Avoid the Self Sabotage

If you had a friend who was trying to lose weight and get in shape, would you call her a fat slob? Would you tell her she's worthless and has no self-control? Would you tell her she is too slow or can't run? Would you point out that she probably always will be fat and will never change? Would you tell her that she can't do this?

I really hope not, but chances are you have said those things to yourself. People who fail to lose weight are infamous for having negative self-talk. If you tend to have and express negative views of yourself, negative thoughts of current experiences, and a negative outlook on the future, this only sets yourself up for failure. Negative thinking is so powerful, it can trap people in overweight and out of shape bodies by programming their brains to believe they cannot change.

If you say to yourself, "I'm not an athlete", "I've always been on the heavy side," "I've never been able to lose much weight," "I'm not a runner," you don't even allow any possibility for change. If you continue to repeat these thoughts, you will most likely stay in your current condition, if not heavier or more out of shape as the years go by.

To not only lose weight, but to lose the weight and keep it off or to get in shape and stay in shape, it is crucial to eliminate the negative thoughts that keep you stuck.

Change your Thinking One Thought at a Time...

• Give yourself two positive for each negative- People remember negative comments a lot more than they remember positive ones.
• Stop & Delete- If you catch yourself saying belittling or damaging comments, stop that thought and be aware of those negative thoughts that are destructive.
• Switch your words & focus- It is as simple as saying I can, instead of I can't. Switch "I can't stand working out" or "I can't stand going without my 2 glasses of wine a night" to Really I can stand just about anything. Say "I can stand another 5 min of running" or "I can stand living without fast food."
• Destroy the thought- If you continue to beat yourself up for not having willpower or calling yourself names, write it out on paper and throw it away, shred it, or crumble it up.
• Counterattack- Replace "I can't lose weight" with "Right now I'm not losing weight, but when I decide to do it, I will." Have awareness for those negative thoughts and prepare a counterattack.
• Positive Affirmations- Tell yourself you are strong, beautiful, wonderfully made, getting healthy & losing weight.
• Visualize- Picture yourself getting to your goal, running that 5k, completing a 1/2 marathon, fitting in your skinny jeans, feeling comfortable in your swimsuit, and doing those chin ups in class. It is so important to see yourself getting to your goal.

If you change your thoughts, you can change your actions, you can change your lifestyle.