五Self-Care Strategies That Can Help You Lose Weight

"While what you eat and how much you move are necessary factors for a successful weight-loss journey, they are not sufficient," clinical psychologistGary Foster, PhD，adjunct professor of psychology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and chief scientific officer atWW(formerly Weight Watchers), tells LIVESTRONG.com.

“相反，主流的信念，你的心态 - 定义您是如何看待您的个人旅程，你自己 - 实际上是用于开发成为长期健康的生活习惯健康的行为的基础上，”福斯特说。

So, if your mindset is muddled by damaging and destructive ideas about yourself, shedding pounds will prove particularly difficult.

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"The most frequent off-ramps to a weight-loss and wellness journey occur when unrealistic, irrational and often negative thoughts lead to disappointment and, ultimately, abandoning your goals," Foster says. "For a journey to be successful, the process should feel positive, not punitive."

In other words, instead of listening to the voice in your head that's tough and overly critical, practice self-compassion.

要做到这一点，福斯特说你必须把自己看作是人谁是值得关爱，而不是一个人谁在某些方面有缺陷。这意味着与善良治疗自己，尤其是当你跌倒。

"It is not aboutifyou have a setback, butwhenyou have a setback and how you respond to it," Foster says. "To effectively manage and recover from setbacks, think about what you can learn versus asking 'why' it happened, which usually leads to self-critical thoughts that are inaccurate and not actionable (ex: I have no willpower)."

Embarking on the road to self-compassion is the key to making long-term changes. Below, Foster shares science-driven self-care strategies that can help you create the headspace to lose weight and keep it off.

当涉及到自我保健和维护心理健康，没有什么比抓质量zzzs更重要。

Whilechronic sleep losscontributes to a pattern of negative thinking and emotional vulnerability, sufficient slumber encourages both mental and emotional resilience, according toHarvard Health Publishing。Scientists believe this happens in part because sleep disruption — which affects your body's production of neurotransmitters and stress hormones — takes a toll on the brain.

因此，可以采取在你的生活质量付出代价。除此之外，睡眠障碍可以将您的工作效率和你的关系产生负面影响，福斯特说。

And, if your sleep loss is prolonged, you might even experience long-term health issues. In fact, sleep deprivation "puts you at higher risk for a long list of chronic diseases includinghigh blood pressure，heart disease,2型糖尿病，抑郁症和肥胖，”福斯特说。

Since sleep influences so many areas of your wellbeing, it's not surprising that it also plays acritical role in weight loss。When you don't get a good night's sleep, it can affect your mood and decision-making skills, which in turn can make it harder for you to think clearly, make healthier choices and ultimately achieve your weight and wellness goals, Foster says.

Making matters worse, a sleepless night can "alter the hormones that regulate your hunger and appetite and may cause you to eat more snacks and sugary foods than you typically do," he adds.

It's true. After a night of tossing and turning, your brain becomes especially responsive to the smell of food, and you're more likely to crave the kinds that are rich in calories and fat, per an October 2019 study published ineLife。

尝试一下:为了得到一个满意打盹 - 7至9小时的睡眠 - 福斯特建议建立一个定期的就寝时间，如阅读，从手机断开，日记或做brief end-of-day meditation。“越是经常你的日常越好，”他说。

同样的,如果你可以在白天,适合a half-hour catnap may help counteract a crappy night's sleep and slash stress, according to a March 2015 study published in theJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism。

乍一看，似乎锻炼严格归入战略，以摆脱不必要的重量。毕竟，“体育锻炼是最好的一项预测瘦身保养and, for those looking to lose pounds, moving more can help you lose 20 percent more weight when coupled with healthier eating habits," Foster says.

不过，虽然工作了能削减你的腰围 - 并减少你的一切，从心血管疾病和高血压的风险，2型糖尿病和可怜的骨骼健康— it can also serve as a solid approach to self-care, as it improves your mood and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, per theMayo Clinic。

That's largely due to the feel-good endorphins your body releases during physical activity. But also, achieving even small exercise goals can boost your self-confidence and self-image. Not to mention that working out can offer an excellent escape from daily worries.

而“研究表明，健康的饮食习惯和规律的体力活动可以帮助你提高你的睡眠质量，”正如我们所知，是在心理健康和减肥部门的一大帮助。

尝试一下：身心利益之间，运动是最终twofer。为了获得最大的健康效果，成年人的目标应该是至少150分钟中等强度的（认为：步行，骑自行车），或75分钟的剧烈强度的（跑步，HIIT）每周，并纳入有氧运动力量训练一个星期两天或两天以上，根据Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans。

钥匙？找到你真正喜欢的运动，你会更容易坚持下去。

Even if you don't have the time to invest in a full-on sweat session, you can still gain great value — mentally and physically — from运动的短脉冲。

“移动更不必是一个漫长的承诺，”福斯特说。“这证明活动 - 甚至动了几分钟，每天 - 可以有许多健康和健康的好处，从帮助你在你的减肥和健康的旅程，给你更多的能量和信心。”

Case in point: An April 2016 study published inPLOS Onefound that a 10-minute workout that includes at least one minute of高强度的运动exhibited comparable benefits to a longer endurance routine performed at a moderate level of intensity.

"Conversely, the evidence is clear that being sedentary for extended periods of time has negative physical and mental health consequences, even for people who regularly exercise," Foster adds.

尝试一下:Schedule inquick physical activitiesthroughout the day by setting actionable goals. "The more realistic and specific the goal you set, the more likely you are to achieve it," says Foster, who encourages you to "think about the what, when and where."

For instance, saying, "I'll walk more this week" won't be as effective as a specific plan like, "I'll walk for 10 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m. in the park."

奖金，如果你可以把你的户外活动。“即使它周围街区散步，专注于你所看到的，听到的和嗅觉可以减轻压力的感受，”福斯特说。

事实上，2019年6月的研究发表于Scientific Reportsfound that spending at least two hours a week in nature is linked to good health and positive wellbeing.

采取对减肥更有帮助的心态另一种方法是修习正念和重点你的呼吸。

As a tool in your self-care kit, mindfulness "helps to quiet your mind and cultivate non-judgmental awareness," Foster says.

记住，要实现长期健康和减肥目标，你需要创建一个不重要的，富有同情心的顶部空间。和正念的做法可以鼓励这一点。

What's more, mindfulness can help you cope with stress. A March 2018 study inMindfulnessshowed that people who completed 10 brief sessions ofmindfulness meditationreported feeling less irritable and stressed.

This stress-reducing effect is another reason why this self-care strategy can enhance your weight-loss efforts. That's because cortisol, aka the stress hormone, has been linked to weight gain and倔强的肚皮发t, per the克利夫兰诊所。

因此，从本质上讲，找到更好的方法来处理压力会帮助你减轻这些荷尔蒙的变化和斜线上规模的数量了。

尝试一下:Foster recommends starting small by putting two or three minutes aside each day for a mindfulness practice and then building that over time.

During your mindfulness exercises, try to observe rather than judge, he says, adding that the process might take some getting used to. In fact, you should expect your mind to wander. Simply note this mental straying, and once you realize it, bring your focus back to your breath.

And if you struggle to sit still, moving meditation-like practices such as yoga andtai chi，这也涉及breathwork，已知缓解压力和焦虑，同时提高物理强度和柔韧性。

Mindfulness can also incorporate a感恩实践。“开始和结束一天的一个好方法是通过编写降三个是感恩的好东西你，”福斯特说。这个理由，你的那一刻，并有助于感受幸福，从而为您的成功的健康和减肥的旅程正确的心态。

Sometimes self-care simply involves being social. It's important to "make time for connection and reaching out to the people you're closest to, even if that's via phone or video chat," Foster says.

作为人类，我们是谁渴望连接是否是共享的笑了几滴眼泪社会的产物。后者可特别切合你的整体健康。

“研究表明，从他人获得支持可以帮助你转移你如何看待压力的事件，”福斯特说。

Since the way we handle stress has a major affect on our mental health and weight-loss goals, finding positive approaches to stress management is the ultimate aim.

此外，与其他伙伴系统最多可鼓励你用健康的行为坚持喜欢的工作了。作为事实上，女性更容易有规律地锻炼时，他们追究别人喜欢锻炼的合作伙伴，每发表在2014年3月的研究BMC Women's Health。

Similarly, people with sufficient social support are more likely to maintain a workout schedule, according to a September 2014 study published in theJournal of Physical Activity and Health。

And exercising with a fun friend makes working out feel like less of a chore. Indeed, those who sweat with others find it way more enjoyable, according to a 2013 study from theUniversity of Southern California's Department of Preventive Medicine。

尝试一下:再次,可操作的目标是关键。留出一天nd a time to call a family member to chat or pen in a specific date on the calendar for a哥们锻炼。