12 Attitudes You Can Develop for Losing 10 lbs. In 30 Days

So you’ve got a few pounds to lose. Maybe you are just starting out with your weight loss goal. Maybe you are near the end and you’ve hit a plateau. Either way, you want to lose 10 pounds in the next 30 days.

Here are 12 attitudes you can develop that will make sure you see a thinner, more healthy you by next month:

1. It’s not only possible, it’s probable – Adopting a “can do” attitude is of utmost importance if you really want to lose 10 pounds in 30 days. Abandon questions of whether it’s possible or not, of course it’s possible. But not only that, if you develop the attitudes in this article, losing 10 lbs. becomes probable. In fact you might lose more!

2. There’s no tomorrow – One key attitude all success minded people can develop is TODAY thinking, not tomorrow thinking. Saying “I’ll start tomorrow” always fails. You can’t predict what’s going to happen tomorrow. So you need to start today. If you truly want to lose 10 pounds you’ll have to start today. The clock is already ticking.

3. Cut portions, not calories – Cutting calories is a lot of work. You have to add, subtract and chart your daily meals. Instead, I suggest you cut portion size for the next 30 days. “Shrink your stomach” as grandma used to say. Eat half a sandwich instead of a full one. Eat only what it takes to survive. But don’t starve yourself, starving causes the body to store fat.

4. You are strong enough to endure the tough times – The next 30 days will be a challenge. Like a marathon runner, you’ll have some strong times and weak times. During the down times, hold onto something positive. A determined “I CAN do this!” is a good place to start. But reach deep. Pull out the very best in yourself to make it through the setbacks. Life tests us all, make sure you pass the test by keeping positive when the times get tough.

5. Resisting temptation feels good – Here’s an attitude that makes weight loss like a game. When you resist that piece of cake, feel the thrill. You should feel like you are a new person, someone strong, someone who has it all together. Good for you. You don’t have to be powerless anymore. Resisting temptation does feel good. So enjoy that feeling. Think “I conquered my sweet tooth tonight and I couldn’t be happier. It is powerless over me!”

6. Doing 10 extra minutes of exercise each day is easy – Have you ever heard the saying “the extra mile has no road blocks?” What that means is doing a little more is much easier than stopping and starting all over again. Put another way… Suppose you are walking for 20 minutes. It’s far easier to continue an extra 10 minutes than to stop and do that 10 minutes later. You are already out there, do an extra 10 minutes – it’s easy. And hey, I’ll let you even cut back intensity for that 10 minutes – just as long as you do it.

And if you haven’t started exercising, now is the time! Don’t put it off any longer. Do 10 minutes today!

7. I will do it or die trying – This attitude is a bridge burning attitude that if you feel it deep down in your gut will guarantee you’ll lose those 10 pounds. It means you are through with excuses. You’re through feeling sorry for yourself. You are going to put 110% into reaching this goal or it will be the last thing you do.

Security agents often say “no lock or alarm system will beat a determined criminal.” Why? Because a determined criminal will do it or die trying.

If you can pump up your determination to the level of some lowly criminal, you’ve got it made.

8. A Taste – Not The Whole thing – What drives me crazy about some weight loss plans is they present desserts and other high calorie foods as forbidden fruit. The problem is that if you eat something in that category, you feel bad about yourself. It becomes a colossal failure. You might think “Well, I failed last night, no sense in continuing this. I will never make it.”

That’s why I always suggest a taste, not the whole thing. A taste is a bite or two of something you like. Not the whole thing.

You can take a bite of chocolate cake and enjoy every sheer morsel of that bite. But the whole piece? Do you really need it all to be happy? If your happiness is dependent on cake, then something else is going on… and I think you know what I mean.

People long for the taste and experience, not filling their stomachs until they hurt. So a taste can go very far if you simply enjoy it, experience it. Close your eyes and soak it all in. Isn’t that better than denying yourself or feeling like junk because you ate too much?

9. I will look sooooo good – This attitude should put a smile on your face. You need to see in your mind’s eye what you’ll look and feel like when you reach the -10 lb mark. How will you look? Will you be able to fit into some jeans you outgrew? Will people notice? Sure they will. And you’ll have yourself to thank for it. So spend some time every day thinking about how good you’ll look, not how much you are missing.

By the way, if you read attitude #8 can you honestly say you are missing anything? I mean, c’mon this can be fun if you have the right attitude.

10. I am different now – If you have tried and failed, tried and failed, I have some good news. You are different now. You are different today than you were yesterday, and the day before that. As humans we are always evolving. We are always growing…like it or not.

So realizing you are a new person, you don’t have to worry about how you failed it the past. Today it will be different. You are able to cope better and stay motivated better. This time you’ll do it.

11. Just wait until they see the new me – We all like to be appreciated for what goals we achieve. This is no different, picture a scenario where you unveil yourself in 30 days before your family and friends. They see how much progress you’ve made. Picture them patting you on the back and saying “great job! I knew you could do it.”

12. It’s ONLY 2 1/2 pounds per week – Hey, I am only talking 2 1/2 pounds a week! Not 5 or 7 pounds… Just 2 1/2 pounds on average. You can do that can’t you?

This attitude is more about picturing such a small number to shoot for should be achievable in anyone’s mind. So why not you? Set 2 1/2 lbs. for each week and then do it.

By the way, I recommend not weighing every week, because sometimes you might retain water or your body may be compensating for a good week of weight loss. What we are shooting for is an average of 2 1/2 lbs. You might start out losing 5lbs. the first week and lose only 1 the second. That’s ok.

Conclusion

Overall, it’s our attitudes that make us what we are. Print up these 12 attitudes and hang them on your bathroom mirror. Read them off every morning before you leave to work. Read them every night before you go to bed. Review them if you are tempted to pig out on junk food.

Ultimately, it’s your attitudes about whether you can do this or not that will make the difference. So take every opportunity you can to remind yourself of each one on the list.

- Brad Isaac