Your Mind Is A Factor To Weight Loss

Don't go rolling your eyes just yet. I know how frustrating it can be for someone to tell you that the way your own mind perceives something is different from how others perceive it. That's not what this new find is about.

Apparently, your brain is an important factor to weight loss. Your brain uses twenty percent of your caloric intake every day in order to perform its necessary functions. Pretty cool right? What's even more interesting is that your brain is “picky” about the types of foods and calories it wants.

Your brain is particularly partial to glucose, mostly from carbohydrates. Should we be reconsidering no-carb diets after all? According to Lifehacker, willpower—what your brain uses to help you make certain decisions—is like a muscle, which becomes fatigued after too much exercise.

If you've been spending all day exercising willpower to not eat something, your brain grows tired. Eventually, it just wants to eat that forbidden item. To deal with the exhaustion of willpower, your brain tries to automate decision-making by creating habits.

Once these habits are in place, the brain doesn't have to mess around with your willpower anymore. Experts say that up to 90 percent of what we decide to eat everyday is because of established habits. Building new healthy habits means creating rewards for your brain and not overwhelming it with too much change at once.

For example, a small step could be switching out your daily whole milk lattes for lattes made with almond milk. This is a small and manageable adjustment that will actually attain a great reward for your brain.

What small changes will you start making in your diet?

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