Shift Your Thinking

You've probably heard a lot about how your mindset affects your actions—and that certain mindsets can block your way to weight loss. All-or-nothing thinking, where you have to be perfect All. The. Time.—or you're a failure, is a common one. So is overgeneralizing: You gained a pound at your weigh-in and that means you'll never lose weight. (Our Chief Science Officer, Gary Foster, discusses these unhelpful thinking styles in Episode 9 of our Plan Basics video series

Mindset can also work in your favor, if you have what Carol Dweck, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Stanford University calls a growth mindset. Dweck, who's researched achievement and success, says that with a growth mindset, you're open to change and challenges—two things many of us might feel we're not always so open to. (On the other hand, you joined Weight Watchers—so you've already showed you're willing and able to tackle both!) Its opposite, a fixed mindset, holds that things are the way they are; you can't really change your habits and beliefs. And losing weight can seem impossible, especially over the long term.

Depending on the situation, we can have either a growth or fixed mindset. A baseball player might gladly take up the challenge of improving his batting average (growth mindset), but balk at painting a landscape because he's never done it, thinks he has no talent, doesn't know where to begin, you name it (fixed mindset). You might love exploring a new hiking trail, but hesitate to try new foods. The self-assessment in your Weekly, can help you pinpoint your mindset in different scenarios.

Here's how some plan-related situations can play out with a fixed mindset:

• Challenges: Before you decided to join Weight Watchers, you might have said, “I’m not sure I can do this again. It’s going to be too hard.”

• Setbacks: A month or two in, you gain a pound two weeks in a row. You might think, “I knew I wouldn’t be able to do this. It’s so hard. I don’t think I can keep going.”

• Criticism: You react to someone's opinion of your choices: “My husband is right, I shouldn’t be eating that cookie even if I have the SmartPoints^®^. It’s all my fault if I don’t lose weight this week.”

Illustration by Deborah DeLue.

With a growth mindset, each of these situations provides a chance to learn and grow—NOT to dial back or give up:

• Challenges are answered with effort and determination. A misstep simply means you regroup and move on.

• Setbacks don't discourage; they teach, through self-reflection and analyzing what went wrong before trying again.

• Criticism or stigma reflect someone else’s point of view; they don't define or stop you.

When it comes to weight loss, it pays to have a growth mindset—and the good news is, you can choose to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset. Dr. Dweck's research with schoolchildren shows how doing so can make a huge difference in your life. You might even become someone you never thought you'd be— a morning exerciser, anyone? (It could happen!)

When you face a challenge, setback, or criticism, take a moment to listen to your inner voice: Are you reacting with a growth or a fixed mindset? To make the switch, reality check a fixed-mindset thought—see "Shift to a Growth Mindset" in your Weekly —to move to a more powerful, productive growth mindset. Looking at the world with a fixed mindset dulls your sense of control and mastery; it can leave you passive. But a growth mindset helps you feel more in control of your choices, your journey, and your success!