How your thoughts keep you from losing weight
Stop being your own worst critic if you want to attain your ideal body weight. PHOTO/ FILE
What you need to know:
How can you get to where you want to be, if you can’t visualise it? Humans are very visual so having a clear image in your mind of your desired goal is paramount, whether it’s a smaller waist, better skin, better digestion or even a baby.
I often find that one useful trick is to focus on an intermediate goal, such as getting into the next dress size or trouser size down.
Once this is achieved, a new goal can be set.
Three weeks into January and New Year resolutions are already faltering.
I know this because I am now back at the clinic, seeing people who are desperate to shed the kilos they gained during the festive season.
Now one thing that is common in all of these people is that they are their own worst critic. one lady that I saw last week remarked, “Don’t my arms look like sausages in this cardigan?”
Why are we so hard on ourselves? We certainly wouldn’t say any of the things we regularly say to ourselves to any of our friends ( we don’t even think most of these things when looking at friends).
As these negative thoughts and emotions about our bodies present themselves, we end up in a vicious cycle where we eat badly and then mull over various self-judgements, which tend to compound any weight issues. And so, the self-sabotaging behaviour continues and it hinders weight loss efforts.
Here are three steps that help my patients get into the right sort of mental space:
1. Visualise it
How can you get to where you want to be, if you can’t visualise it? Humans are very visual so having a clear image in your mind of your desired goal is paramount, whether it’s a smaller waist, better skin, better digestion or even a baby.
I often find that one useful trick is to focus on an intermediate goal, such as getting into the next dress size or trouser size down. Once this is achieved, a new goal can be set.
And it’s very important not to think in the negative e.g. don’t say:”
I don’t want to be fat” or “I don’t want to have aching joints”. Remember the old adage: what you resist, persists. So think positive!
2. Feel it
Once you’ve visualised the ‘new’ you, imagine what it would feel like to have achieved your goal. Start getting excited about it.
3. Act as if…
If you were already thin or had glowing skin, how would you behave? That’s exactly the way you need to start acting now.
For example, you could eat the healthy foods that the ‘new you’ eats or be more confident. The idea is to do anything and everything that is representative of the person that you aspire to be.
So, go easy on yourself, think positive and start getting into those sustainable healthy behaviours.
