10 Ways to Shift Your Mindset for Better Weight Loss

Have you struggled to lose those 20 pounds you want and actually keep it off?

Or does the word “struggled” not even begin to describe how hard it’s been for you up to this point?

You’ve tried just about everything to make the scale go down.

You’ve scoured the internet and social media for every tip or “hack” out there.

But none of it–not a single thing–has led to consistent weight loss.

You find yourself always reverting back to the same bad habits that made you put on weight in the first place.

The first thing you need to do is this…

Make sure you’re actually in a calorie deficit.

Being in a calorie deficit means taking in fewer calories than you burn, and you absolutely CANNOT lose weight without that.

The second thing I have is a question for you…

Do you have a weight loss mindset?

What I mean by that is, what’s your mentality like when it comes to losing weight?

Weight loss is a battle that’s won in your mind long before you even step foot onto the scale, which is why developing a positive mindset for weight loss is so important.

To help you do that, here are 10 ways to shift your mindset for better weight loss.

How to get into weight loss mode — 10 mindset tips

1. Find your “why”

Why do you even want to lose weight to begin with?

That’s the first weight loss mindset question you need to ask yourself.

A strong enough “why” will be able to overcome any “how.”

Do you want to be able to run around and play with your kids in the yard, and feel fit doing it?

Maybe heart disease runs in your family (like it does mine) and you want to do whatever you can to mitigate your risk for that or other conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol.

Or your “why” could simply be you just want to feel confident in your body and look good naked.

No shame in that.

I’ll be the very first one to raise my hand and tell you that’s one of the main goals for me!

Really think about this and get in touch with it.

After you come up with your “why” I want you to do one quick exercise for me.

Write what you came up with on a Post-It Note or index card and tape it to the inside of your bedroom door, refrigerator, work desk, etc.

Just somewhere you’ll come into contact with it multiple times a day, that way, it’ll always be in the forefront of your mind.

And when you have one of those days (which are inevitable to happen on your weight loss journey) where working out is the literal last thing you want to do, or meal prep just sounds like too much of a hassle, you can refer back to the “why” you wrote down.

So, ask yourself: “What’s my why for losing weight?”

Write it down, place it where you’ll see it, and hold onto that answer to keep you moving forward.

2. Get rid of all-or-nothing thinking

This weight loss mindset tip has to do with eliminating all-or-nothing thinking.

Do you believe that eating super clean for weight loss is “good” and foods like pizza, burgers, wings, and cookies are “bad”?

That’s exactly how I used to think.

I thought losing weight meant suffering through pain, boring meals like chicken, rice, and broccoli.

In my mind, losing weight meant EXTREME sacrifice.

You had to feel deprived in order to get the results you want.

The truth about weight loss is this:

There is no such thing as “good” or “bad” foods.

You can have any food in your diet, as long as it’s done so in moderation.

That means you can be in a calorie deficit while enjoying your favorite foods like burgers, wings, fries, chips, cookies, etc.

You can go out to eat and still see tremendous weight loss progress.

Implementing a practice like counting calories can help you find that balance between eating “healthier” and being flexible with your diet.

I know some of you reading this are going to give me pushback.

“Counting calories is way too obsessive and it’s too much work.”

And to that, I’ll say this…

If your goal was to save money, wouldn’t you keep track of all your expenses?

Calorie counting is no different.

You keep track of your nutrition, which ensures you’re eating the correct amount of calories for weight loss.

3. Start small and set SMART goals

You don’t have to do a complete overhaul of your life to make progress.

If the thought of doing a complete overhaul of your life overwhelms you, then cultivating a weight loss mindset for you may involve pulling back the reins and starting small.

No giant strides, just baby steps you can build on.

This is a phrase I’m constantly reminding myself of, and I’m hoping it’ll speak to you too:

Even the smallest of steps add up to a whole mile eventually.

For example, instead of flipping your current diet on its head, starting small might be eating two servings of veggies each day and at least one piece of fruit.

Here’s how you could transform that into a SMART goal…

SMART goals are:

Specific.
Measurable.
Attainable.
Realistic.
Time-sensitive

“For the next three months, I will eat at least two full servings of veggies and one piece of fruit daily.”

Or an exercise SMART goal could be this:

“For the next three months, I will walk 7,500-10,000 steps every single day.”

4. Adopt the weight loss mindset that action precedes motivation

Things usually go well in the beginning when you’re super motivated to lose weight.

Your willpower is at an all-time high.

But then what do you do when that motivation starts to fade?

Here’s the reality:

You’re not going to be motivated every single day of your life to hit your workouts and stay on track with your nutrition.

Some days, that’ll be the utter opposite of what you want to do.

But motivation is a fickle feeling.

It comes and goes.

And while you may think you need to be motivated in order to take action, it’s actually the other way around.

Action comes before motivation.

Or in other words, you get motivated by taking action first.

This is the true motivation cycle in action…

You don’t feel like working out but drag yourself to the gym anyway.

You leave the gym feeling strong AF and with a pretty solid pump.

You get motivated to chase those positive results and feelings again and again.

It’s a giant feedback that, again, starts with action.

When it’s just “one of those days” and your motivation is in the gutter, thinking about this mindset for weight loss strategy can help you push through.

5. Think sustainability and not quickness

Losing weight isn’t an overnight process.

When you try to make it that, it doesn’t lead to long-term results.

Instead, you get the exact opposite.

When you go on these 1,200-calorie crash diets in hopes it’ll help you lose weight faster, you’ll find out (if you haven’t already) that any results you achieve just don’t last.

Why?

Because eating that way isn’t sustainable.

Remember this…

Short-term methods = short-term results.

So rather than waste time looking for what you can do to lose weight fast, start thinking in terms of sustainability.

Think:

“How can I lose the weight and actually keep it off?”

Not:

“How quickly can I lose the weight?”

Having a weight loss mindset means being in this for the long haul.

6. Aim for consistency over perfection

I read this book once called “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson (which I highly recommend, by the way).

In the book, he talked about how it’s not those big actions you take every once in a while that lead to success.

It’s those small, daily actions compounded over time that get you big results.

I think his main point, which holds true for weight loss, is this:

Consistency drives results, not perfection.

One of the biggest weight loss mistakes you can make is expecting things to be perfect all the time.

Because, let’s be real here, they won’t be.

But feeling like things have to be 100% perfect or else taking action just isn’t worth it, is the complete opposite of a weight loss mindset.

It’s way way way WAY better to be 80% consistent over the next few months with your workouts and nutrition than being 100% for a week, then following off for a week or two, and repeating that cycle.

7. Don’t assume your workouts make up for poor nutrition

Have you heard the saying, “You can’t outrun your fork?”

It doesn’t matter how intense your workouts are or whether or not you sweat a ton.

You won’t be able to out-exercise a poor diet.

Nutrition is the driving force behind fat loss, not exercise.

That doesn’t mean working out isn’t important, because it definitely is.

On top of getting your daily 7,500-10,000 steps in (which is the best cardio for fat loss, as far as I’m concerned), you should be strength training 3-4 times a week.

Just know if your nutrition is lacking, all your hard work will continue to be buried underneath a layer of fat.

8. Learn to look for opportunities in your failures

At one point or another, you’re going to come up short on your fitness journey.

You fall off your diet and go on a binge-eating episode, skip a few workouts, etc.

Instead of beating yourself up about it, having a weight loss mindset means finding opportunity in every situation, even when you fail.

Learn from where you went wrong and keep it moving.

9. Be a friend to yourself

I think we all have a tendency to be harder on ourselves than we are anyone else.

But let’s say your friend has a slip-up on their fitness journey.

They overeat one weekend, or let’s say they have a few too many drinks, which prevents them from maintaining a calorie deficit.

They’re completely dejected, stressed out, and disappointed in themselves.

What would you tell them?

That they’re a screw up and will never reach their weight loss goals now?

You wouldn’t.

You’d tell them not to be so hard on themselves.

You’d tell them today is a new day to dust themselves off and hop back into the saddle.

If you want to have a weight loss mindset, treat yourself with that same kindness.

10. Track your consistency

Remember how earlier I said your results are just a reflection of how consistent you are?

This weight loss mindset tip goes deeper into that.

I got this idea from fitness trainer, Jordan Syatt, and it’s become a staple in my own routine.

What you’re going to do is this:

Print out a calendar for the month.

Every day you hit BOTH your workout and nutrition goals, give yourself an “X.”

On the days you don’t hit BOTH, give yourself an “O.”

At the end of the month, tally up your results.

How consistent were you?

80% is a decent benchmark to shoot for (that’s roughly only 24/30 a month).

90% is even better.

The reason this is such a great exercise is because there is absolutely zero ambiguity with this.

Either you hit your workout and nutrition goals for the day or you didn’t.

You’ll have all the data right in front of you to see how consistent you are.

So, if you’re not achieving the results you want, take a look at your consistency.

Are you giving a subpar effort but expecting A+ results?

Only you’ll know the answer to that question but if you aren’t putting forth the effort and being consistent, that’s something you’ll have to work on in order to see the results you want.

Weight loss mindset FAQs

Can you lose weight by changing your mindset?

I’d argue having a weight loss mindset should be at the very top of your checklist.

Without that, it makes it easier to quit when times get hard.

Lose a little motivation and you’re more likely to mail it in.

You think you have to be perfect or else there’s no use, so you don’t see things through when you can’t be 100%.

Those are all things that having a weight loss mindset can help you avoid, which will lead to long-lasting results.

What is a positive mindset for weight loss?

In a nutshell:

Having a weight loss mindset means ditching all-or-nothing thinking and realizing there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” foods (you can lose weight while still enjoying your favorites).

It means focusing on methods that are sustainable instead of focusing on how fast you can do something so that you’ll be able to not only lose the weight you want but actually keep it off.

It means being consistent and not burying your head in the sand and saying “screw it” when things can’t go 100% according to plan.

It means learning from any mistakes you make, and when you do make them, not beating yourself up about it.

Instead, having a weight loss mindset is when you treat yourself with the same kindness you would a friend.

How do you lose weight when you feel overwhelmed?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about weight loss, don’t try to take on too much at once.

Start small with things like adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, going on more walks, getting more sleep (which reduces hunger and can make staying in a calorie deficit easier), and build from there.