Your battle with weight might have begun in your childhood, as you attempted to find out how many cookies you can eat in one sitting. Or maybe it occurred around the time you step foot on college campus for the first time. Those late nights of studying might have led you to late-night binge eating sessions. Or maybe you gained a good amount of weight after the birth of your first child, and seemed to be stuck with it ever since. Regardless of the cause, weight gain is a serious matter. It affects your energy levels, your stamina, and your overall health. Obesity has been linked to numerous diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.



Once you determine that you are overweight, the first step to a thinner you is to make a commitment to bring your weight under control. This can be a daunting venture. In essence, you have conditioned your mind to think like a fat person, rather than a thin person. In order to reverse this mindset, you need to learn to think like a thin person.

What exactly does this mean? How does a thin person think? To begin, it means that you must abandon your preconceived ideas about food and eating. Eating might have become a social event for you, and as a result you'll need to learn to become sociable without food. This is the same struggle that alcoholics face as they learn to socialize without beer or liquor. This lesson is tough, and yes it can be difficult, but try it and see the results for yourself.

Thinking thin or rather thinking like a thin person also means that you need to develop new coping strategies. You might be viewing food as your friend, the one you turn to when things aren't going well. You might also be eating in secret, because feelings of shame arise as to the amounts of food you eat. You need to sync your public persona with your private persona, and your diet should do so as well.

A significant number of thin people exercise without even noticing it. Activity is a normal part of their day. The same thing needs to be true of you. You need to exercise as much as possible; let it become second nature to you. Don't allow it to become a chore, let it be the fun part of your week. Take an inventory of your preferences. Whether you like tennis, bowling, badminton, or running, choose the activity that best represents your style. Then exercise diligently, preferably six times per week. This will boost your metabolism so that you burn fat at a faster rate.

Also, if you have any fear of exercising, overcome it! As an overweight person, you might find exercise to be frustrating, and you might fear what other people will think of you as they watch you exercise. You should realize that chances are no one is paying attention to your exercise routine. Don't let fear get in the way of progress.

Thinking thin also means controlling portion sizes. This can be difficult, especially when eating out. However, the key to effective weight loss often lies in limiting the amount of food you intake, and the first step is portion control. Consider using smaller plates in order to control your food portions, and to ensure that food portions are not too large.

Also realize that thinking thin does not happen overnight. It can take a long time to develop your thought patterns and changing them can be a challenge. The important thing to remember is to take one step at a time and keep in mind that your weight loss will not happen instantly. It will sometimes take months of hard work to reach your ideal weight. However, the good news is that once you get into the habit of thinking thin, it's a trait you can benefit from throughout your life. The difference between a fat person and a thin person is not just a matter of the body, but of mind as well. Once you realize that, you will be well on your way to accomplishing your weight loss goals, short term and long term.