Your mind, not your body, will put up most resistance to losing weight

“YOUR legs know exactly what to do. It’s your mind you must overcome.”

These were my running mate Wendy’s words to me as we passed the 8km mark of my first 10km road race, recently. She’d heard me saying quietly – obviously not quietly enough – “Come on, legs. You can do it!” Now, as I reflect on the moments that passed between me feeling like I was going to have to give up, and hearing the first few notes of the uplifting singing of the SANDF runners behind me.

I realise Wendy’s words could be applied to much of this journey to health and happiness that so many of us battle with.

It’s your mind – not your body – that will put up most resistance as you try to lose or gain weight, get fit or simply improve the quality of your life.

I’ve often been asked what the key to my weight loss success has been. Those who know how many times I’ve failed before, usually add, “what worked this time?”

The answer is twofold: consistency and being in the correct mind space.

It may sound like an oversimplification, but important factors are: wanting it badly enough, and being willing to put in the hard work that it takes to change eating habits that haven’t worked for you.

To exercise and move a bit more, and to show yourself the kindness and forgiveness required to move from where you no longer want to be, to where you’d like to see yourself.

Sometimes you’ll have to seek professional help, or the guidance of someone who has been through a similar journey, to help you find a programme that works for you.

Many overweight people, are so because they consume more calories than they burn – or are able to burn – through their daily activities.

But here’s a wake-up call: if we’re eating too much, our bodies will cope with less food if we start gradually limiting our calorie intake.

Our bodies will absolutely cope with less sugar and will certainly manage with fewer refined carbohydrates and over-processed foods. Our minds, however, will try to convince us otherwise.

And so, because the mind can be a really cunning partner, when I set out to achieve something, I try to make sure that my mind is not the only place this goal is stored.

How do I do this? Well, I find my journal to be not only a good keeper of secrets and provider of safe spaces, but something that keeps me accountable too. I also find that writing about the things troubling me, helps me find solutions.

Here’s an example: after my structured running programme came to an end recently, I was overcome with the feeling that it would be near impossible to maintain the running strength and stamina I developed over the past three months, and that I would suddenly have no more opportunities to run.

My mind was in full assault mode, crowding out everything else with reasons I could no longer run: it wasn’t safe for me to run alone; my sense of direction was terrible so I wouldn’t remember the routes our group took; I wasn’t strong enough to run on my own – and I didn’t know of anyone who would want to run with me.

That’s when I put pen to paper, and decided to think only of solutions. I would brainstorm ways to maintain my running schedule and write them down – even if my “rational” mind said they wouldn’t work. Within a few minutes I had no fewer than eight workable solutions.

What these solutions are doesn’t matter. What matters is the process.

And I urge you to do the same as a new year approaches and we all start setting goals and resolutions for 2019.

And whatever your goals are, I wish you a year of quality, happy living.

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