What is the weight loss mistake that could be secretly sabotaging your success?
In areas of your life where you are successful, throwing in the towel at the first sign of a challenge would be the last thing you would do. Isn’t that true?
Think about your relationships . . . with your friends, your children, and your significant other...Are things always easy?
Of course, not!
But if you are successful in these relationships, when things get rocky, you most likely find a way to get beyond your immediate emotional reactions to create a better end result.
Even if times are difficult for a while, you stay committed to preserving the love that is there between you and those you care for deeply.
Are you taking steps to create and preserve love for yourself? Or do you continually sabotage your success, resulting in shredded self-esteem and increased self-criticism?
Weight Loss Mistake: every step you take, brings you closer to your goals...
If you were in New York and wanted to go to California there is one thing that is certain...
You would start by heading West... Even if you have some doubts, one thing is absolutely clear: The direction necessary to get you to your desired destination is West.
Therefore, as you began heading West, if it started to rain, you wouldn’t turn around and go East instead...
You would look for other solutions to overcome this challenge and continue forward to your desired destination.
No matter what obstacles appeared to be in your way, you would know that even though California seemed to be far away, with every step you took, you were getting closer.
Keep Going to be a successful weight loss winner!
The only way that you could be certain that you would never get there would be to turn around and start heading East again, or worse, take a detour North or South.
It sounds absurd, but isn’t that what you do when it comes to your weight loss goals?
You decide to lose weight.
You join a gym and you pick a sensible eating plan.
You throw away all the junk in your house and you prepare healthy food for yourself.
When stepping onto the scale to get your starting weight, you are not discouraged by the high number because you feel optimistic that this time you will be a successful weight loss winner!
You get off to a great start and lose a few pounds...
You walk three miles on the first day and again on the second day...
You pass up donuts and cupcakes at work and you forego the wine with dinner...
This positive streak continues for the next week...
Your clothes feel looser and you are excited...
You’re starting to build some momentum in the right direction...
Then on the seventh day, you step onto the scale.
What?!
You can’t believe it!
You tell yourself that after all this hard work you should have lost more! Things are not as you expected and you begin to doubt your endeavors altogether that's a big weight loss mistake.
You fear that it’s going to be a lot harder than you thought it would be.
You begin to ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”
Now if you were asking your Wise Mind this question, it would answer emphatically,“YES!"
Here is what your Wise Mind Would be whispering to you:
"Yes, it’s worth it. Are you kidding me?
Have you forgotten how much you have suffered because of your eating style and the effect it’s having on your body?
I love you – please don’t treat yourself that way.
Don’t succumb to the illusions the food industry perpetuates.
You can be free.
Stay the course.
You can do this. I am with you.
You have everything you need.”
In essence, it would be saying to you, if you were listening, “Keep going West!
Keep going in the direction you originally set out to go.
There’s a reason you embarked on this trip. Maybe right now it’s going slowly but just keep going!
The only way to ruin everything is to turn around. Keep going straight, heading West!”
Remember Why it's Worth It...
If you were indeed heading to California, to make the trip easier and more enjoyable, wouldn’t you start fantasizing about how great your life was going to be in the Golden State?
Wouldn’t you think about the amazing people you were going to meet, the gorgeous weather, and the beautiful terrain ahead of you?
It’s these delightful inner images that will propel you forward no matter what roadblocks you may encounter on the way.
With an upbeat attitude, a sense of trust and positive expectancy, your journey becomes exciting and nothing can stand in the way of your success!
Every challenge is seen as an opportunity to build your own inner strength, stamina, and commitment.
What does this theoretical journey have to do with your successful weight loss and weight loss mistake?
Everything!
You know that you have what it takes to stay focused and on task in other areas of your life, so why do you find it acceptable to continue to sabotage your own desire for health and freedom from food addiction?
To make your journey successful, it has to be fun. Seeing the task as a whole lot of work makes it feel insurmountable.
You may ask,
what’s fun about losing 100 lbs?
If you take the focus off the weight you “have” to lose, and instead place your focus on the opportunity to grow into your best, wisest, most compassionate, strong, empowered self, the answer becomes, “Everything!”
Take pleasure in fantasizing about the new, future You.
Use your subconscious mind to your benefit by practicing self-hypnosis.
Your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined, so take advantage of that fact.
Imagine yourself having already lost the weight that’s been bogging you down like a heavy ball and chain.
What would your life be like?
How would people react to you?
What clothes would you be wearing?
Who would you go out with?
How would you express yourself differently and more effectively?
How would it bring out the best in you?
Imagine feeling in control of your life and your habits.
Picture yourself, in full color, feeling strong and energized, vital and fit.
Imagine moving your body and feeling good about it.
Feel how empowering it feels to say no to “food” that belongs in a trash can and to know that your body is no longer a garbage receptacle.
These fantasies aren’t just a way to pass the time. Imagery, when done properly, is a powerful method to reprogram your subconscious mind so you see yourself differently, from this day forward.
You’ve lost a lot of credibility with yourself because you haven’t always kept your word to yourself.
Now you can experience the empowering feeling of building that trust back up again.
When you say that you aren’t going to eat cookies or fast food anymore, this time you mean it.
Building Some Positive Momentum...
When you feel good about your decisions you will see that there is no stopping you.
You will find there is a momentum happening that makes weight loss as easy as gliding down a hill on a bicycle, your feet resting idly on the pedals, feeling the gentle breeze against your skin, hearing your inner voice squealing with delight, “Wheeeeee!”
Yes,
You had to pedal up the hill to experience the joy of going down the hill, but you don’t have to define that as “hard work.” The intrinsic reward that awaits you as you do what’s best for yourself makes it all worth it.
You’ve come too far in your life and you know too much.
Turning back is not an option.
The key to your success lies in the space between your ears. Are you listening to that chattering voice telling you how hard it is and that you’re not worth it? are you making this weight loss mistake?
Or are you dropping down into your heart and connecting to your deepest Truth that is whispering to you always, “You can do this. You have everything you need.”
Turning around—going back East—is not an option.
Open your heart and your imagination and FEEL how great your life can be when you are balanced, aligned with your greatest good, taking the next right action every time, and stepping into your best, brightest, happiest, healthiest YOU!
Hi Rena,
Love the article.
I went to one of your meetings a few years ago. If I don’t remember wrong it was held at a Hospital in Clearwater.
That day I got a cassette , I think it was included in the price or something like that. I strongly believe your “affirmations” helped me at that time in conjunction with a diet program that I was using at that moment. I had the bad idea to lend the cassette and been unable to recover it.
In this moment my finances are not as good as they were at that moment but I ‘m wondering what do you have right now that will substitute that cassette or if you still have those …(how much)
I honestly think we (humans) have the enemy inside us…
I went from 233 pounds to a157 beautiful me. But for some reason I suddenly started looking at myself in the mirror and criticizing how skinny I looked. I remember looking at my self and saying : What have you done? See, you don’t have bust , you don’t have nice big gluteus anymore , you look like a surfing board…. and when I realized I put back 65 pounds. I quit smoking by myself after 20 years of being addicted to cigarettes( 33 )years ago. (thanks god). I stopped biting my nails also by myself.
I know that there is something I can do with my weight.
I eat healthy and clean, I don’t have any desire for sweets or junk food. My Thyroid is under control. Is MY BRAIN and stress.. …
Would you like to give me some advises. I will appreciate them.
Thank you very much, Maria.
Hi Maria,
Thanks for writing. Congratulations on the success you’ve had so far with my hypnosis program! I am so sorry to hear about your setback. It sounds like you are ready to get back on track!
I have many options . . . you can work with me privately, organize a private group seminar or use my at home programs on cd and dvd, and even my books, The Right Weigh and the Craving Cure. I’d be happy to help you figure out what’s best for you. Feel free to call me at 800-848-2822. All the Best! Rena
excellent article, so true I am printing this off to carry in my purse