Bottom Line: if you can’t maintain that lower calorie intake for rest of your life, you will gain your weight back when you get tired of starving yourself! To lose weight properly (burning fat) you must increase your metabolism (weight training) and your need for oxygen (aerobics) while eating enough calories each day (nutritious diet) to give you energy and maintain protein in your muscles because protein helps build muscles, which indirectly burns fat. This brings up another good point: When you build muscle your weight will increase because your muscles are made up of mostly water, but your body fat percentage will decrease because building muscles increase your metabolism (in other words, muscles way more than fat, but take up less space than fat). So keep in mind that losing body fat can’t be measured by a scale; use a measuring tape and also look at yourself in mirror, and then you will see true results. One of best ways to know if you are losing more body fat than water is by using a body fat analyzer. Make sure that you focus on fat loss not weight loss. Your goal should be to lose weight by burning fat, not losing water from your muscles. Remember this when you choose your weight loss program.

It goes like this.

My thoughts: I always eat too potato chips, and I can’t lose weight. I’m so spineless.

Are my thoughts true? I don’t always eat too many potato chips. I’ve been eating dessert, which is probably why I can’t lose weight. It’s not potato chips. I don’t know why I said I’m spineless. I’m not.

Why do I eat so many potato chips? When I ate them today, it was after that conversation with my friend. I felt angry. The crunch of potato chips helped me feel less angry. Now that I think about it, I eat potato chips a lot when I’m angry.

Do I want to continue believing my thoughts? No. I forgive myself for eating potato chips to swallow my anger. I forgive myself for calling myself spineless.

New thoughts: When I’m angry next time, I’m going to express my anger appropriately and talk with other person. I’m not going to eat potato chips. I can lose weight. I am successful in losing weight.

Learn to listen to yourself and not rely on outside cues for what you may or may not think and feel. It’s not selfish to meet your real needs directly. When you meet your true needs, food is no longer a bandage. Then you can freely choose whether or not to eat that particular food without intensity of unmet emotional needs. It’s about valuing yourself and making decisions and choices that honor your value. New thinking will support your weight loss efforts.