Mental Fitness: Key to Success in Your Weight Loss Journey

What does it take to really lose weight?

According to special guest, Ashanti Johnson, a big part of it is mental fitness, which is that mental "muscle" that keeps you motivated and consistent -- not just in your weight loss goals, but in life goals as well.

How can you feed your mental muscle so that you can become more motivated and reach those goals?

The very first (and often most important) step is to actually set the goal. And not just with the mentality of, "I want to lose a little weight," or "I need to tone up." Put a number on it, whether its inches or a number on the scale.

Once you've determined the goal, ask yourself what is really going to motivate you to make the changes necessary to accomplish it. If you think you can cheat a little during the holidays, simply because "it's the holidays," you're already weakening your mental fitness.

This isn't to say you can't indulge once in a while; but it has to be in proportion to the exercise you're putting out.

Consistency and balance are also key concepts for success.

Weight gain (or weight loss) is proportional to the balance in your life. If you work towards making your life as simple and organized as possible, solve your problems in an effective, consistent manner, and really concentrate on being reflective in what's going on around you, losing weight is going to be so much easier.

Alternately, if everything in your life is off-kilter and out of balance, you're more likely to turn to food (especially comfort foods) to get through the days.

What if you're the type of person who simply can't find time to fit a truly comprehensive diet and exercise program into your day?

Think about it this way... what are your standards? Everyone has them; priorities that come first and foremost.

But, you'll still see those people who have full-time jobs, three kids and a dog getting up an hour early so that they can get their workout in. Working out and taking care of their bodies is just a part of their standards; it's a part of who they are.

So, if you're thinking about getting healthier, whether it's losing a few pounds or just eating more vegetables, approach it like you're "upping" your standards. Build the habits and the goals into your conscious, and they will also start to affect your subconscious.

You also need to be fully aware of the behaviors and habits that have contributed to your weight gain. If not, you will not be successful in permanent weight loss.

Tune in as Ashanti joins Andrea and Lisa to share more tips and techniques for truly successful weight loss, as well as how you can incorporate the idea of mental fitness into your daily life.