It\u2019s not uncommon for people to lie to others about their weight. One Michigan woman took a different approach \u2014 she repeatedly lied to herself until she lost weight. She took advantage of the malleability of the mind, a technique supported by experts.<\/p>\n
In a viral TikTok with almost 4 million views, content creator Leaha Ureel revealed how she used self-deception to successfully trim her waistline. Ureel applied literature about the subconscious mind, which posits that you can effectively \u201ctrick\u201d your brain into wanting to do things you didn\u2019t want to do through visualization exercises. Ureel credits the method not only for helping herself shed dozens of pounds \u2014 but also for convincing herself she loves to clean the house after years of being \u201cmessy.\u201d \u201cGaslighting\u201d may get a bad rap \u2014 but Dr. Meghan Garcia-Webb, an obesity expert at Weight Medicine MD, believes this type of psychological exercise can be surprisingly effective. \u201cWhat she is talking about is a concept we discuss in coaching all the time, which is adopting the mindset of someone who already has the desired result and essentially reverse engineering it,\u201d Garcia-Webb added. \u201cIt\u2019s purposefully creating an identity shift.\u201d \u201cSo if you want to lose weight, what are the habits that you are doing at your goal weight that you are not doing now? What does your day look like? How do you act at work, at parties, at night when you get home from work?\u201d Garcia-Webb mused. So there\u2019s a method to the madness, but Garcia-Webb cautions that there also potential pitfalls, health-wise. As such, she recommends visualizing someone who is healthier in a more holistic way instead of concentrating on numbers on a scale. The method of self-deception for weight loss, as used by Leaha Ureel, taps into the psychological principle of acting like the person you want to become. With the support of experts like Dr. Meghan Garcia-Webb, it’s clear that this technique can be effective, but it’s also important to consider potential pitfalls and focus on holistic health.<\/p>\n Q: What is self-deception for weight loss? Introduction to Self-Deception for Weight Loss It\u2019s not uncommon for people to lie to others about their weight. One Michigan woman took a different approach \u2014 she repeatedly lied to herself until she lost weight. She took advantage of the malleability of the mind, a technique supported by experts. The Power of Self-Deception In a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":15662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15661","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/101985318.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024&w=1024&resize=1024,682&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15661"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15661"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15663,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15661\/revisions\/15663"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nTikTokker Leaha Ureel reveals her weight loss trick. TikTok\/leaha.ureel<\/span>
\n\u201cI gaslit myself into losing 40 pounds by just pretending I\u2019m already skinny,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\nThe Science Behind Self-Deception<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cWhat really got me is that the body will convince the mind that maybe the hobbies you like are active hobbies,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really fake it \u2019til you make it.\u201d<\/p>\nExpert Opinion<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cThe term \u2018gaslighting\u2019 has negative connotations but \u2014 overall \u2014 I agree this is possible,\u201d Garcia-Webb, who also hosts the YouTube series \u201cWeight Medicine with Dr. Meghan MD,\u201d told The Post.
\nThe method taps into a proven psychological principle: act like the person you want to become \u2014 and your brain starts to believe it. Nicholas Felix\/peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/p>\nAdopting the Mindset of Success<\/h3>\n
\nThe method taps into a proven psychological principle: act like the person you want to become \u2014 and your brain starts to believe it.
\n\u201cWhat really got me is that the body will convince the mind that maybe the hobbies you like are active hobbies,\u201d Ureel said. Jacek Chabraszewski \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/p>\nBridging the Gap to Success<\/h3>\n
\nInstead of doing whatever you want to do \u2014 do what the person you want to be would do.
\n\u201cThe better idea you have of who that future version of yourself is and what she does, the more you can bridge the gap between who you are now and who you want to be,\u201d she said. \u201cThe more you start to live \u2018as if\u2019 you are that person, the easier it is to become her. You are giving your brain the map.\u201d<\/p>\nPotential Pitfalls<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cOf course depending on your sources, this can have positive or negative repercussions on your health,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cIf someone thinks that the goal weight version of themselves has a significant caffeine addiction, or severely restricts calories, that\u2019s not going to bode well for their overall health, even if they are losing weight. So it\u2019s important to step back and think about if these habits would actually be healthy and sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\nFocusing on Holistic Health<\/h3>\n
\n\u201cI like to frame it less as the identity at a particular weight and more the identity of your healthiest self,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we frame it like this, it\u2019s an identity that\u2019s 100% attainable through our actions, and not dependent on a particular scale number.\u201d<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h1>\n
FAQs<\/h1>\n
\nA: Self-deception for weight loss involves tricking your brain into wanting to do things you didn\u2019t want to do through visualization exercises, essentially adopting the mindset of someone who already has the desired result.
\nQ: Is self-deception for weight loss effective?
\nA: According to experts, self-deception for weight loss can be surprisingly effective, as it taps into the psychological principle of acting like the person you want to become.
\nQ: What are the potential pitfalls of self-deception for weight loss?
\nA: Potential pitfalls include negative repercussions on health if the goal weight version of yourself has unhealthy habits, such as a significant caffeine addiction or severe calorie restriction.
\nQ: How can I focus on holistic health instead of numbers on a scale?
\nA: You can focus on holistic health by visualizing someone who is healthier in a more holistic way, framing your identity as your healthiest self, and making sustainable lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"