Losing weight is a mental challenge, as well as a physical one. Some people can spend years trying to lose weight and achieve their goals and can get into a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
The key to losing weight could be breaking this cycle. But it is not always so simple.
Psychologist Darren Stanton has shared six tips to break bad habits for good. Tips include intention setting and breaking behavioural patterns, which could help you lose weight.
Read more: Do I have a good relationship with food? Warning signs and when to seek help.
Darren Stanton is a TV psychology consultant, dubbed the “Human Lie Detector” appearing on The One Show, ITV’s This Morning and on-screen with criminal barrister Robert “Judge” Rinder. Talking about weight loss, Darren said: "A lot of our success is linked to our belief system and what we believe about this particular habit - do we believe it is possible for us to overcome it? Or are we dwelling on the times we have tried to break this habit previously and failed?
"Engaging in the same strategy you have previously done and failed, it’s probably going to drive the same result so this time consider what you can do differently. They say the average time period for someone to acquire a new behaviour is 66 days so if we engage in the same behaviour for that long it becomes habitual and we do it without a conscious mind being aware of it.
"We may inherit habits from our parents or caregivers over the years and replicate the behaviours of those people around us. We may also turn to certain vices, like smoking or overeating, to help with negative feelings or uncomfortable situations which can obviously have a very detrimental effect on our health so losing certain bad habits can be very important."
Weight loss can be as much of a mental challenge as a physical one. Darren has outlined six quick tips for breaking bad habits which could be the key to weight loss.
Six tips to break bad habits for good:
Identify triggers and aftermath
Darren said: "Identify when you are engaging in the habit and what the situation is or who is around you at that time, then think about how engaging in the habit makes you feel. If certain situations are prompting you to impulsively indulge, it may be necessary to avoid them."
Make yourself accountable
Darren said: "Tell someone you trust like your partner, family member, friend - or many people turn to social media for a support network - and tell them you are aiming to change a particular behaviour. This can work because there is then accountability on yourself to achieve the weight loss goal and lots of people knowing what you’re attempting can be massively motivational."
Interrupt the pattern
Darren said: "If you recognise something like eating chocolate is triggered by sitting in a certain chair at a certain time watching a certain program try to interrupt the pattern, sit in a different place maybe and try doing something different in that time slot. Do you still engage in the unwanted behaviour, or is it more to do with the fact you are sitting watching TV?"
Acknowledge that slip-ups happen
Darren said: "If the eating habits you’re wanting to get rid of are something that you have engaged in for years or even decades you have to accept this is not something that is going to be changed overnight therefore do not be too overcritical on yourself if you find yourself and your diet or exercise regime slipping. Tomorrow is always another day."
Recognise the small wins
Darren said: "Many people when they set out to achieve a new goal set unrealistic milestones so breaking your journey down into very small chunks is going to help you massively to maintain your levels of motivation and indeed increase your chances of success overall."
Set your intention
Darren said: "Remember energy goes where attention flows, so focus on the benefits of how the new version of yourself will be and how you would like to look once you have fixed the old habit."
