In this post, we explore the relationship between the subconscious mind and weight loss.
Can real, long-lasting change be achieved on weight loss efforts using the subconscious mind?
The answer to the question will be explored in this post.
What you'll learn
How big a nuisance is that extra waistline fat?
According to the data from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), for 2013-2014, more than one in three adults were considered to be overweight. Also, about one in six children and adolescents aged two to nineteen were considered to be obese.
And obesity and being overweight is one of the leading causes of most diseases. Among those diseases that being overweight causes are type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, heart diseases and stroke, certain types of cancer, just to name a few.
From the most extreme cases of obesity to the normal increase in weight through higher calorie intake, the problems posed by excess fat in the body cannot be overlooked.
Being slightly overweight can lead to fatigue, and this in turn raises the cortisol levels in the body which increases stress.
Apart from the physical health risks that being overweight poses, there is the case of psychological side-effects.
Our self-image and self-appreciation is sometimes tied in to how we look. When you are overweight, you’ll not feel in-shape, and this can have damaging effects on your confidence level.
Some cloths won’t fit, you won’t feel comfortable in your own skin, and you won’t be happy with your body.
If being overweight is a national crisis, why is it that most people are overweight anyway?
When we know the effects that that extra waistline fat can have on our lives, why do we still have that extra doughnut?
We are programmed to become addicted to food
For the continuity of our species, we are anatomically programmed to crave food. Food is a natural reinforcer for us.
It all has to do mostly with what our root programming is. In order for our species to continue existing, we have to eat and copulate. Otherwise, we would have starved ourselves out of existence.
Whenever we perceive or eat food, there is a dopamine spike in the reward circuit of the brain. This is a pleasure giving chemical that is meant to serve as the reward for eating.
This was all okay back then, when there were no McDonalds, KFCs, Nando’s pizza, and food-on-demand with inexhaustible varieties of assortments.
We tend to binge on these assortments. Saying no to what we are supposed to crave is very difficult.
The kicker in this 21st century we currently are is that most of the foods we consume from these places have been genetically engineered, and they are packed with weight-gaining substances like trans-fat, HFCs, Sodium, preservatives, and so on.
These sorts of foods have a way of hijacking the reward circuit of the brain and this leaves us wanting more, even though we know better.
When it starts getting out of hand
I’m afraid the train has already left the station when it comes to the overweight syndrome that has plagued our society.
Through aggressive marketing and the convenience they offer, the fast food chains have become successful in making people addicted to their products.
Aside from the fact that some weight gains are due to medical issues like an underactive thyroid, and cushing syndrome, the majority of waistline gain is down to over-eating junks, and lifestyle choices. And both are largely due to a low willpower on the part of the individual.
Even people who are genetically pre-disposed to being overweight can STILL get their weight under control with the right attitude towards the food they eat and the rate at which they exercise.
All eating disorders are emotional
Be it over-eating, or eating junks, or emotional eating, or stress eating, or bulimia, or anorexia, all of them are tied into our emotions.
The emotions can be negative ones or positive, but at the end of the day, it is how we are feeling that drives our eating habits.
For instance, some people starts gaining weight after they’ve suffered a major trauma like losing a person close to them.
Some women start gaining weight after child birth. Some people start gaining weight after they’ve become successful; might be that they didn’t have enough to eat growing up.
Some people have been programmed due to their upbringing that they should never waste food. So, they eat everything on their plate no matter how much the food is.
Some people binge on junks after a bad day at work while some binge on junks after a good and successful day at work.
Some over-eat when they are happy, and some over-eat when they are sad.
The list goes on and on and can fill up this whole post. What I’m just trying to demonstrate to you is the fact that all eating disorders are tied to our emotions.
Our 21st century lifestyle
We currently live in a “sitting” world. Most people drive to work, get to work and sit for almost 8 hours. On getting home, they stay glued to their laptops, smartphones, and TV for the rest of the day, and eventually go to bed.
Most people are not exercising regularly. The majority of people nowadays are living a sedentary lifestyle.
Nowadays, we don’t get to go to stores for shopping anymore. The extent of some people’s physical activity is the trip they make from their bed to their computer.
Why most conventional methods for losing weight don’t work
By just typing the phrase “weight loss programs” into Google, 171,000,000 results were returned.
There are endless fancy weight loss programs out there. From diet plans, to fitness programs, herbs, supplements, apps, armbands (I’m not sure how this works), to personal trainers, the list can go on and on.
Why is it that a lot of people still struggle with their weight? Why is it that after buying some of these programs, most people use it for two days and after that, the program is left in the dust never to be seen or heard of again?
What’s the deal with starting a weight loss regimen and leaving it halfway?
The truth is that most of these programs work. But they only work for a small percentage of people though.
These programs are only approaching the physical aspect of weight-loss. They are not taking into account the psychological and emotional aspect of the whole process.
These programs are not making sure that the subconscious mind is on-board.
If you are subconsciously overweight and you are trying to lose weight, it will be like trying to beat water into submission.
If you are doing a lot of things to lose weight, and your subconscious mind isn’t on-board, it will be difficult to achieve success.
When it comes to being overweight, real and long-lasting change comes from within
I’m a huge believer in changing the without from within. If your subconscious is not on-board with your decisions, it’s just like you are walking in reverse.
The relationship between the subconscious mind and weight loss
At the end of the day, if you are trying to lose weight, you MUST build weight-losing habits in order to get rid of that extra fat.
So, let me ask you this; Do you have weight loss habits or weight gain habits?
It’s either one or the other.
Are you eating healthily or are you indulging in sodas and trans-fats frequently? Do you sleep adequately or are you a night owl? Do you exercise regularly or are you a “sitter”.
Remember, it is either one or the other.
90% of what you do daily is directed by the subconscious. We rarely make decisions consciously.
The subconscious mind is the home of all our beliefs and habits. So, if you have a subconscious belief that you are the type of person that loses excess fat, you will be able to pick up weight losing habits and they will STICK.
It doesn’t really matter what you do, if you can hack your subconscious and make it believe that you are capable of losing weight, everything you do will be backed with a conviction that will make every other thing easier to execute.
Ways to re-program the subconscious mind to lose weight
Weight-loss related affirmations
The correct use of affirmations is a very good and effective way to access the subconscious. Though it requires constant repetition, if used correctly, it can be a very good way to convince the subconscious mind to gear you lose those extra pounds.
Below are ten affirmations that can be used to lose weight;
- I accept the qualities of fulfillment, happiness, and contentment in my life right now.
- I enjoy eating healthy foods that will put my body in a great shape.
- Exercising regularly is something that I really enjoy doing.
- I am beautiful. And I am a confident person.
- I accept myself for who I am.
- Everyday, I am grateful for my functional body parts. I am grateful for all the good things in my life.
- I love myself so much. This allows me to be able to give and receive love.
- I keep making healthy decisions that will take me closer to my weight loss goals
- Life is an adventure and it is a beautiful day to be alive
- I am the master of my body. I am capable of losing weight.
Hypnotherapy
The practice of hypnotherapy treatments have been around for a long time now. It involves using hypnosis as a means of getting in touch with the subconscious.
Hypnotherapy treatments are being used in different aspects of life where individuals are willing to change their beliefs about a particular thing.
It is being used to stop smoking habits, eating disorders, weight loss, and so on. The thing about hypnotherapy is that it will require the guidance of a hypnosis specialist who will guide the patient into a relaxed realm where the subconscious mind can easily be reached.
Innercising with winning the game of weight loss
This is the best program out there when it comes to programming the subconscious to acquire weight losing habits.
The program is a combination of powerful affirmations, hypnosis, meditation, brain entrapment, subliminal programming, and a lot more through the innercise provided in this program.
Summary
You have to first convince yourself that you are capable of losing weight before starting any weight-loss program. It’s as simple as that.
We talked about why the majority of people gain weight and am sure you’ve seen that it is mostly emotional and internal.
So, it stands to reason that for real change to occur, the subconscious mind must first be addressed.
The subconscious mind must first of all be programmed to lose weight. By doing this, lasting change will be observed.