Retrain Your Brain for Better Health & Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight and creating better health, what you eat matters. So, too, does when you eat.

We’ve talked about how meal timing can impact weight loss. But another critical piece of weight loss that sometimes gets overlooked is mindset.

By mindset, we’re focusing on your mental attitude about health, being aware of your eating habits, and paying attention to bad habits that can sabotage your health goals.

With these 7 simple and effective strategies from Nutrition and Fitness Expert JJ Virgin, you can retrain your brain to develop a healthy mental mindset and find your healthy weight.

Even if you currently go on autopilot when you’re eating, you can retrain your brain to cultivate healthy habits and be present during meals and other activities throughout your day.

As a nice “bonus,” being mindful can help you lose weight. In one review, researchers discovered significant weight loss in 13 of 19 studies among participants who practiced mindfulness.

Check out her 7 strategies to retrain your brain for better health and weight loss…

#1 Make Mindfulness a Habit During Meals
Overeating even healthy foods or eating food too quickly can stall your weight and health goals. Many of us eat meals like we’re competing in a Coney Island hot-dog-eating contest. One of the best ways to retrain your brain is to slow down when you eat, pay attention to, and savor every bite.

“Much overeating happens automatically,” says Albers. “It can become so routine that you may not even be aware of it. When you start to become more mindful, you begin to see mindless behavior that you hadn’t noticed before.”

If you’re accustomed to eating quickly or doing other things like watching TV or scrolling through social media while you’re eating, being completely present may initially feel like a challenge. But you can retrain your brain to be completely present during meals, and that new habit will spill over to other areas in your life.

#2 Journal 
Back in the day when I worked one-on-one with clients, I had one rule: you had to keep a food journal. Writing down what you eat along with how you feel around meals can be incredibly helpful to train your brain and reach your health goals.  

Journaling can help you lose weight, too. One study among nearly 1,700 participants found that those who wrote down everything they ate lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t! 

While you’ll find many handy apps to track your food intake, you might instead go old-school and take pen to paper. The key is to be consistent and write down everything… even on those days when you don’t want to.  

#3 Cultivate Gratitude 
Gratitude is the attitude to better health. Express what you’re grateful for, especially on those days when you feel frustrated or down. You’ll be amazed how much better your day becomes instantly.  

In one study, people who kept gratitude journals “reported higher levels of energy, determination, enthusiasm, feeling more optimistic, being more likely to exercise, having fewer physical symptoms, sleeping longer, and sleeping with better quality” compared to those who didn’t keep a journal.2 Talk about a simple habit that repays big dividends! 

Keeping a nice journal and a pen by your bedside is a great way to practice gratitude. Write down three things you’re grateful for in the morning and then celebrate your wins in the evening.  

Alternatively, you might send a text or make a phone call to someone you appreciate and express your feelings. I promise you that will brighten their day and yours!

#4 Practice Habit Stacking
Retraining your brain involves creating small, sustainable habits that you’ll stick with over time. A simple way to create healthier habits is with habit stacking, or “stacking” a new behavior with the one you already have.

Here are a few ways to do that:
• Lay out your gym clothes for the following morning when you brush your teeth at night.
• Practice mindfulness while you’re prepping veggies.
• Have a glass of water first thing in the morning while you brew your coffee or tea.

Find something that you want to work on and stack it with an already-existing habit. You’ll be amazed at how quickly this new habit becomes second nature.

#5 Find Your Big “Why” Reaching your health goals becomes easier when you know why you’re working towards them. As you retrain your brain toward healthier habits, figuring out your big “why” will help you stay the course when you’d rather blow off your workout or dive into that double-fudge chocolate cake.

Dig deep here and be honest with yourself. Your big “why” might be playing with your grandkids in the park, wearing your skinny jeans to an upcoming anniversary party, or having better sex.

Get really clear about your big “why,” write it down, and keep it nearby. You might share it with others for accountability, but you can also keep your big “why” to yourself.

#6 Surround Yourself With Like-Minded People
You’ve likely encountered a Debbie Downer who crashed your mood and left you feeling like a sinking ship toward your goals. As you retrain your brain, you’ll want to find the right community that supports your can-do mentality. That might mean an accountability partner, a friend, a life coach, or a support group.

Surround yourself with amazing, positive people who support you, hold you accountable, and occasionally dole out some tough love. The right community creates a mindset to help you exceed your limits and smash your goals.

#7 Rewrite Your Story
As you retrain your brain for better health, pay attention to the stories you’re telling yourself. Thoughts like I’m too old to wear that size or I can never reach my goal weight can sabotage your success, and you may not even be aware of these thoughts.

The good news is that you have the power to rewrite your story.

Spend some time reflecting on the stories you’ve been unconsciously following, perhaps for years or decades. What would you change about those stories? You have a choice… continue following the narrative or creating a better story.

Final Thoughts: Lose the Foods That Are Hurting You

Retraining your brain with these simple but powerful strategies could be the missing link for better health and weight loss. As you’re journaling, pay attention to the foods that are hurting you.

By replacing these foods with nutrient-dense, healing foods you’ll not only feel better, but you’ll lose the weight that you’ve perhaps struggled with for years, and cultivate healthy habits that help you thrive in life.

Blessings,
Dee and Sean