When we think about losing weight, a practice of gratitude is usually not at the top of our action plan. Obsessing over calories, diet restrictions, and exercise doesn’t typically go hand and hand with gratitude. For some, the notion of being grateful as a weight loss strategy might even sound a bit ridiculous. It can be difficult to feel grateful while on your weight loss journey, but investing a few minutes each day to indulge in warm feelings of appreciation will definitely pay off, and here’s why.

Complaining leads to ‘cheating’, if you spend your day thinking about how deprived you feel by your current diet, then you will amplify those miserable feelings. When a moment of temptation arises – as they tend to do – it will be harder to resist the afternoon pastries and soft drinks because, after all, you’re having a really tough day and deserve a reward (for more insight on how to best manage slip-ups, read our article How to Avoid Triggers).

Alternatively, if you’ve deliberately noticed how many blessings are in your life right now, even before you’ve reached your goal weight, you will feel less down, less sorry for yourself, and be more inclined to feel peaceful and happy. 

Feelings of serenity and joy make it easier to brew a cup of tea rather than guzzle a high-calorie chocolate shake and a couple of cookies. Additionally, when you’re grateful, you feel more confident. 

A serious enemy to weight loss is discouragement, especially when you reach a plateau and thoughts such as “what’s the use?” begin to trickle in. If you can switch your thinking here to feel grateful and confident, it’s much easier to remain peaceful and to stick to the Ideal Protein protocol, or whichever diet you are committed to. Gratitude helps us to feel more in our power, more in control, and less like a helpless victim of circumstance.

Even though they can be difficult to identify at first, there are countless blessings in your life to feel genuine appreciation for. To help you recognize some of the blessings, start by reviewing the questions below:

• If you wanted to, could you be appreciative of your heart, your lungs, your liver, your kidneys, and all the other organs that work so tirelessly to keep you alive?
• If you wanted to, could you be grateful for living in beautiful Vancouver, Canada, or for your home?
• If you wanted to, could you be grateful for your hands that perform so many necessary tasks?
• If you wanted to, could you be grateful for your excellent hearing and vision?

What reasons can you find to be grateful? This simple practice will not only empower your weight loss efforts, but it will also help you lead a more positive, and happy life, and it supports the development of objective reasoning.

If you have questions about practicing gratitude or are searching for advice on how to stick to your weight loss goals, reach out to a Vital Body weight loss coach. 

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