Eat whole foods, drink water, sleep eight hours a night and shake your Yummy Mummy body all about you’ll lose weight. Easy, right? Article over.
Still reading? That’s because you know there’s more to weight loss than just the technical aspects mentioned above. Your motivation, your drive, your inspiration, your feelings - your mind can be your cheerleader or your worst enemy in your quest to get healthy (whether weight loss is an element of that goal or not).
One way your mind can derail you is the voice in your head that won’t shut up when things aren’t going as planned. A voice that, at times, treats you worse than you would EVER treat another person. Let’s call her ‘Miserable Midge. Here are some of the things that horrible girl says to you:
“You’ll never lose weight.”
“You have NO willpower.”
“You’re fat, ugly, lazy, etc…”
Miserable Midge is such a liar. None of these things are true about you. When you begin to recognize her voice, you’ll be better able to dismiss it and focus on the truth.
Imagine yourself at your goal – your authentic self. Paint a vivid picture. What are you doing, wearing? Incorporate landscapes and smells, bring yourself closer to what you really want. Name her. Mine is ‘Fulfilled Stevie’...imaginative I know, but it works for me. Maybe you’re ‘Superwoman Sally’ or ‘Do-Anything Donna’. When your thoughts go rogue, ask your goal self what she thinks of the statements you are hearing.
For me, Fulfilled Stevie is patient with the negative voices. She doesn’t respond to them directly, she just whispers in my ear what I truly know about myself. Things like:
“You are an active, healthy woman”
“You choose foods that nourish your body” and
“You are beautiful”
Identifying the negative voices can be difficult at first as they seem to be your own. Your mean girl is obnoxious. She says things you believe to be true, but wish weren’t. However, your authentic self will speak to you in a whisper, calming and wonderful. Listen carefully and give her a chance to speak her mind regardless of how foreign it feels. Believe what she says, she speaks the truth. The mind is more powerful than we can comprehend. Negative thoughts produce negative results, don’t let the chatter suck you in.
You are capable, amazing, focused and successful. Write that down and repeat often!
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