Battling the Mental Blocks That Come With Trying to Lose Weight

Happy New Year, I hope everyone is enjoying their 2023 so far!
 
As a physical therapist, I like to promote physical activity. And one thing that I see holding a lot of people back from physical activity is obesity. Not only here in El Paso, but also nationwide.
 
The main problem with obesity preventing physical activity in my opinion, is the negative stigma that comes with being obese. I’ve heard many times from many patients “I’ll never be the same.” “I’m older.” “I used to play sports in high school.” Many of my patients used to be active. The thing that gets me is the “used” to.
 
Why not go back to it? It’s never too late.
 
The biggest problem over all is that mental component. We hear so much about exercising, eating right, and that’s all great, but what if your mind is not totally ready for these big lifestyle changes?
 
There could be things from your past preventing you from taking those steps forward, and no matter the obstacle, it’s important to spend time recovering and getting your mind fully ready before starting a new chapter in your life.
 
In many ways it can be difficult to wake up early and exercise and still go about your day. Or choosing a meal when it’s between $15 for the healthier option or $5 for a burger and a coke. It’s easier to make the unhealthy decision and most of the time, I don’t blame you!
 
As a matter of fact, I just heard recently that Burger King is launching something called a suicide burger. Why? And chances are, it’s probably a lot cheaper than a salad. So it can be very very difficult to live and think about living a healthier lifestyle.
 
I challenge you all to try and work on the mental component first. Get yourself ready.
 
It’s going to be hard, but you can motivate yourself to set your alarm early. Set 3 if you have to. Just start by getting up and doing at least 15 minutes of exercise. 15 minutes is all you need to start and it doesn’t have to be lifting weights or using all this crazy equipment you spent a bunch of money on. Just start by getting up and walking around the living room. Put some headphones on and go up and down your garage step for a few minutes.
 
Anything you can do is important. As long as you get started, you will get the hang of things and it will become easier and maybe even more enjoyable. Once you’re more comfortable in your routine you can then start adding in some simple equipment like maybe an affordable fitness tracker to track your steps. The 10,000 steps a day challenge is a great starting point just to see your progress and how much further you can go every day. Even if you are not meeting the 10,000 steps, by furthering yourself just a little every day you can get there, and that is an amazing feat.
 
Being able to motivate yourself is one of the most important parts of your fitness journey and is what’s going to help you get through those bumps in the road we all experience. You are not alone in this struggle, it’s hard for many other people and even for me as well.
 
It can be even harder with things like social media. I see a lot of individuals posting about their fabulous life with their washboard abs and diced bodies, and that can be very unmotivating. At a certain point you have to realize, you are probably not going to look like that. Everyone’s genetics are different, you are built different than other people and there is nothing wrong with that, you just need to learn to work on you. Motivate yourself and block out all of the negative social media and negative societal expectations so that you can focus on what your specific body needs.
 
I promise that once you get your mind through that barrier and you start being active, it will become automatic. You’re not going to want to sleep in or take the elevator, being active will become a more important part of your life. Try it for 4 weeks straight. It takes around that time for someone to form a new habit so by the end of that 4 weeks, you just might be an exercise enthusiast!
 
I challenge you guys and I know you can do it!
 
​- Jose Gutierrez, PT, DPT