Learn to like what you see and, eventually, you will like what you see

Posted on July 29, 2011 | Comments Off

A new study shows improving your self image can help you reach your fitness goals.

From Eileen:  We at the Fittest Loser often talk about how your thinking strongly influences your doing. In other words, how you focus your attention has a lot to do with how you behave.
 
  A new study by the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity shows that if you can improve your body image, you can actually improve your body.  Basically it goes like this:  If you like your body, you are more likely to do right by it.

As reported in Science Daily:

 Researchers from the Technical University of Lisbon and BangorUniversity enrolled overweight and obese women on a year-long weight loss program. Half the women were given general health information about good nutrition, stress management, and the importance of looking after yourself. The other half attended 30 weekly group sessions (the intervention plan) where issues such as exercise, emotional eating, improving body image and the recognition of, and how to overcome, personal barriers to weight loss and lapses from the diet were discussed.

 Women who were on the intervention plan lost 7 percent of their body weight, versus 2 percent lost by the other group.

 According to Dr. Pedro J Teixeira:

 Body image problems are very common amongst overweight and obese people, often leading to comfort eating and more rigid eating patterns, and are obstacles to losing weight. Our results showed a strong correlation between improvements in body image, especially in reducing anxiety about other peoples’ opinions, and positive changes in eating behavior.

 I know we keep saying it, but the only way to change your body is to change your mind.

 

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