Are you working on your New Year's resolutions? One of the most common resolutions is, of course, to lose weight. We all know that most of us make and break this resolution every year. Sometimes clients tell me they make and break this resolution several times every year!
Why is this resolution so hard to keep? True, weight management isn't easy. But I suspect it has something to do with the wording.
If you've taken my online weight loss class, you know that successful long-term exercise is easier if you think of yourself as a person who exercises. How do you think of yourself with regard to your weight? Are you a person who weighs more than they should? Are you a person who loses weight? Or are you a person who maintains a healthy weight?
There's a significant difference between these three perspectives. If you see yourself as someone who loses weight, you're perpetuating the cycle of lose weight-gain weight-lose weight before you even get started! If you see yourself as someone who maintains a healthy weight, your weight may fluctuate, but you'll be planning ahead to follow through on the behaviors that help you lose weight -- and keep it off.
So, let me ask the questions again. How do you think of yourself with regard to your weight? Are you a person who weighs more than they should? Are you a person who loses weight? Or are you a person who maintains a healthy weight? Post your perspective and let us know what you think!
I think of myself as someone who needs to lose weight. I try hard to change from the "diet" frame of mind to the "eating healthy" one. But it's hard. I find myself often saying "you're fat" and when you lost so much weight before, why did you gain this much back. It would have been so much easier to have lost it when it was only a few pounds. I nag myself ALOT. And I know our thinking controls our actions. If I were one of my friends I sure wouldn't talk to them this way. I'd encourage them!! So I need to reframe my thinking. (Easier said than done). But I do believe it is easier if I think I'm doing this for my health and not just to fit into those size 10 jeans again. Although I keep picturing myself in those jeans!! I read somewhere that your mind can't tell the difference between an actual picture and an image that you imagine. I don't know about that. But anyway that's what I read. So I do visualize myself in those jeans!!!
ReplyDeleteI think there's a lot of truth to the visualization theory, cbd. I use visualization as part of my preparation for both teaching and belly dance performance. The trick to it, for me, is that it matters what I'm thinking as I'm visualizing.
ReplyDeleteIf you're seeing yourself in your size 10 jeans and thinking, "Whoo, I'm fit and healthy and I look great in those jeans!" that's probably beneficial. If you're seeing yourself in your jeans and thinking, "Wow, I used to look so hot...and now I look disgraceful! How did I let this happen?!" the visualization will probably do more harm than good.
I couldn't agree more that it's hard to change a mindset. That makes sense...if you've been thinking a certain way for years, chances are you've thought that same thought *so many* times. It'll take a lot of practice to think it differently! I love your observation that you wouldn't treat a friend the way you treat yourself. I've found that talking to myself the way I'd treat a client or friend is *incredibly* helpful. So true!
Thanks for sharing, cbd. I so enjoy chatting with you :)!
Thanks Donna!! I look forward to our chats also. I'm trying to think of the size 10 jeans as being healthy. (Although it's easy to think wow!! I used to look so good. I got alot of compliments). I made some bread today with a mixture of grains. It is wonderful!! I used wheat, rye, soy beans, lentils, corn, and a few white beans. I CANNOT believe it, but hubby loved it. I always use some white flour when making bread. As we had discussed before, I just cannot handle 100% whole wheat. I am thrilled that hubby likes it. I didn't tell him, but I put in a couple of handfulls of old-fash. oats. He doesn't like oats!!! So why volunteer, when he thought it was delicious!! Back to visulation. I know it helps me when I picture myself walking and getting healthy. I can see myself walking faster and easier. Probably not in the snow :) Can't go too fast in it! Thanks for the chat (: (:
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