Believe You Can Lose Weight

Researchers at the University of Maryland followed more than 50 women through their diet and exercise program for nearly a year. At the onset of the study, they asked each woman if they personally thought they would lose weight. Slightly more than 50% said yes. These were the believers. The rest of the women said they expected to fail. After nine months, the results showed that the believers lost 30% more weight than the non-believers.

What does this tell us? We can harness the unlimited energies of our subconscious minds to strengthen our commitment. This is especially applicable when we are taking on a task requiring considerable mental and emotional energy. The endeavor of lifestyle change and dieting may go two steps forward and one step backward. Having faith (belief) in our ability to commit to lifestyle changes will help us stick with it for the long haul.