Introduction

It can be hard to get to and stay at a healthy weight. It takes healthy eating and regular exercise. These can be hard changes to make. But you can help yourself succeed just by thinking that you can succeed. If you tell yourself negative things—"I can't do this. Why bother?"—change will be harder. But if you encourage yourself with thoughts like "I can do this," you can raise your chance of success.

With time and practice, you can change what you say to yourself. You can learn to think in a positive way even when you make a mistake.

Key points

• Negative thoughts can make it harder to reach and stay at a healthy weight.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a type of therapy that can help you replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
• Changing your thinking will take some time. You need to practice healthy thinking every day. After a while, it will come naturally.

 What is positive thinking?

 Why is positive thinking important to reach a healthy weight?

 How can you use positive thinking to reach a healthy weight?

 Where to go from here

If you would like more information on how to stop negative thoughts, see the topic:

Positive Thinking: Stopping Unwanted Thoughts.

Return to topic:

Related Information

• Weight Management

References

Citations

1. Shaw K, et al. (2005). Psychological interventions for overweight or obesity. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2).

Other Works Consulted

• Burns DD (1999). Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. New York: Avon.

• Ellis A (2001). Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors. Amherst, NY: Prometheus.

• McKay M, et al. (2007). Thoughts and Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.