Weight Loss – Understanding Self-sabotage
As soon as the New Year is here our efforts for weight loss seem to get a fresh start. Goals for a healthy and fit style of living have been set and we are psyched to improve our mind and body. For most, it is a goal that was not achieved the previous year, for many reasons, but that continues to be a priority.
The worst thing that you can do to approach your weight loss is to approach it with feelings of guilt and reproach. These feelings creep at the end of the year and resurface at the beginning of the New Year because the word “failed” comes to mind when the weight loss goal was not achieved. These negative feelings will sabotage your weight loss goals, despite your best intentions. By focusing on past negative results, you are programming your brain to expect the same results. It is like giving yourself permission (and reinforcing it) to not achieve your goal.
The first step is to forgive yourself for past transgressions. Acknowledge the fact that you did not lose the weight, and move on. You are here in the now, and this is what counts. The past is gone; you can only take charge of your present, and your future. But the future is not here yet, so you are only responsible for the present moment. That makes it easier to grasp. Just think of the now. What you do in the now, is what matters to reach your desire weight. Replace the word “failed” with the word “Now.” Stand in front of the mirror, eye to eye, look at your body, and forgive yourself. This is your first step. Getting rid of the negative emotions first is necessary to be able to continue.
Before starting your weight loss program, take a look at the past year(s), and honestly try to understand what prevented you from reaching your objective. Do you see a pattern? Did you suffer any illnesses that prevented you from working out? Depression? An overworked schedule? Whatever reasons you honestly come across with, you must deal with them in order to make this year, the one to reach your weight loss goal.
This is not an easy thing to do. Honesty with your Self is required, and sometimes, looking at your Self is not something that you may want to do. If you are serious about losing the weight, then you have to make the effort worth it. How? – By visualizing the feeling that you will have when you achieve the weight that you desire. By doing this, you are letting positive feelings enter your brain. You are replacing the old messages with new ones. Think of it as reprogramming your weight loss Self. By having a clear picture in your mind of what you want, you are helping the next step – setting real and concrete weight loss goals.
Going back to the clear picture in your mind, don’t use the body of a Hollywood star or a cutout from a magazine. Why? – Because that is not you. That will be like feeding wrong or false information to your brain, and then, you will be back to step number one. Admire the beautiful figures of Hollywood stars, acknowledge their beauty, and believe that you too, will look your best. And with that attitude you can start writing down your weight loss goals.
Emotions can be your best or worst enemy when approaching a weight loss program. But ultimately, you own your emotions, and the power to use them to your advantage.
