Happiness And Weight Loss: The Surprising Connection (VIDEO)

For so many of us, happiness seems to be on the other side of weight loss -- I'll be happy once I look a certain way in a bathing suit, or hit a certain number on the scale or achieve a perfectly flat stomach.

But you may be putting the proverbial cart before the horse -- achieving happiness first can actually help you to lose the weight.

"Happiness is actually an advantage. If you can increase your chance of being happy right now, it will increase your chance of being successful in the future," Shawn Achor, author of "The Happiness Advantage" told PopSugarLivingTV in this interview.

And Achor and health and fitness host Dr. Zelana Montminy, Psy.D. have some concrete and simple ways to boost your happiness -- and maybe your weight loss power-- right now.

Comments

[William Anderson LMHC]

08:03 AM on 06/23/2011

All my clients become happier when they begin their work with me and start being successful in solving their weight problem. They are often depressed when they come to me.

While working to be happier is a good idea, it doesn't seem to improve a person's weight problem by itself without an effective comprehensive approach to weight control, which these people in the video don't seem to have a handle on. They appear to be well meaning helpers who think they know how a person should be able to solve their weight problem, but really don't.

Permanent weight loss is an elusive goal. For 25 years, I was chronically overweight, chronically failing at weight loss, listening to well meaning misguided "experts" like the folks in the video. In 1983, I discovered the Therapeutic Psychogenics that I now teach and lost 140 lbs permanently. That was over 25 years ago now.

Some of the ideas in the video are valuable, but if the producers or the viewers think that it is an accurate description of what a person needs to solve a difficult weight problem, they are sadly mistaken. The video does not describe a solution to an unhappy weight problem.

William Anderson, LMHC
Author of 'The Anderson Method - Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss'
Website: www.TheAndersonMethod.com
Blog: http://theandersonmethodblog.wordpress.com/

[Michael Mahony]

11:50 AM on 06/22/2011

It is my belief that by the time people get to the point where they WANT to lose weight, something traumatic has happened (depression, disappointment, etc.). Consequently, it is no surprise that happiness exists on the other side of weight loss. To me, healthy eating is a lifestyle choice, not something we do to lose weight. Give it some thought. Are you doing what you do because of a state of mind or are you doing it because you now choose to live life differently?

[Bernadette Ferrer]

09:19 PM on 06/21/2011

True to Form! Since January, I slipped into depression from sibling rivalry over mom's death/inheritance drama to toxic individuals unconscious of the worldwide, especially California economics. Suffice it to say, as of June 21st, 2011, I notice my gut, a wobbly gut, that I was so proud of as my belly was flat & so tight. Thank you for your validating my sense of well being. I truly WAS on the correct path of Health. I just have to remind myself that I REMAIN a CONTRAST to individuals in the environment & Feel Good About this NON Acceptance! Hell, I rather have a FLAT tummy, than a PIG Sized Belly as a Female!!! Forget the Male Size!

[Ed Fox]

05:05 PM on 06/21/2011

Happiness is the unconditional state of a receptive and productive mind. It is the balance in our mind that allows and accepts. That's way we will always lose weight with happiness but not always achieve happiness through loosing wait.

Ed Fox

[Diana Dimitrova]

12:36 PM on 06/21/2011

I was going through a very stressful period of my life, and as a result I put on more weight on what was already a heavy figure. Once I got my life together and realized that I need to be happy with who and where I am at the moment, I managed to lose over 50 pounds in the course of two years, and am managing to keep the weight off for the past year. So I agree, being happy does help with weight-loss.

[sdj4ou]

10:09 AM on 06/21/2011

Most people trying to lose weight are, by definition, unhappy with the way that they look and are attempting to make lifestyle changes that they don't really want to make. So trying to fake "happiness" is a tough sell. Also, I thought it was weird that the psychologist was in the workout segments of the video clip. Maybe she's trying to get a workout video business going on the side?