Your Belief System
As Gandhi said not so long ago, you need "to be the change you want to see in the world". In other words, if you want to see changes in the world, you need to start at number one and make some of your own positive changes.
Your personal belief system has created who you are today, so if that is something you want to change, you need to let go of any limiting beliefs you are holding onto and replace them with a new set of positive ones. This also applies to the set of beliefs you hold onto about your physical appearance and body weight. Please read on for more information on how to change your beliefs and thinking to create a new, slimmer-looking you.
Positive Self-talk
Positive self-talk, or affirmations, have been shown time and time again to support the weight-loss process. When said out loud, deliberately and regularly, affirmations help to convince the brain it is already what it wants to be, laying the foundations of a new belief system that can empower (rather than limit) the weight loss process.
What are your limited beliefs that are holding you back from losing the weight you desire? Write them down and seriously question their validity. An example of a limiting belief may be: "I will never be slim". Instead, turn this into a positive affirmation such as "I have always been slim". Once said regularly (three times over and twice a day is best), after twenty eight days your brain will begin to believe it has always been true, and will begin sculpting the body you desire. Just try it. You will witness a shift in attitude and weight quicker than you think.
Get Happy
Science has demonstrated that happy people lead happy lives that rarely entail a diet or issues of weight. Happy people tend to eat less emotionally, live healthier lifestyles and most importantly, stress less. Low levels of stress results in decreased cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is the "stress hormone", which has been linked to the storage of fat (especially visceral, abdominal body fat).
Instead, stop worrying about those extra kilos, try to forget about them and go and do something that gives you joy or makes you laugh. Life is too short. Your jeans will thank you later for it.
Cognitive Restructuring
Cognitive restructuring is term used to describe a change in thinking habits. It that encourages you to review and challenge any destructive, old thought patterns, and replace them with new ones.
For example, next time you find yourself worrying or beating yourself up about the chocolate bar you ate, ask yourself:
- Am I being rational?
- Is this a realistic way of seeing this and myself?
- Is it rational to think I might put on 5kg and no one will ever love me because I ate some chocolate
- Then make sure once you have recognized your negative thought that you replace it with a more positive affirmation (see below). You will be surprised at how rational you can be once you sit down and really think about how irrational those old voices inside your head are sounding.
Forget the Words "Should" and "Never"
Diets have a history of rigid rules that split foods up into good or bad. For example, most define vegetables as good and chocolate and ice cream as bad. Depriving oneself of the occasional treat not only leads to future resentment but also to possible bingeing later down the track. Rather than swear off your favourite treats forever, forget dieting and listen to your body: eat what it wants, when it wants it, just be sensible about the portions.
Self-fulfilling Prophecies
If you expect to fail, you set yourself up for it and generally will. This concept applies in full to a healthy eating lifestyle. For example, you may say to yourself "I always eat a lot when I am bored", and the next thing you know, you are at your fridge snacking when you are one day bored at home studying. And voila! Your prophecy has been fulfilled: you are eating when you are bored. They key thing to remember is that all words are creative. So next time, create a positive self-fulfilling prophecy instead to help you with the weight-loss process.
Originally published on Jul 06, 2010
