Most of us want to shed some pounds or there have been times when we’ve wanted to drop a clothes size or two. The problem is we have told ourselves a lot of stories about losing weight which have then formed deep seated beliefs.
If you believe something, in your mind it is true. The same is true with the beliefs you have about losing weight.
If you’ve told yourself often enough ‘I can never lose weight, no matter what I try’ – guess what, your mind tells your body that statement, and that information is then transferred to the cells of your body. Sound ridiculous? – Read the Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton who speaks about your beliefs being stored at the cellular level of your body.
So maybe it’s time we re-evaluated our beliefs about losing weight and started forming new beliefs about how easy it is to lose weight – Check out The Belief Principle to help you with this.
7 Beliefs That Will Stop You Losing Weight
1. Losing weight is hard.
If we believe losing weight is going to be hard – guess what – it will be!
This is a very strong reason why many people struggle to lose weight, and why many give up before they make a dent in their goal of losing weight.
Losing weight doesn’t start with going on a diet or starting a new fitness regime, it starts with your mindset.
Work on your mindset a few weeks before starting your new eating plan and fitness regime. This can be done using affirmations, or searching for evidence to prove that you’ve lost weight in the past and you can do it again.
2. I have to go to the gym to lose weight.
First off, there’s nothing wrong with going to the gym. Many people do it, and many people reap positive benefits from doing it. However, if you hold this particular belief, you will become a slave to your workout routine if you want to lose weight or maintain weight loss. This can become problematic over time.
When we feel like we “have to” work out, it becomes just another thing on our to-do list, and it starts to feel like a chore.
One of the best things you can do to lose weight and get into a routine is to do something you enjoy whilst doing a little exercise. For example I read my book or listen to an audiobook whilst I am walking my dog. Reading is something I enjoy, but I don’t particularly enjoy walking, however since I now associate walking with doing something I enjoy I have learned to enjoy walking as well, which in turn has helped me to lose weight.
3. People gain weight when they get older.
I think this is one of the beliefs where it is more of an excuse than anything else, however it doesn’t stop people believing this.
You need to change this belief, as you do not necessarily put on weight just because you get older. It may be that you slow down a little as you get older and that contributes to you putting on a little extra weight, or your metabolism slows down due to a build up of bad habits.
There is no evidence to show that we naturally put on weight as we get older so again it’s another belief that we can work on eliminating.
4. I’m a too busy.
Reality check: What you’re really saying is I don’t want to prioritise losing weight over other things. Things like watching TV, having a long lie in the mornings, spending too much time on the internet are all things we can do less of in order to make some time to get more healthy
you have the same amount of time as everyone else, but you might not be setting your goals as a high enough priority. Those with high priorities, no matter how committed their time, find a way to make sure they give attention to their priorities.
If weight loss is a goal, it might take a little more time to plan, prepare and cook meals, but as a high priority it might mean you spend less time doing other things that don’t help.
If you truly want to lose weight you won’t look for excuses you’ll just do it and you’ll prioritise it so you achieve your goal.
5. I can’t do it.
If you have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight many times before, you may find yourself struggling with a strong belief that you can’t lose weight.
Maybe you believe that you can only lose so much weight, or you may believe that you can’t lose any at all. Either way, this kind of belief will override your desire to eat healthy and exercise, so that it seems like a constant battle to keep going and making any progress at all.
When you tell yourself a hundred times that “I just can’t do it” you’re sending a ton of signals to your brain, your body and the cells in your body.
Think about something you’re good at. The reason you’re good at it is because you’ve told yourself you’re good at it so many times and other people have affirmed this too that it has become a deep seated belief. That’s how beliefs are formed; the negative beliefs as well as the positive beliefs.
Whatever you tell yourself and believe about yourself is true so if you want to change something in your life give yourself different beliefs and the way to do this is tell yourself different stories about yourself.
6. My life will be perfect when you lose weight.
No. Ask yourself how you’ll feel when you lose your extra weight? Your answers may surprise you. These answers are the clues to why your body is holding on to what you want it to get rid of.
Striving toward the way you want to feel will increase chemical neurotransmitters sometimes called happy hormones. This starts the process of balancing your hormones, which will help your body release unnecessary weight.
If you truly want to change your beliefs about losing weight then start changing your beliefs and redefine what it means to lose weight.
If you want a quick and easy way to change your beliefs about losing weight check out the
7. Losing weight
Now, I’ve spoken about losing weight all through this article but the truth is if we tell ourselves we are ‘losing’ something our minds automatically get it back or keep it.
So stop saying ‘Losing’ weight and instead use some other phrases like:
- Burning fat
- Shedding some pounds
- Getting fitter
- Get healthier
- Look after myself
Conclusion
The way we speak to ourselves has a massive impact on our lives, much more than you can imagine. Becoming healthier and fitter is one area that ma lot of us struggle with and it’s largely in part due to the things we tell ourselves, some of which have been mentioned above.
You can change any aspect of your life simply by changing what you tell yourself.
If you want more information on changing your beliefs and how they impact your life then read my book The Belief Principle
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