| Weight loss
is kind of like love. When you chase after it, it seems to allude
you. But just when you're ready to give up on it, that's when
you fall in love. You know why? Because when we drop our worries
and reveal the genuine person inside, it's like putting up a banner
sign: I'm happy. I accept myself. That kind of person is ready
to fall in love, and that's when it happens. Weight
loss often happens for the person who forgets about chasing
after it. This doesn't apply to everyone, however, it's worth
thinking about. If you feel that you are obsessed with weight
loss, and yet you can't seem to lose the weight, please take
a moment to reflect honestly on the following questions: Do
you spend a significant portion of every day criticizing yourself
for your weight? Do you know that you need to eat less, yet
you don't change your habits? Do you know that more exercise
would help you keep the weight off, but you make excuses not
to do it?
If you answered yes to any of the above, take
a minute to think about how many times during the day you criticize
yourself or your body shape. How many times a day do you wish
you looked different, or think that 'if only' you could lose
the weight, your life would be so much better? These may strike
you as silly questions, at first. Brain researchers tell us,
however, that our inner dialogue can make an impact on our outer
reality. The more times your unconscious mind hears that you
believe you're not good enough, the more your experiences are
likely to reflect that belief.
Replacing a negative or self-critical thought
with a positive one is a good practice. Start with this moment.
Identify one feature that you like, even love, about yourself.
Is it your face? Your eyes? Your smile? Your feet? Imagine feeling
as great about your whole body as you do about that feature,
right now. Practice accepting yourself 'as is', every day. This
is a positive practice that may free you from obsession with
weight loss and help you start to drop those extra pounds. You
might even fall in love. |
