations we’ve listed are all in the present, and there’s a reason for that! Through neuroplasticity, your brain adapts to current circumstances, not future ones.
If you’re creating your own affirmations, take care to use statements like “I am…” or “My body is…” instead of “I want to be…” and notice the weight loss!
- Stay Positive, Not Negative
When you use negative statements, your brain might filter out the “not” part of the sentence and end up reinforcing negative thoughts. For example, when you say “I am not fat,” you’re only drilling the word “fat” into your brain.
Instead, use a statement like “I have the ability to become slim and healthy,” as this promotes the idea of both weight loss and health and doesn’t bring down your self-confidence.
- Repeat Affirmations Throughout the Day
Saying an affirming statement just once doesn’t reinforce the point in your mind. Choose any time of day when you’re feeling at peace and repeat three or four affirmations five or more times. Close your eyes if you need to, imagining yourself achieving your weight loss goals or doing what the affirmation says you’re doing.
Another method is to repeat affirmations aloud every morning or night while looking into the mirror. This way, you’re directly telling yourself how awesome you are, letting the message soak into your mind.
- Ask Someone Else to Help
Hearing your affirmations from another person’s mouth might help you realize, deep down, that you can do what the affirmation says and shed weight. This method might be beneficial if you suffer from extreme self-doubt. Ask a trusted friend or family member to repeat your affirmations to you a few times a day.
- Avoid Clichés
Use affirmations that feel personal to you instead of stock affirmations on t-shirts or inspirational images to drop weight more effectively. The more specific the affirmation is to your own weight loss goals, the better!
- Stay Realistic
If you believe a part of your weight loss is difficult, tell yourself that you’re still capable of achieving your weight loss goals even though it’s hard. Affirmations don’t mean blind positivity – stay realistic towards your abilities and take pride in overcoming things that might be hard for you to overcome.
Should I Try Affirmations for Weight Loss?
A better perspective to consider is what you have to lose. We believe that weight loss affirmations are surely worth a shot and one should try all sorts of things before giving up on losing weight. Heck, you can even start experimenting with affirmations right now! Choose any affirmation that applies to you from this list, find a quiet spot, and repeat it to yourself. Take a few minutes to absorb the message – then prepare a healthy meal or go for a walk.
Combining affirmations about weight loss with immediate action is the best way to boost your confidence in your abilities and accelerate weight loss – so go ahead and seize the day!
References
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2Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The psychology of change: self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annual review of psychology, 65, 333–371. <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24405362/>
3Cascio, C. N., O’Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 11(4), 621–629. <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26541373/>
4Kang, S. K., Galinsky, A. D., Kray, L. J., & Shirako, A. (2015). Power affects performance when the pressure is on: evidence for low-power threat and high-power lift. Personality & social psychology bulletin, 41(5), 726–735. <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25888684/>
5Creswell, J. D., Dutcher, J. M., Klein, W. M. P., Harris, P. R., & Levine, J. M. (2013, May). Self-Affirmation Improves Problem-Solving under Stress. PLoS ONE, 8(5). <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0062593>
6Kinnier, R. T., Hofsess, C., Pongratz, R., & Lambert, C. (2009). Attributions and affirmations for overcoming anxiety and depression. Psychology and psychotherapy, 82(Pt 2), 153–169. <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19091166/>
7Wing, R. R., & Phelan, S. (2005). Long-term weight loss maintenance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 82(1 Suppl), 222S–225S. <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16002825/>
8Harvard Medical School. (2020, July 7). Exercising to Relax – Harvard Health Publishing – Harvard. Harvard Health. Retrieved January 4, 2022, from <https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax>
9Nelson J. B. (2017). Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat. Diabetes spectrum : a publication of the American Diabetes Association, 30(3), 171–174. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556586/>
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