Not everyone appreciates the total weight loss achieved over years of dieting, For those that have tried dieting a number of times it is too easy to think of yourself as a failure rather than thinking of yourself as a successful dieter. If you lose any weight, on any diet, you are a successful dieter. Has it occurred to you that serial dieting is an indication that you KNOW you can lose weight? What’s more, if you diet on and off over a period of time you also know you can do so repeatedly, quitting a diet is your way of taking back control in a situation even if it is misguided. I say misguided because starting the diet in the first place indicates you want to be something other than what you are
The problem isn’t the return to previous weight (or more), as this is only an indication of being released from a regime, or having met your goal and not having a new goal to aim for. There really is only one question, can your body survive what you do to it? Maybe you need to understand that a person who is over size, but maintaining a stable weight, lives longer than those persons who serial diet, It may be worth looking at a way to have your cake and eat it too.
Start with food focus, the absolute focus on food ensures you will overeat, wouldn’t it be lovely to just forget about it and live a normal life, dealing with food in a way that makes you feel good about yourself. Let’s look at where placing your attention does more harm than good.
Over emphasis on what type of food you are going to eat:
Wanting chippies and denying yourself them is a form of punishment, it is never going to work. It draws your mind to what you can’t have, and keeps it there until you are almost obsessed if not completely obsessed with the foods you are trying to avoid. The chances this is in line with how you feel or have felt about other things, wanting what you can’t have or are denied, whether by parents, financial constraints or that crush that didn’t want to know you in high school. Learning not to care about what you can’t have will help you focus on what you really want. You will recognize some of these in other areas of your life, when you do, take the time to look at the fundamental thought, rather than the symptoms which represent the pattern of thinking, using blockers and switches works really well, it isn’t immediate so persistence in using a simple tool will pay off big time.
Inner Dialogue:
Let’s face it, we have all heard the inner dialogue spiel, but it was popularized based on genuine research, How we communicate with others is an indication to them of our character, how we communicate to ourselves is an indication of our attitude. This can be how we feel about ourselves (insults) and what we were taught. Poor teaching can lead to bad habits. Here are a few common (food) phrases that need to be monitored at least, stopped completely at best.
I’m starving: No you’re not, you are hungry, you may have not eaten for a while but you are NOT starving, if you were, weight wouldn’t be an issue. For many it is likely this comes from being told not to waste food as a kid, because there are starving kids in the world. The teaching is to eat everything whether you are hungry or not, the justification is starving, even if that means others it is justification nevertheless. It is the energy of exaggeration which can apply to anything and probably does apply to more than food if you use it.
The switch: I am hungry, (yep that is it), How you use it.Your inner dialogue goes something like this,
” I’m STARVING.” “That’s not true, I am only HUNGRY it’s time for lunch.”
I just have to have it: No you don’t, you want it, there is a big difference. As soon as you tell yourself you have to have something, it is believed, Setting up cravings, and a body held desire because you have conditioned your body to believe nothing else. A few years ago it was discovered that body cells understand language, this means it doesn’t have to be ‘processed’ via the ears, eyes and brain per se. Every word you utter has an energetic attachment in how it is said and what it means to you completely, which explains the instant body response to certain phrases and emotions conveyed before a word is uttered. Have to is the dialogue of the addict, it justifies having something you know is damaging to your body, your wallet, or your life in general.
The Blocker: Wait, honestly, stop, no in any sentence that negates the original dialogue. Use often, repeat every time, and before long you will notice a shift in how you think as the dialogue gives way to more appropriate suggestions.
” I just have to have it. WAIT, I am not doing that any more, HONESTLY I just want it.
These are two examples that can be placed in any type of exaggerated inner dialogue, when used often you will notice a change, that change is permanent, while you may still occasionally slip into the habit you will recognize it immediately so that over time it becomes a rare occurrence.
Taking the focus off the food itself and bringing it back to the core issues related to the food, makes it a fairly natural process to reduce intake without even appearing to try. These are long term changes rather than short term fixes. You can get a running start by looking at hypnotherapy for weight loss, with the charm of modern styles making it a cheap and easy thing to do, Here are a few links to my online Hypnotherapy Downloads, available from google play and downloadable to any device (yes apple has a google play app)
Change Habits: Be a willing partner in the change you seek
Three Gates: Eliminate Resistance
Motivation: Get started or develop new incentives